The presumption of innocence applies to

[Orrex]

[Curtland1015]

1. Everyone but Republicans.

:hide:

[JonQ]

2. Legally I would assume it applies

to everyone accused of any crime.

Except for tickets, those you have to fight to prove your innocence.

[zeemike]

3. Is this in theory or in practice?

In theory yes, but in practice if you are black and or poor you are guilty unless you can prove yourself inocent....If you have money it is a whole different ball game.

[T Wolf]

4. The LEGAL presumption of innocence applies to all. That does not mean we cannot KNOW that

an individual is actually guilty before the legal proceeding (trial) is complete.

[Zywiec]

5. Not DUI suspects n/t

[WeDidIt]

6. Other

The presumption of innocence applies IN A COURT OF LAW to all who are accuesed of a crime.

Outside a court of law, anybody is free to believe anything about anybody.

[Berry Cool]

7. This is true.

You can't stop people from thinking what they think, or knowing what they know.

The job of a jury, however, is to presume innocence until guilt has been proven. The standard to which the guilt needs to be proven varies depending on the crime. For example, for murder it's "beyond all reasonable doubt"; for other crimes it is lower.

Also, "beyond all reasonable doubt" doesn't mean the only way a jury can convict is if it sees video of the person actually committing the murder, or if there is a body, or if the murder weapon is found, etc. It is possible to be convicted of murder strictly on circumstantial evidence, without anyone on the jury feeling a "reasonable doubt" that the accused committed the murder based strictly on that evidence.

Some people don't understand how this can be fair, but consider this: if you leave a dog alone in a locked house with a piece of meat on the kitchen counter, and you come back after a few hours and the meat is gone, and there's nothing but a bone left on the floor, you can reasonably conclude what happened. No reasonable alternative explanations for what has happened truly exist other than "the dog ate the meat."