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The average American professional commits 3 felonies a day

Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:06 pm
Posted by TutHillTiger
Mississippi Alabama
Member since Sep 2010
49830 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:06 pm
My dad used to always say if the feds want you, you are fricked. This is ridiculous and I can’t even start to tell all the bs horror stories I have seen as an attorney, many of them are completely fricking unbelievable.

I remember when we passed all those patriot act shite and cannibal came online some of my big GOP buddies saying they didn’t care if Government had complete access to their phones, laptops etc. my response was always the same, “Do you file a tax return brother? Are you sure every single thing on there is correct and legal over the past 5 years? The Tax code is like 30,000 pages and I studied it and parts of it are nonsensical and vague as We’re supposed to be the “land of the free.” But believe it or not, the United States is actually the most incarcerated country on the planet.

It’s true: While the United States has just 5 percent of the world’s population, it houses 25 percent of the world’s prison population. That’s more than any other country, even including Russia, China, and Iran.

There’s a number of reasons for this. The war on drugs, the rise of profit-making prisons, racist policing, and badly written laws all play their part.

In fact, Harvard University professor Harvey Silverglate estimates that daily life in the United States is so over-criminalized, the average American professional commits about three felonies a day. That’s astounding.

Yet despite our addiction to incarceration, some of the worst offenders aren’t punished by the criminal justice system at all. And I’m not even talking about the Wall Street crooks who gamed the system and crashed our economy.

Whether it’s due to statutes of limitations, to political shenanigans, or because victims are reluctant to come forward, some high-profile sex offenders beat the rap until the court of public opinion intervenes.

The recent situations involving former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and television reality star Josh Duggar come to mind.

Hastert was charged recently with making false statements to federal investigators and with “structuring” bank withdrawals to evade bank reporting requirements. That’s not the worst of it.

Hastert was allegedly using the money to pay an individual to keep quiet about sexual abuse he’d committed during his years as a high school teacher and wrestling coach. An Illinois woman told reporters that Hastert had molested her brother, who was a minor at the time.

That would make Hastert a pedophile. Yet that’s not the crime he was charged with.

Similarly, Josh Duggar, a star of the hit TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, reportedly molested five girls, including four of his sisters and a babysitter, when he was a teenager.

That would make him a child molester, too.

Duggar confessed his actions to his parents, who called an Arkansas state trooper who was a family friend. The man gave Duggar a “stern talking to,” but took no further action. Incidentally, the trooper himself is now serving time for possessing child porn.

So while our prisons are bursting with small-time drug offenders and two-bit white collar criminals, real criminals walk free. Neither Hastert nor Duggar has been charged with sexual crimes against children, nor are they ever likely to be.

As a father of five, this scares me to death. I’m a believer in more lenient sentencing for many crimes, and there are plenty of crimes I believe shouldn’t carry prison sentences at all. But there should always be beds in prison for those who commit crimes against children.

A good old-fashioned public shaming might raise awareness. But it’s no substitute for a justice system that prosecutes actual criminals — no matter how famous or powerful they happen to be — instead of wasting time and taxpayer money locking up ordinary people for their “three felonies a day.”

Did you know that pissing outdoors is a felony in Alabama, cussing in public is too, disturbing an owl is a federal felony, disturbing a killer whale while feeding is a felony, etc etc

Posted by CDawson
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2017
19750 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:07 pm to
quote:

While the United States has just 5 percent of the world’s population, it houses 25 percent of the world’s prison population. That’s more than any other country, even including Russia, China, and Iran.


That's because they kill the worst of the worst in those societies and they never make it to prison.
Posted by This GUN for HIRE
Member since May 2022
5933 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:07 pm to
No
Posted by TrueTiger
Chicken's most valuable
Member since Sep 2004
81369 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:19 pm to
Yes, there is a book.

This country has a Byzantine labyrinth of laws and regulations, especially in the tax code.

Anyone can be targeted anytime. Democrats are learning this with the mortgage fraud referrals.

If we're interested in freedom The regulatory nanny state needs to be stripped down to the bone.



Posted by SallysHuman
Lady Palmetto Bug
Member since Jan 2025
18260 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:21 pm to
quote:

That's because they kill the worst of the worst in those societies and they never make it to prison.


That's gotta be a part, large part, of it.

Also, punishments in other societies- such as caning- does not require a prison sentence.

I find it interesting that OP starts off discussing the 3 felonies a day and then segues into molestation and child porn.

A man forgetting a form on his taxes or jump-scaring an owl is not EVEN in the same ballpark as kid diddlers.
Posted by Smeg
Member since Aug 2018
15268 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:22 pm to
Our problem isn't "too many people in prison."
It's "not enough people in prison."
Posted by Rebel
Graceland
Member since Jan 2005
142695 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:23 pm to
Posted by Rebbedup
Member since Jun 2021
4240 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:25 pm to
Harvey Silvergate? The crusader for murderer Jeff MacDonald? Same guy?
Posted by wareaglepete
Union of Soviet Auburn Republics
Member since Dec 2012
17971 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:26 pm to
Do you know what most people the government goes after are prosecuted on? Actually, the charge they get to assure a conviction because they have to work to make any other charges stick?

