JT> The media only tells the story if it is likely to sell
JT> the paper and the person(s) who get convicted deserve it.

RS> Its more complicated than that. Its been quite interesting to watch
RS> just what local stuff does make the national media and what does not.

JT> I was going to carefully word my above quote, but
JT> still, how many cases do you read about where the
JT> villan was seriously injured and the innocent got away?

It doesnt happen too often basically, particularly with the media
getting to hear about it. And there is often a hell of a spectacle
in the media when they do, like when the crim ends up dead.

JT> "Yesterday a taxi was badly damaged in a car-jacking attempt, the
JT> driver escaped without injury, but one of the offenders was run over."

JT> I think fucking not.

Sure, but clearly a boong being used as a speed hump would have
made the news. The reason it didnt wasnt because the media chose
not to run it, it was because they never found out about it.

JT> What weapon did the boongs have?  A half-brick? That is not a
JT> weapon, therefor the taxi driver automatically becomes the guilty.

Unfortunately thats more the current state of the law than the media.
The law is just plain fucked on that sort of thing. The short story
is that you aint supposed to end up with a dead boong in that case.

I think the law should be changed so that the only thing that matters
is if they were actually attempting an assault etc. If they end up dead
that just too bad. Ditto inside your own house too, if a burglar ends
up dead or seriously injured, stiff shit for him, if he doesnt like that
risk, he's always got the choice not to do the burglary in the first place.

RS> Presumably most of its just the usual gross incompetence and
RS> it being just too much hassle to chase it up most of the time.

JT> There has been some real blunders, but as far as I can see, most
JT> of the time, the guilty party gets off lightly, no real incentive
JT> to not do the crime again.  Crime does pay, and bloody well too.

True, but thats almost entirely the current state of the law, not the media.
@EOT:

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