Yitz, you are correct. This is why the secular authorities are not bound by halachic requirements. Rambam even allows capital punishment according to circumstantial evidence (Guide 3:40).
As for criminal defendants being “low-class”, that is only true regarding street crime. Moreover, the probability is very high that they are, in fact, guilty. Even if some are not guilty of the specific crimes charged they very likely committed similar crimes but were not caught.
Joseph,
1. Please cite your sources for your statistics. In particular, cite statistics for white-collar crime as there prosecutors must supply documentary evidence.
2. Regarding Rabbi Berman, you are over on hotza’at shem ra. Kol ha posel b’mumo posel.
3. If you do want to posel someone, why not mention that Sheldon Silver pushed through the NYS toeva marriage bill saying “This is a matter of equity and justice. New Yorkers should have the right to marry whom they chose. Partners unable to enter into a civil marriage, and their children, lack basic legal protections taken for granted by married couples.”