Making false statements.

Don’t talk to cops. Ever.
Posted by Barstools
Atlanta
Member since Jan 2016
11495 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:28 pm to
quote:

The average American professional commits 3 felonies a day


Well, this is certainly made up bullshite and in no way true...
Posted by Hangover Haven
Metry
Member since Oct 2013
32715 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:29 pm to
I poured some used gas on some grass growing on the curb in an expansion joint today, take me to jail…
This post was edited on 8/20/25 at 10:54 pm
Posted by 4cubbies
Member since Sep 2008
60362 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:32 pm to
quote:

Our problem isn't "too many people in prison." It's "not enough people in prison."


Why haven’t you turned yourself in to help solve the problem?
Posted by Easye921
Mobile
Member since Jan 2013
3040 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:38 pm to
quote:

find it interesting that OP starts off discussing the 3 felonies a day and then segues into molestation and child porn.

A man forgetting a form on his taxes or jump-scaring an owl is not EVEN in the same ballpark as kid diddlers.


He never said they were the same. He was saying that even tho we incarcerate so many people, there are those that are able to get off with little to no punishment and used "kid diddlers" as an example. Big difference there.
Posted by McLemore
Member since Dec 2003
35115 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:41 pm to
quote:

There’s a number of reasons for this. The war on drugs, the rise of profit-making prisons, racist policing, and badly written laws all play their part.


This annoys me, as some people do.
Posted by Robin Masters
Birmingham
Member since Jul 2010
35821 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:42 pm to
Posted by Smeg
Member since Aug 2018
15268 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 9:45 pm to
quote:

Why haven’t you turned yourself in to help solve the problem?

I understand you've been traumatized, but not all white men will steal your bicycle. Just the homeless one you slept with.
Posted by BamaCoaster
God's Gulf
Member since Apr 2016
6852 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:30 pm to
Don’t know why this post is getting downvoted.

In another life, 12 years ago, I worked at a think tank in DC and submitted testimony on a house subcommittee on the Overcriminalization of Americans.

This issue is very real. Even more impressive when you realize the entirety of the American govt has been after Trump for 6-8 yrs.
Posted by Darth_Vader
A galaxy far, far away
Member since Dec 2011
72892 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:34 pm to
quote:

While the United States has just 5 percent of the world’s population, it houses 25 percent of the world’s prison population. That’s more than any other country, even including Russia, China, and Iran.


Russia, China, and Iran don’t have the same albatross hanging from their neck as we do though.
Posted by TutHillTiger
Mississippi Alabama
Member since Sep 2010
49830 posts
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:38 pm to
You guys clearly missed the point because you are so hung up on party bullshite.

I never said too many people in prison, (yeah I know the article said that) I said way way too many fricking ridiculous laws that are felony’s.

Let me explain something to you, when the feds or state come after you they always overcharge you. We lawyers don’t complain because we bill you per charge. If you are indicted for any felony, and two of my best friends were DAs and they could indict a fricking ham sandwich. So if feds in particular really come after you are typically looking at 100,000 of dollars minimum to hire a good lawyer etc to defend you. They will bleed 95% of the country dry and typically bankrupt most defendants even if you attorney gets them to drop all the charges etc. You will still be financially ruined. That’s part of the problem with law fare. If you are indicted you are fricked. (And do you remember the part about being able to indict a ham sandwich.

Then their good buddies, the federal judges appointed for life will be handing your case. (You can counter this by hiring the Judge’s golfing or fishing buddy but that cost double or triple. ) Of you live in NY, DC, any city in East Coast or California be thinking 1500-2000 bucks an hour or more. I know everyone here is a billionaire but for most people that’s real money.

Oh and for you mere millionaires, if they can they will lock up all your accounts and seize anyone. Even without that good luck getting a loan or anything while under indictment. And watch how all your “friends” and colleagues run from you like you have the plague.

Then since they win 98% of all cases tried, no matter how innocent you are, any decent lawyer will recommend a plea deal if he can’t get charges dismissed. And you will take it because a year or two at a minimum security prison is better than taking a chance on 20 years. Or your family will make you do it.

The power to indict is the power to destroy. Trump knows all about this yeh as far as I can tell no a mother fricking thing has been done about it.

One day the libtards will be back in control, I have lived though half a dozen permanent majority’s and they never last because the majority party always get arrogant and fricks it up trying to please it’s mega donors. So everyone is vulnerable.

Trump needs to appt a committee, (also the best way to kill anything but hate it have it here) and start going through felony’s at federal level, and repealing the idiotic ones, or ones that simply are archaic. If they are still on the books you can be indicted under them, even if blatantly unconstitutional. You will need a lawyer to get Judge to make that ruling, still costing you thousands.

Posted by KiwiHead
Auckland, NZ
Member since Jul 2014
36688 posts
Posted on 8/21/25 at 6:16 am to
Counselor, you well know that in the Federal system, it's called "processing". If you are indicted or charged , the question generally is not guilt or innocence. It's about the potential plea deal that you and your attorney can effectively negotiate.
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