Posted on 05/17/2011 6:35:27 AM PDT by rawhide
French Socialist politicians voiced outrage Tuesday at the parading of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn handcuffed and unshaven in the United States before he has a chance to defend himself on charges of attempted rape.
Arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a chambermaid at a luxury New York hotel,Strauss-Kahn was made by police to walk manacled in front of cameras on his way to a courthouse,and his appearance before a judge was televised.
Former Culture Minister Jack Lang described the treatment of the Socialist presidential frontrunner--whose political career is now in tatters--as a "lynching" that had "provoked horror and aroused disgust."
The U.S. justice system,he said,was "politicized" and the judge appeared to have been determined to "make a Frenchman pay" by denying the head of the International Monetary Fund bail even though his lawyer had offered to post $1 million bond.
To many Americans,the handling of Strauss-Kahn reflected an egalitarian tradition that all crime suspects get the same treatment,regardless of their wealth or power.
Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry denounced "degrading images" and said France was lucky to have a law on the presumption of innocence that bars media from showing defendants in handcuffs before they are convicted.
Former Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou,who drafted that law,called the pre-trial publicity "absolutely sickening."
"The power of these images of a Kahn who hasn't been allowed to shave, tired, and not dressed properly,all that offends human dignity,"she told Europe 1 radio.
Another respected former justice minister,Robert Badinter,who pushed through the abolition of the death penalty in France,said the IMF chief had been subjected to "death by media."
"Never forget it's not just judges that are elected,but prosecutors.And the chief of police is elected.And clearly,in public opinion,to exhibit a powerful rich man in the presence of a victim from a very poor background,electorally,it pays off."
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
Or, MAYBE, we can accord a defendant his presumption of innocence and take him out the back door or under cover?
Marching a prisoner before the press, intentionally, is clearly a violation of that presumption.
No, if that were the case the rapist would be walking free and the rape victim would be on trial for adultery with death by stoning as the likely sentence.
To presuppose that this has been the case is perfect BS. He got no worse and no better than anyone else in the same situation.
Did not know that. Lets hope this is not a trial balloon case for Sharia Law in the U.S.
This case has nothing to do with Sharia Law. It has to do with an alleged rape of a minimally skilled manual laborer by a powerful socialist politician. The victim's ethnic and religious heritage is irrelevant. What is relevant is that this powerful socialist politician is accused of committing a sex crime against a person whom he presumably believe to be so far beneath him that he was entitled to treat her however he wanted.
I believe "Frog March" will do (marche de grenouille??)
First, let’s see if we can’t get you an appointment to the Supreme Court. Then, let’s see if we can get Chanel or Cartier to design “this” guy’s orange jump-suit!
Maybe they should have photographed him ‘dressed properly’ as he was when he attacked the maid?
If the maid is a Muslim immigrant who wears a headscarf, that leaves her damaged in a whole other realm. Is she now subject to stoning as well?
How would you prefer that a defendant is taken from the Precinct to Central Booking? Should there be a helicopter on the roof to transport the perp? Every single arrested individual does the perp walk. It’s how we move perps. They have to walk. The media only cares about a select few defendants, though.
If so... this dude should get a prison cell with a view of all the pretty planes taking off every 35-45 seconds. A far cry from a $3,000/night hotel room in the heart of Manhattan.
Your hatred of all things police is getting out of hand. How does it feel to agree with the French on this one? You think this guy's alleged victim would give a damn about how you or the French feel?
Everytime he looks out the tiny window of his cell, he can think of how he almost got on one of those silver birds to France and freedom.
He won’t be seeing France and freedom anytime soon, I imagine.
Maybe, but when Kahn fled to the airport, leaving his cellphone behind, he cooked his own goose. If the maid really came on to him, he should have stayed in his room.
I think the guy is guilty as Hell, and has no one to blame but himself.
DUDE!
Why would that matter?
The French knew that the press would still get the story no matter what (it's not as if journalists can't figure out where the back door is or get tips from insiders).
So their law targets journalists for prosecution.
Would you propose arresting cops on charges of . . . being insufficently sneaky in concealing suspects?
First Amendment or mollycoddling suspects: that's the choice here.
Given how the French view West African Muslims it’s not surprising that this happened. He probably thought she was illegal and wouldn’t complain.
Fine but why use a a scarf wearing muslim immigrant as the lure? I suppose it could get very intricate and diabolical since the victim has great victim cred for the leftists which is no doubt making their brain circuitry begin emit sparks and smoke.
I don’t know how to respond to such inanity?
“hatred of all things police”
WTF? That’s quite a leap.
EVERY precinct I’ve ever seen has a back door.
EVERY ONE. And I’ve been in more than a few.
It’s where they bring in the vending machines, the coffee supplies, the furniture, and, YES, the prisoners. But that’s a technical detail and debating those is a pointless endeavor.
You use the word “alleged” and then discount the destructive value of “Perp Walks”. I’m not asking for a Constitutional amendment or a defacto ban on the media. I’m asking that police, prosecutors and other public servants avoid the improprieties of politicizing such things. Guys like Eliot Spitzer, who was famous for using the PW against Wall Street “criminals”.
You mis-understood what I tried to say. Yes, it is obvious that he is what you described and deserves punishment for his arrogance as much as his actions. And you are right about women and Sharia law. But it is selective. If it were a Muslim man in a Muslim state that committed the act, he would get off scot-free. But a Dhemmi would not.
Yeah, and you think we can bar the press from filming a door where the vending machine guy goes? Ha!
You'd have a point if we only paraded guys like this around. My point is, every prisoner does this walk. No one gets special treatment. You can't pick and choose simply because someone may want to film a specific perp.
You are always on the cop threads bashing away. It's no secret.
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