To: Paul Howard, Fulton county District Attorney, President Donald Trump, The Georgia State House, The Georgia State Senate, Governor Brian Kemp, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Using your fifth amendment rights against you
I want to end the use of scar-tactic. Scaring people (young people mainly) who don't know their rights into using their fifth amendment right against them. Even in the event that you know something about someone. I feel you should not be scared into testifying against that person or lose your freedom. We have a right to remain silent or it will be used against us but yet if we remain silent it is still used against us
Why is this important?
I have been personally affected by this issue and now i see it happening again with a family member. Young people generally do not know their rights until they have been caught up in the system then they begin the process of learning the mistakes they made.
The most significant but unspoken fact is that this also creates a perpetual cycle where those who are intimidated into cooperating become leaked as snitches in society both public and privately. Therefore their lives are never the same the are either ridiculed or haunted from then on. Prosecutors create these dilemmas for young men who don't know their rights well enough to plead the fifth
"My son was with another family member when a friend was killed. My son is hurt confused and really caught up in the middle of a family/friend situation. So he chooses to stay neutral. Well the detective and or district attorney doesn't want him neutral he wants him to either be a witness or a suspect. Not knowing what to do, how to think. His back is up against the wall. Either you tell what you know and we give you a proffer or you take your chances in court. These young adults or scared. Our fifth amendment should not be used against us in this type of way. This need to STOP......
The most significant but unspoken fact is that this also creates a perpetual cycle where those who are intimidated into cooperating become leaked as snitches in society both public and privately. Therefore their lives are never the same the are either ridiculed or haunted from then on. Prosecutors create these dilemmas for young men who don't know their rights well enough to plead the fifth
"My son was with another family member when a friend was killed. My son is hurt confused and really caught up in the middle of a family/friend situation. So he chooses to stay neutral. Well the detective and or district attorney doesn't want him neutral he wants him to either be a witness or a suspect. Not knowing what to do, how to think. His back is up against the wall. Either you tell what you know and we give you a proffer or you take your chances in court. These young adults or scared. Our fifth amendment should not be used against us in this type of way. This need to STOP......