So Much For Witness Protection…

Apparently there is a site called whosarat.com which claims to be the largest online database of informants and agents and it’s starting to piss off judges around the country. You have to pay for membership so I didn’t peruse any of the information on the site.

According to the blurb on their “about us” page,

Who’s A Rat is a database driven website designed to assist attorneys and criminal defendants with few resources. The purpose of this website is for individuals and attorneys to post,share and request any and all information that has been made public at some point to at least 1 person of the public prior to posting it on this site pertaining to local,state and federal Informants and Law Enforcement Officers. This includes an Informant who makes his or her Informant status known to any person.

The problem with this site is that it’s going to get someone killed. The entire point of the Federal Witness Protection program is so that people can snitch and go into hiding not worrying about recriminations later on. If all of their information is out there for $7.99 that will damn sure give anyone second thoughts about testifying, particularly in high profile cases.

The premise is that criminals are untrustworthy sources and shouldn’t be allowed to bear witness against other criminals. I don’t think it’s quite as black and white as all that myself. I’m have no doubt that people will lie on the stand, but that they don’t necessarily have to be a convicted criminal to tell lies.