Quote:
Originally Posted by Panamax
Word on the street has it that Panama's unwritten legal rule is the presumption of guilt; that one is guilty until proven innocent; that the burden of proof is not on the prosecution, but the defense; that in a court of law one must prove a negative to be exonorated. Is this true, or is it poppycock?
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I'm not sure about Panama, but I've been to court in the states, and I tell ya, you'd be hard pressed to make me believe that the entire burden of proof did not fall on myself and my attorneys. The whole thing stunk of guilty until proven innocent. Seriously, I was put on something called "pre-trial services" which is the exact same thing as probation only BEFORE you go to court and before anyone finds you guilty. If court goes in your favor it's all fine and dandy and you're off it, but in the two months leading up to the court date... I WAS on probation. Good thing I was able to prove my case because as minor as it may have been, it still made me ridiculously angry. How do you put someone on probation before you prove guilt? I dunno... but I'm living proof it happens in some municipalities in the US.