Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Presumption of Innocence

“You don’t have many suspects innocent of a crime.”

—Former Attorney General Edwin Meese Our criminal justice system, based on the Constitution,

has always presumed those charged with crimes to be innocent until proven guilty. The Eighth Amendment provides that “Excessive bail shall not be required.” For 200 years, our courts have allowed persons charged with crimes to be set free on bail or on their personal recognizance.

There is an expression used by lawyers that is fitting here: “bad facts make for bad law.” The individuals involved in the case described in this chapter are not very appealing.

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