Judge Posner Gives Up on Justice as a Lost Cause

Much too often federal defendants are advised to plead guilty by under-educated and self-serving court-appointed lawyers. Unfortunately, each year, tens of thousands of defendants who are actually innocent are convicted of crimes they didn't commit. False conviction is recognized by The Federal Public Defenders Office as a leading cause of Mass-Incarceration. In 2018, The Federal Defenders Office published it's findings about innocent people being coerced into pleading guilty. In a report entitled "Trial Tax," the Federal Defenders Office laid out the frightening details. "Trial Tax" is available on line.

Once defendants are found guilty by plea agreement they discover that they also waived their right to appeal from their illegal sentence and conviction. But, what's most troubling is that they also waived their right to have the assistance of a lawyer. Therefore, when prisoners discover that their lawyers lied to them, they have no right to the assistance of counsel to prove that they are in fact innocent. The waivers that defendants are convinced to sign most often leave uneducated and underprivileged innocent prisoners to navigate the complex legal system's procedures by themselves.

After his retirement, 7th Circuit Judge, Richard Posner, made a bold move. In 2018, Judge Posner launched The Posner Center of Justice, he tried to help as many "abandoned", innocent American prisoners as he could.

Unfortunately for Judge Poser, and those who needed his help, he had no idea how big the problem had become, and how little his volunteer attorneys were willing to help. After announcing the program, thousands of hopeful prisoners overwhelmed the Posner Center of Justice. Under the strain, the center shut it's doors unannounced when it's board of directors dissolved the nonprofit corporation in July of 2019.

Judge Posner discovered that the attorneys who run the American Criminal Justice System, have very little interest in justice, if they have any at all.

Not long ago, Law.com's "Litigation Daily" reported that the center's Executive Director said the board's statement was "self serving nonsense."

"Unfortunately, there were lawyers involved in the Posner Center who were really not very interested in helping Pro Se defendants but were more interested in having their names connected to the Posner Center for selfish reasons," he said. "The problem was that most of the lawyers who signed up to be part of the Posner Center weren't willing to actually help the Pro Se defendants."

Efforts like the Posner Center come, and they go. When they leave, they leave a void where the hope of the innocent once dwelled. For this reason, the less fortunate must educate themselves. This is accomplished by obtaining the easy to understand books that are available on the market today.

One particular series of books, that's written specifically to be used by underprivileged prisoners, is the "Post-Conviction Relief" series developed and published by Freebird Publishers (https://www.freebirdpublishers.com). This set of books is affordable and informative. They are written from the perspective of a successful advocate who has a true passion to assist the underprivileged prisoners in America.

For more information on the easy to understand, "Post-Conviction Relief" series visit: www.freebirdpublishers.com. Prisoners can send a direct email to Diane@freebirdpublishers.com using prison email systems.