Remember when you were presumed innocent until proven guilty? From Dr. Joseph Sansone at josephsanson.substack.com:
A long time ago, in a galaxy far away there were foundational judicial principles such as due process and the presumption of innocence. These were pillars of western jurisprudence. Over the eons, meaning past few decades, these foundational principles have become arcane knowledge. The presumption of innocence has become a theoretical abstract ideal, no longer applicable in the real world.
While the presumption of innocence is not explicitly written in the U.S. Constitution, it is implicitly embedded in the Fifth Amendment and a necessary component to due process:
Due process generally means the government cannot deprive you of your freedom or property unless they follow the proper procedures. Your right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty is fundamental to due process. The presumption of innocence is a constitutional right, even if it is not directly addressed.
Somewhere in the 1980s or 1990s the term drive by media came about. This was an inference to a drive by shooting. Like a drive by shooting, the media would do a character assassination on someone, and then once the job was completed, move on and let people figure out the facts later. This media character assassination has bled into the judicial process. This bastardizing of the judicial process has deteriorated to such a degree that we now throw members of Congress out based on accusations.
