Jul 022012
 

book-cover

Book Cover

By Jeffrey Collins of New York (USA)
June 24, 2012

After reading this well written book [Louisiana v. Vincent Simmons: Frame-up in Avoyelles Parish] by Ms. [Katja] Pumm, I can very much say that she really did her research into a system that is mostly one-sided and very much saturated with lies. I believe that there are not too many people who can write a book about an individual’s innocence and the injustice of the criminal system without experiencing it first-hand. But, Ms. Pumm’s book actually comes really close and I think that is because she has put her heart into it.

I am an individual who has spent twenty (20) years in prison for a crime I did not commit, and that injustice continues as I write this review. So, I do see and understand the plight of Mr. Simmons.

The very first inquiry into a criminal case is the most trustworthy. An individual who looks (investigates) into a criminal case can be certain to find the truth of what happened and if the accused is indeed responsible.

The three (3) alleged victims in the Simmons case were indeed hiding something. I felt that they were untruthful about the gun and knowing the defendant’s name. It is a known fact, once you lie, you have to continue to lie or else the truth will reveal its self in due time. So the three alleged victims had to continue in their untruthfulness, when they were given support by those in authority, which were also family members and politicians.

What should be an eye opener for people who do not really understand what goes on within the legal system, is the fact that a man (Mr. Simmons) could receive 99 [100] years for a charge of attempted aggravated rape of two females, when such a charge was never voted on by the ‘Grand Jury’ who has to vote a true bill before an accused can plea to a charge. Also, if the facts given by the alleged victims state that they were raped, where does attempt fit into the charge?

For those lay individuals of the legal system, in order of a District Attorney to amend an indictment (Change of Charge), it has to present the amendment to the grand jury for them to vote on a superseding indictment. They are not supposed to just change the charge without going through the proper procedures first. But as Ms. Pumm pointed out, this is one of the many abuses that are taking place in the ‘legal’ system to this day. And it goes unnoticed by lay individuals. One of the main reasons why it continues is due to there being no accountability, or shall I say very little accountability by those who violate the law.

The law does not care about the truth of the matter at hand as [an] individual may assume. Law is only concerned with rights and interest of property. This is laws’ (constitutions’) main focus, property rights. Criminal law, as it is called derived from property rights law, which is commercial law. Therefore, criminal law is ‘Legal’ Rules and Procedures of Commercial Law. So, the key to understanding the very much complex criminal law, you must begin with understanding law merchant… They are intertwined.

I thank you, Ms. Pumm, for first being understanding to the plight of those innocent in prison and for this wonderful book.

Jun 042011
 

Why is law not a subject in school as, for instance, a nation’s official language, math, and history? We have to obey the law, but we are not taught the law. We have duties and rights, but we frequently do not know them. The science of law is still a closed book to the majority of all people worldwide. The internet is a great library and one can look up laws online, but who does it?

I served as a witness in civil court a few days ago. When I attended the hearing, the judge said to one of the parties that it is not a court’s or its staff’s job to inform people about the law. He was right. But who teaches us what we are supposed to know? Nobody asked this question. Everyone present probably understood that there are lawyers to consult.

Of course, one could boost legal businesses by running to law firms each time one wants to inquire about technicalities. But who can afford that? Would it not be better to learn the basics about our legal system in school – before the first students drop out? They, in particular, will very likely not be able to pay an attorney’s hourly wage in the future.

Time limitations to file this and that in court, and how to file it “correctly,” i.e. according to the law, is essential to know. Because, if you are right but not paying attention to the technicalities or “rules,” most judges will hold your ignorance against you and deny your cause. That is the paradox.

The judge agreed that the gap between the law and humane justice or morals can be very big, but he explained that his job is to apply the law. Bureaucracy complicates a lot at times, and it does not always make sense, let alone justice.

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