Jeriah Mast indicted (again)

[Ernie]

Former Ohio missionary pleads guilty to molesting 2 boys in Haiti

What about the other 26 boys? Could indictments still be brought concerning them?

[barnhart]

It's a legal strategy. (Pleading guilty)

[ken_sylvania]

Gotta love it.
If he pleads not guilty, people be all over him about lack of repentance and how dishonest it is for him to plead not guilty.
If he pleads guilty, people be sure he's doing it to benefit himself.

I wonder - if he would be truly repentant - is there any response at all that would be considered suitable by all the lookers-on?

[barnhart]

Gotta love it.
If he pleads not guilty, people be all over him about lack of repentance and how dishonest it is for him to plead not guilty.
If he pleads guilty, people be sure he's doing it to benefit himself.

I wonder - if he would be truly repentant - is there any response at all that would be considered suitable by all the lookers-on?

Just to be clear, I am not saying anything like that, only that pleading guilty is legal strategy that is independent from repentance.

[ken_sylvania]

Gotta love it.
If he pleads not guilty, people be all over him about lack of repentance and how dishonest it is for him to plead not guilty.
If he pleads guilty, people be sure he's doing it to benefit himself.

I wonder - if he would be truly repentant - is there any response at all that would be considered suitable by all the lookers-on?

Just to be clear, I am not saying anything like that, only that pleading guilty is legal strategy that is independent from repentance.

Got it. I thought you were saying that specifically in his case he is doing it only or primarily due to legal strategy.

[temporal1]

Gotta love it.
If he pleads not guilty, people be all over him about lack of repentance and how dishonest it is for him to plead not guilty.
If he pleads guilty, people be sure he's doing it to benefit himself.

I wonder - if he would be truly repentant - is there any response at all that would be considered suitable by all the lookers-on?

Many sins go unforgiven that are far far less serious in nature and number than Jeriah’s.
Even as a young child i had a sense i was glad God is the final judge, not other humans.
A hard lesson for a child.

Every sinner carries that possibility, myself included. i pray for Jesus’ forgiveness. Others’ must live with their sins and their unforgiveness.

i appreciate grace from others when extended. i don’t expect it.
forgiveness of self can be the hardest of all. It’s unknown if Jeriah struggles in that way.

[joshuabgood]

I think pleading guilty is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition of repentance. I cant imagine how it would land on a victim if he would have plead not guilty.

[Ernie]

As I understand it one of the original state charges he was not guilty of. So he could honestly plead not guilty.

[Ernie]

Pleading guilty is a right step.

True but it is quite independent of repentance. It could also be motivated by fear of a worse outcome.

I've wondered for a long time how a legal guilty plea should be related to real repentance. Are there instances where real repentance for a crime does not necessarily mean a guilty plea should immediately be forthcoming? Or must real repentance mean an instantaneous plea of guilty in order to be genuine?

I've often wondered the same in light of our legal system.

According to AI.

Pleading not guilty at an initial arraignment is a standard legal procedure used by defense attorneys to preserve their client's constitutional rights. Entering a not-guilty plea is the formal mechanism required to move the criminal case forward.

Procedural Reasons for the Initial Plea
Preserving Rights: A not-guilty plea protects the defendant's right to due process. It prevents an immediate, automatic conviction at the start of the case.
Reviewing Evidence: The defense attorney needs time to receive and review the prosecution's evidence. This standard legal process is known as discovery.
Plea Negotiations: Entering a temporary not-guilty plea provides the necessary time to negotiate a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Countries like France, Germany, Italy, and Japan do not have a formal arraignment that requires a person to plead guilty or not guilty. This gives the defendant and attorneys a chance to study the law and investigate the case.

In the US, Canada, UK and Australia, a person can remain silent but a non-guilty plea will still be entered by the court. It would be nice for a person to be able to say, "I'm certainly guilty before God for some things but I need some time to study the law in order to understand what it is that I am indeed legally guilty of."

[barnhart]

In the US, Canada, UK and Australia, a person can remain silent but a non-guilty plea will still be entered by the court. It would be nice for a person to be able to say, "I'm certainly guilty before God for some things but I need some time to study the law in order to understand what it is that I am indeed legally guilty of."

The US system also produces a surprising number of false guilty pleas by pressuring defendants until they are willing to plead guilty for reduced charges. Defendants who believe the legal system represents reality and is not just a big role playing activity are disadvantaged by pleading moral guilt in place of ceremonial guilt.