Dead Lawyer Sentenced to the Death Penalty in Russia

Russian Police investigators have said they are in the planning stages to prosecute a lawyer that had been dead for some time.  The lawyer Sergei Magnitsky worked for a foreign investment fund.  This trial is bit one of a series of odd Russian Legal precedents that puts into doubt Russia’s entire legal and political system.  So exactly how and why is this dead lawyer being put on trial? Well.. According to Moscow investigators the trial would proceed against the dead Moscow attorney for Tax Fraud following a judicial precedent set last summer which allows cases to be concluded in spite of the death of the defendant. The investigator decision comes as Current prime minister and former president if Russia Vladimir Putin is to stand for the elections to become the president of Russia for an unprecedented 3rd term. Under United States common law and United States Constitutional System a dead person cannot stand for trial since he is not able to defend himself in court.  And the case would be moot. However under Russia’s often draconian system of laws based on precedent set last summer a dead person is able, under certain circumstance to stand for trial. So there you have it… According to Russian Law, in an odd twist of the law a dead person can be given the death penalty posthumously fir crimes he committed. For More Information on your Criminal Charges, contact Downtown LA Law today.