Never Ask For A Lawyer Dog

[Iron Woode]

http://nationalpost.com/news/world/response-to-mans-plea-for-lawyer-dog-has-internet-barking

NEW ORLEANS — Did the suspect ask for a lawyer dog? Or did he call a detective “dog,” while seeking a lawyer?

A Louisiana Supreme Court justice appears to side with the canine lawyer interpretation.

Defence lawyers say the confession of Warren Demesme, 24, in a New Orleans rape case should be suppressed because he asked for counsel during an October 2015 interrogation. He told investigators, “Why don’t you just give me a lawyer dog …”

Louisiana’s Supreme Court allowed the confession. The majority issued no written ruling, but in a separate opinion Justice Scott Crichton said Demesme’s “equivocal reference to a ‘lawyer dog”‘ didn’t merit stopping interrogation.

LOL

I got to admit that maybe speaking clear english when being interrogated by the police might be a good idea.

 

[BoomerD]

Maybe...but there's no way that should stand...asked for canine representation? Rofl.

 

[Chaotic42]

Why not? Seems like they'd know a lot about being collared...

 

[Jeeebus]

Looks like the right result based on Supreme Court (US) precedent. The dog vs. dawg stuff is funny for the internet, but the case was not decided on that. "Why don't you just give me a lawyer" is not an unequivocal statement that he's not answering questions without a lawyer. That, combined with the fact that he kept answering questions, sealed his fate. You need to say something akin to "I AM NOT ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS WITHOUT MY ATTORNEY PRESENT" and then STFU.

 

[highland145]

Looks like the right result based on Supreme Court (US) precedent. The dog vs. dawg stuff is funny for the internet, but the case was not decided on that. "Why don't you just give me a lawyer" is not an unequivocal statement that he's not answering questions without a lawyer. That, combined with the fact that he kept answering questions, sealed his fate. You need to say something akin to "I AM NOT ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS WITHOUT MY ATTORNEY PRESENT" and then STFU.

Why do you hate your dogs?

 

[BudAshes]

 

[Darwin333]

The attorney arguing the case should have said that his nickname was "Dog" so his client was asking for him by name.

 

[BurnItDwn]

How about we simply made it mandatory that legal council always be present? Seems like it would protect ignorant or dumb people and keep the system more honest.

 

[Chapbass]

How about we simply made it mandatory that legal council always be present? Seems like it would protect ignorant or dumb people and keep the system more honest.

Cause to be honest they don't want the system to be honest

 

[Ken g6]

How about we simply made it mandatory that legal council always be present? Seems like it would protect ignorant or dumb people and keep the system more honest.

I've heard a suggestion that they shouldn't even allow confessions, since it's so easy to get people to confess to anything.

 

[highland145]

I've heard a suggestion that they shouldn't even allow confessions, since it's so easy to get people to confess to anything.

Legit confessions are way cheaper on the system and get bad guys off the streets sooner. Might should be a confession review board though.

When I had grand jury, we'd laugh at some of the stuuuupid things criminals do. Like losing their wallet at the scene, bragging on FB, robbing their friends at gunpoint, etc, etc, ..... The deputy said, "Most criminals are dumb, dangerous but dumb."

 

[zinfamous]

Legit confessions are way cheaper on the system and get bad guys off the streets sooner. Might should be a confession review board though.

When I had grand jury, we'd laugh at some of the stuuuupid things criminals do. Like losing their wallet at the scene, bragging on FB, robbing their friends at gunpoint, etc, etc, ..... The deputy said, "Most criminals are dumb, dangerous but dumb."

yeah that's why it's a problem: legit confessions are almost like a unicorn these days.

 

[highland145]

yeah that's why it's a problem: legit confessions are almost like a unicorn these days.

Is it?

 

[slayer202]

louisiana is still racist? shocking

 

[Darwin333]

yeah that's why it's a problem: legit confessions are almost like a unicorn these days.

I dunno, a lot of people eventually confess because they think/led to believe the police have them dead to rights. Others don't actually confess but are dumb enough to say something incriminating. Tons of innocent people end up on the wrong side of the legal system because they talked to the police without a lawyer. Combined with how they love to overcharge and threaten that if you go to trial they will seek the maximum penalty which is often absurd a huge number of innocent people end up taking plea deals. This goes quadruple for people who can't afford a lawyer so they are stuck with a public defender who has 6 minutes to spend on your case, "You can roll the dice that a jury will find you innocent but if you lose you could get 30 years in jail or take the plea deal and get 6 months, out in 3".

