Oxymoron - "Real Time Fact Checking"?

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Meadbh said:
Spill the beans, rodi! :clap:
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Here Rodi, let me help you along to your confession.

Once, while in college, I was going so fast, and so far over the speed limit, on a buddy's motorcycle, that the policeman who stopped me didn't give me a ticket...he took me to the county jailhouse. He didn't put in a cell; I think he just wanted to scare the bejeezus out of me (which he did). He let me go with a warning after my buddy came to get me (and his bike) and pleaded ignorance (my ignorance :facepalm:).

See, we all have a little convict in us. :angel:
 
rodi said:
The prosecutor was pretty disgusted with the officers and agreed immediately to the motion.
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The only thing the prosecutor was disgusted with was the "FACT" that the officers didn't collude with each other before giving their testimony or the"FACT" that he failed to prep the officers before trial which is collusion on another level.
 
Just_Steve said:
The only thing the prosecutor was disgusted with was the "FACT" that the officers didn't collude with each other before giving their testimony or the"FACT" that he failed to prep the officers before trial which is collusion on another level.
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And the data to support that conclusion is.....?
 
Meadbh said:
Spill the beans, rodi! :clap:
Click to expand...

Ok... I'll entice you guys a little more with this story. I was in college and it was vice cops and a vice charge.

Curious? I bet you are!!! Ha!!!

The actual charge was for an innkeeper knowingly letting a room for prostitution.

The story behind that charge:
I worked as a desk clerk at a motel in Pt Loma (near MCRD and NTC bases) but we were a family motel. No hourly rates. Rented to vacationers, snowbirds (we had some apartments), the families coming in to see their kids graduate boot camp... Not sleazy at all. (Although budget... so not fancy.) The best part about the job was I was able to do homework when there were no customers. Awesome for a college student.

Two people came in to rent a room. She was dressed, um, er, trampy. (spandex pants, rabbit fur cropped jacket, stilleto pumps... this was the early 80's). But - no law against bad taste in clothes. The guy was a normal guy - jeans and a flannel shirt. Turns out they were cops and she was wearing a wire. I rented them the room with no issue - but when I went to the back of the office to get the key - they apparently had a conversation about what he would get for his money. I didn't hear it. After we exchanged the key and money they repeated the conversation. I let them exit - then paged our security guard to come to the office. I was in the process of telling him we had a hooker in room 208 (I still remember the room!) when the cops came in and mirandized me. I freaked out and burst into tears. (Real mature, I know.) They threatened me with taking me to jail if I didn't "cooperate". They then told me I was guilty, without fulling explaining the charge.

It went to court - full jury trial. Work hired a lawyer for me because they didn't want the reputation of a no-tell motel. My lawyer subpoena'd the wire recording - which showed they'd had a sting at all the motels in the area - 2 of which were pretty clearly guilty (coincidentally, those motels had hourly rates and were "no-tell motels".)

As I mentioned before - my lawyer had the officers remain outside the court for testimony. The "john" actually told the truth - including that he was pretty sure I didn't hear the convo about prostitution till the transaction was done. The "working girl" cop lied about pretty much everything. Their boss (who was in another car, listening to the wire) had a 3rd account that disagreed with the other 2 cops.

The prosecutor, coincidentally had daughters who worked at the navy motel on Coronado - while students at SDSU (my school). His summation basically emphasized that if there was any doubt - they had to ACQUIT. (Yes - this was the prosecutor... he could tell I wasn't guilty). During the jury deliberation he confided to us (my mom and I) that he would not be allowed home to his wife and daughters if I was convicted because his family knew I wasn't guilty).

Jury spent 15 minutes to deliberate - 5 minutes to vote not guilty, 10 minutes to discuss if I had a case of wrongful prosecution. The foreman of the jury was the daughter of a cop - and she was my biggest champion.

The judge then put in the motion of "Factual Innocence".

So - yeah - I've been to a jury trial on vice charges... but I'm innocent I tell you!!!
 
rodi said:
So - yeah - I've been to a jury trial on vice charges... but I'm innocent I tell you!!!
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Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say.:LOL:

Seriously, I cringe when I hear stories like that. I'm proud of what I did at work and 99% of the officers I worked with were straightforward and honest people. Even some people I took to jail thanked me simply because I treated them decently. But there were about 1% over the years that were a disgrace and the rest of us were as disgusted with them as anyone else.
 
