So, I have some free time today and I’m checking the Stars & Stripes. This article about a Soldier who got convicted in a German court for rape and murder has this comment in it:
I don’t get it. What states do not recognize sex crime convictions from overseas? Why wouldn’t they from Germany? Germany has a real judicial system and it’s extremely doubtful the guy was railroaded.
I’ll leave the question of his being released after just 15 years into a life sentence for others to deal with.
p.s. OP in the Pit because I’m sure there are going to be some, shall we say, more acerbic comments about the parolee, the German prison system, the German judicial system, or the states that don’t think he’s been convicted of a sex crime.
The legal system isn’t built to handle a lot of stuff from other countries. It can’t really because the legal standards are different and the legal process isn’t the U.S. process. It could be just as good but it is hard to translate that and there are constitutional issues as well. Even out of state crimes have problems with this sometimes.
“Mr. Smith, Saudi Arabia has just notified our state that you were convicted of ogling a non-family member female there. I think you need to come in for fingerprinting.”
I think they are correct.
Well, I’d venture that there’s a bit of difference between ogling and raping someone after you knocked them out with a hammer.
Certainly the crimes are of a different degree. But are evidence rules the same in the two countries? And rules regarding burden of proof? I think these are the sorts of issues to which **Shagnasty ** is referring and that make comparisons between different countries’ legal/judicial systems so problematic.
I dunno. It seems like many of these sex-offender registration laws are pretty shoddily crafted, so maybe it just wasn’t a consideration in some states. I supsect that this will change that situation.
Weirdest case I’ve ever heard of? A Canadian guy goes to Cuba. Has sex with an underage prostitute(she was 14, AoC in Cuba is 16). Cuban authorities arrest him and lock him up. Look to extradite him back home to Canada. Well, in Canada the AoC is 14, so what he did isn’t even a crime there. So the Cubans say “Fuck you Canada, we’ll keep the asshole in jail here.” Canada is pissed because they’re holding a Canadian citizen and extraditing him, Cuba is pissed because if the guy goes back to Canada, he walks.
Fucked up all around. I never followed up to see how the case shook out. Now I’m kind of curious.
Enjoy,
Steven