The motivation and behavior of police and prosecutors We can document all too frequently that the police and prosecutors arrest and convict innocent people. Therefore, it is imperative for us to understand why they do this.
Mistakes are inevitable.
That is one of the key reasons we have defense attorneys. Well-intentioned people can come to the wrong conclusion about the guilt or innocence of a person. However, it is clear that this accounts for only part of the reason that errors happen in the criminal justice system. Another force that helps to move the system toward error is the win-lose mentality that dominates the criminal justice system at all levels. Crimes are committed and the system wants to find someone to arrest and convict.