Tangential to the above comment, you have to also remember that in the U.S. many police forces are also revenue drivers. For many small towns on highways, they have "speed traps" set up not really to keep roadways safe but to ticket people and get revenue for their municipality, ditto with other legal actions against people. There's a significant amount of civil forfeiture too that amounts to cops seizing assets with little to no cause. I mention this just because corruption isn't always as straightforward as what that absolutely insane situation sounds like, but the incentives in many U.S. jurisdictions are pretty misaligned and so can create pretty negative situations for the average American interacting with a cop.
Yes, our town was off a major highway and getting in and out of town is a blitz through multiple factions of police including the Sheriff's Office, town police, state troopers and extra enforcement from the nearby capitol city. They are especially active during what is known as Taskforce Thursdays. It's a racket from top to bottom. You feel like a criminal just going to get groceries, like a lamb watching for wolves.
My arresting officer has been kicked off of the local force before and reinstated. Until a few years ago, the father of the local district attorney was the the town's mayor. The same mayor was the town bail bondsman. When I was processed, the town's mayor himself visited the parents of the friend I was staying with at the time in a play to get me kicked out and back on the street.
It's an insane town and it's ruled by a few wealthy families. The corruption in that town was unimaginable and I myself was subject to an abusive power figure as my guardian while growing up, that same man is great friends with the same prosecutor who conspired to press charges and conduct a mistrial. I can't get away from it.
What do you mean by mistrial here? How did you get any sentence if there was a mistrial? Why would they conspire to commit one unless they were on trial and not you?
My first public defender was removed from me because he was trying to assist me.
My second lawyer didn't know my name after two years, prepared no defense and refused to file a motion to quash (the town dragged on proceedings for years and it turned out they'd never sent the "evidence" to the lab).
I had half a dozen cops approach the stand, sequestered, and each of them told a totally different story. My only witness then got slapped with a charge for "lying to the police", whatever that was in legalese, and the judge ignored all of the inconsistencies. I should also mention that my right to a trial by jury was taken away from me in an act of deceit, where I, a minor without a lawyer or guardian present, was made to sign a document upon bail which gave up that right. I was told at the time that they would not release me on bail unless I signed the document.
My lawyer then refused to file an appeal because it would, and I quote, "make [her] job miserable", because her de facto boss was the judge, who happened to be the only presiding judge across two parishes.
My original public defender, who had been removed from my case, was so upset by the outcome that he came to visit me in jail, promised me he'd fight for me... he had a private screaming match with the judge in his office, but the best he could do was get me a reduced sentence on good behavior. I still had to pay thousands in fees and endure all of the other issues that come with the state having a vice grip around you.
