Pleading Not Guilty and Getting Off

[Gin0710]

Maybe I should ask a lawyer this question, but what is the point of a suspect pleading not guilty? I mean aside from getting away with it, what are the next steps for the police if the accused does get away with it? Do they continue the investigation or do they file it away and forget about it? This is a question I have asked myself with so many cases. Casey Anthony, OJ. If they were proven 'not guilty' does the investigation continue?

 

[DancingLady]

I do not know if the investigation continues in all cases, but I do know that in the US we are protected from what is called double jeopardy. This means you can only be tried for a crime once, so if the suspect is not found guilty, they are legally free and they can't try again to convict them.

 

[Gin0710]

I do not know if the investigation continues in all cases, but I do know that in the US we are protected from what is called double jeopardy. This means you can only be tried for a crime once, so if the suspect is not found guilty, they are legally free and they can't try again to convict them.

That's such garbage. I would hope they would continue the investigation and want to make it right. I mean OJ got off, so do they have any new leads as to who might have done it? If "lack of evidence" suggested that he didn't do it, than who the hell did? And what about Casey Anthony? Couldn't they investigate the parents because it seems to me like they did it. I don't know. The justice system doesn't make any damn sense to me. It's all about making money to get people off these days, not find justice.

 

[Rhoda D'Ettore]

Those cases remain open because no one has been convicted. They eventually go into a cold case file which can be opened if new witnesses or evidence come forward. Periodically, some detectives will go over cold cases to view it with fresh eyes.

 

[Gelsemium]

I think that when you say not guilty it simply means you didn't do it. You might be lying or not of course and it also might be a strategy from the defense...

 

[Gin0710]

What if proof came up that the person who got off actually did do it though? Double Jeopardy is still in favor of the one who did it and got away with it?

 

[Patrick]

What if proof came up that the person who got off actually did do it though? Double Jeopardy is still in favor of the one who did it and got away with it?

If the proof is substantial I think that the case could be reopened, and the person brought to trial.

 

[Popcorn365]

If the proof is substantial I think that the case could be reopened, and the person brought to trial.

Even if the proof is substantial, double jeopardy prevents a person from being prosecuted twice for the same offense. This is a constitutional right and it holds regardless of whatever evidence my come to light after the fact. OJ Simpson could give a written confession for the murders that he was accused of and give proof that he committed those crimes; however, he could not be prosecuted again for those crimes; therefore he could not be brought to justice for them.