Yes, that case should never have gone to trial.

Hopefully there was some serious disciplinary actions taken on the officers involved as well as the prosecutor who should have dumped it.
 
Great story Rodi, thanks for sharing.
 
RobbieB said:
Yes, that case should never have gone to trial.

Hopefully there was some serious disciplinary actions taken on the officers involved as well as the prosecutor who should have dumped it.
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Yes, the cops were trolling, and the prosecutor sounds terrible for taking the case to trial--and then confiding in the defendant that he basically wanted to lose? The taxpayers would have been thrilled to know this.
 
RobbieB said:
Yes, that case should never have gone to trial.

Hopefully there was some serious disciplinary actions taken on the officers involved as well as the prosecutor who should have dumped it.
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Hahahahahaha! Good one.

Oh wait. You were serious?
 
rodi said:
Ok... I'll entice you guys a little more with this story. I was in college and it was vice cops and a vice charge.

Curious? I bet you are!!! Ha!!!

The actual charge was for an innkeeper knowingly letting a room for prostitution.

So - yeah - I've been to a jury trial on vice charges... but I'm innocent I tell you!!!
Click to expand...

Great story!

You will henceforth be known as "Madam Rodi." :D
 
I just came across this item, relevant to "Fact Checking".

WARNING - the article also breaks it down across party lines. As I said in my OP, I'm not looking to make this political/partisan and get the thread closed, my excerpt here will be from the neutral part:

Voters Don’t Trust Media Fact-Checking - Rasmussen Reports™

bold mine -
Most voters believe news organizations play favorites when it comes to fact-checking candidates’ statements, ...

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 29% of all Likely U.S. Voters trust media fact-checking of candidates’ comments. Sixty-two percent (62%) believe instead that news organizations skew the facts to help candidates they support. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

... The majority of voters in most demographic categories believe the media play favorites when they fact-check candidates' comments.

...
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-ERD50
 
As of now real time fact checking isnt perfect. In a couple decades I believe we will have instant access to everything non classified. No on will be able to BS anymore and secrets will be a thing of the past. More than likely it will come in the form of an implant in the brain.

If you think thats hard to imagine think about how easy it is to transmit information to someone on the other side of the globe. If you're at a mall and someone starts shooting it up...it only takes seconds to type something in twitter and blast it out to anyone who follows you. That info can be carried thousands of miles in seconds. Oh...and this all happens for a computer that fits in your pocket. Those devices have only been around for 9 years (first gen iphone that basically changed everything.)
 
Just because information might be available doesn't mean truth will be. In the first place, language can be manipulated and misused. Spin, disinformation, interpretation, none of these things are going to end. Plus, secrets will always be able to be kept. Offline, in smoke filled rooms, whatever. Those that want/need things to be secret will find a way. Technology might change, people do not.
 
harley said:
Just because information might be available doesn't mean truth will be. In the first place, language can be manipulated and misused. Spin, disinformation, interpretation, none of these things are going to end. Plus, secrets will always be able to be kept. Offline, in smoke filled rooms, whatever. Those that want/need things to be secret will find a way. Technology might change, people do not.
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Agreed. As Gumby pointed out in post #3, a hard fact (2+2=4) is easy to check. But much of the info that was 'fact checked' was nuanced and subject to interpretation and context.

-ERD50
 
ERD50 said:
Agreed. As Gumby pointed out in post #3, a hard fact (2+2=4) is easy to check. But much of the info that was 'fact checked' was nuanced and subject to interpretation and context.

-ERD50
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The subject to interpretation and context part asks the classical question about "If a tree falls in the forest but no one is around listen does the tree make a sound?" I used to believe definitely, but now I'm not so sure :(.
 
ERD50 said:
Agreed. As Gumby pointed out in post #3, a hard fact (2+2=4) is easy to check. But much of the info that was 'fact checked' was nuanced and subject to interpretation and context.

-ERD50
Click to expand...

Not so fast! :fingerwag:

For reasonably large values of "2", 2+2 can = "5". :eek: :facepalm:
 
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