| I have not heard anyone here suggest that a person can or should be found guilty without a fair trial. But in our system of jurisprudence, criminal liability is based on proof of guilt by the prosecutor beyond a reasonable doubt. That is not what is being discussed here. People suffer private penalties all the time based on private assessments of their culpability. (Most obviously, in the employment context, also in boycotts, etc.) Those actions are not based on anyone's "beliefs," but on our laws: the same constitution that sets out what is required to subject a person to criminal penalties. And ironically, these actions are identical to the ones you are advocating if people disagree with a decision made by a private entity. |
