Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Everybody Does It
One of the standard defenses of the criminal element is "Everybody does it." The pleader is trying to hive off punishment by claiming he was not alone. The answer to that is "Everybody doesn't do it." Some are honest and perhaps are in the majority. Anyway, even if everybody did it, then everybody should stand trial when the time comes. There is an allure to the everybody-does-it defense as if plurality makes right. There is a temptation to use it when protecting a corporation or individual's reputation. From a PR perspective, the defense is empty and has no moral authority. If an organization or individual has done wrong, they should own up to it. It is harder to do, especially if there is prison time to consider. Still, honesty is the best policy. And if everybody the defendant knows was doing it, he can become a witness for the prosecution and perhaps earn time off from his sentence.
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