I've always found it absurdly crazy that they can threaten you with shit like 30 years if you try to prove your innocence but offer you 6 months to plead guilty. The justice system is supposed to be protecting society and punishing people for the crimes they committed. I understand that plea deals are necessary to expedite court proceedings but there is no way that you can claim a person you offered 6 months to now deserves 30 friggen years or 60 times what you thought was appropriate.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I dunno, a lot of people eventually confess because they think/led to believe the police have them dead to rights. Others don't actually confess but are dumb enough to say something incriminating. Tons of innocent people end up on the wrong side of the legal system because they talked to the police without a lawyer. Combined with how they love to overcharge and threaten that if you go to trial they will seek the maximum penalty which is often absurd a huge number of innocent people end up taking plea deals. This goes quadruple for people who can't afford a lawyer so they are stuck with a public defender who has 6 minutes to spend on your case, "You can roll the dice that a jury will find you innocent but if you lose you could get 30 years in jail or take the plea deal and get 6 months, out in 3".

I've always found it absurdly crazy that they can threaten you with shit like 30 years if you try to prove your innocence but offer you 6 months to plead guilty. The justice system is supposed to be protecting society and punishing people for the crimes they committed. I understand that plea deals are necessary to expedite court proceedings but there is no way that you can claim a person you offered 6 months to now deserves 30 friggen years or 60 times what you thought was appropriate.

Also, Police should not be permitted to lie to people and claim they have evidence in order to manipulate a confession.
I would also argue that they should not be allowed to torture people with things like sleep deprivation as that is cruel and unusual.

 

[DrunkenSano]

How about we simply made it mandatory that legal council always be present? Seems like it would protect ignorant or dumb people and keep the system more honest.

No thanks, I rather not have the system protect ignorant or dumb criminals. If you commit a crime and you are stupid enough to ask for a lawyer dog, you deserve to be in jail, not out on the streets.

 

[BurnItDwn]

No thanks, I rather not have the system protect ignorant or dumb criminals. If you commit a crime and you are stupid enough to ask for a lawyer dog, you deserve to be in jail, not out on the streets.

What about innocent or dumb non-criminials?
What about people who get falsely accused of crimes?
Also, please be aware, that something like 100% of teenagers and young adults are ignorant or dumb.

Are you willing to throw them all under the bus just to make it easier to punish the dumb criminials?

 

[Darwin333]

Also, Police should not be permitted to lie to people and claim they have evidence in order to manipulate a confession.
I would also argue that they should not be allowed to torture people with things like sleep deprivation as that is cruel and unusual.

I'm not sure about the lying thing but I definitely agree with cutting crap like sleep deprivation. Even worse is our huge use of long term solitary confinement which is absolutely psychological torture that can cause permanent mental problems. Aside from the entire cruel and unusual part most of those people will eventually be let back into society so it's in our interest to not fuck their heads up so that they come out with new or far worse mental health issues than when they went in.

 

[Darwin333]

No thanks, I rather not have the system protect ignorant or dumb criminals. If you commit a crime and you are stupid enough to ask for a lawyer dog, you deserve to be in jail, not out on the streets.

Something like 4.1% of death row inmates have been proven to be innocent and those cases are the ones with the most proof, in general the best defense and have automatic appeals. With our plea deal driven justice system (see my previous post) there are a fuckton of innocent people who plead guilty/convicted of crimes. You can even coerce a confession out of quite a few innocent people and the police basically have a playbook to do just that, granted I don't think (usually) that is their intention but it can, and sometimes is, a result. So not only do we have more innocent people in jail that is even remotely acceptable in our society but for every one of those people a guilty person is free to continue committing crimes.

 

[Orsorum]

Truly disappointed by this case's outcome. His request was unambiguous and I find it insulting that the legal system would pretend otherwise.

 

[who?]

He didn't request a lawyer, he asked a question.

 

[Sonikku]

So did they get him a lawyer dog or not?!