Ethical Question

[October Country]

Of course it's all about the context in which that friend acted, but I think that in most cases I would tell the police the truth.

The judicial system was designed to prevent crimes and punish the criminals and I don't think that it is within an individual's right to interpret the laws of society or bend them just to do a friend a favor. That could cause the whole system to crash and undermine the laws of our society.

 

[countwiggles]

that depends if said "victim" had it coming then hell no (cuz i would most like help in the beating)
While on the other had if my friend were to slap a women around (girlfriend sister random bar skank A) i would snitch them out in a heart beat.
So for me its mostly a question of who was "assaulted" not who did the "assaulting"

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

If I agree with the law and think my friend needs help, I'll testify, or just call that friend an idiot.

 

[traceur_]

Playground rules apply then I sack-whack my friend daily for a few weeks.

 

[secretsantaone]

I'm beginning to think you didn't read the OP very carefully because I explain a few things, and the original question is concerned with is it ethically right to protect a friend from the law and I personally don't think the specifics matter with some as clean cut as the law. I.e if its bad you should be punished

The law is far from clean cut.

Assault someone?

was it GBH, ABH or common assault?

there's a difference.

The judgement itself is made by a human judge who takes all the facts into consideration before sentancing. E.g. first offense/likelyhood of reoffense/severity.

You can justify a friend stealing a tenner from a billionaire if he's starving.

You can't justify him stealing a tenner from a starving family to buy a new game.

Same crime.
Different context.

 

[DinosaurSnack]

I would tell no matter what they did just to watch them squirm. Seems like a fun thing to witness.

 

[Starnerf]

Aren't eyewitness accounts inadmissible as evidence in US courts anyway due to their inherent inaccuracy? If I had physical evidence then I probably would submit it since withholding evidence is a crime in the US and I don' want to go to jail for any reason. I'll help bail you out, but I won't help cover up the crime.

 

[Evilbunny]

Depends on why he/she did it.
If they did it for no good reason, I myself would let him know I'm not going to lie for him.
If they did it because, say, the guy had beaten up their sibling, then I wouldn't rat them out.
I'd say that's fair.

This. I wouldn't rat them out unless I thought they actually were a menace to society and needed to be locked up. Fortunately none of my friends would do that...well, as far as I know.

 

[meece]

I really, REALLY doubt any of my friends would (nice chaps all of 'em) but..... yea I probably would.

Maybe that makes me a bad friend but I'm not going to stand by while someone is hurt or at least protect someone who did. Society has rules for a reason anfd I agree with them....

Well most of them.

 

[ben---neb]

How much money is in it for me?

I could always say it was someone I hated who wasn't there at the time but could have been.

 

[Dentedgod]

I have a shirt that says it best "Friends help you move, REAL friends help you move bodies".

My close friends are my family. If one of them called and told me they had killed someone, my first question would be "Do you need help disposing of the body?". I wouldn't even ask why they did it until they volunteered that information.

Mind you I only have 3 friends who would fall into this category. Any of our other friends I'd decide based off the circumstances and/or the person.

Don't forget, Just because something is ethical, doesn't make it right. To steal from D&D, you could follow every law to the letter and that would just make you Lawful evil.

 

[messy]

I'm beginning to think you didn't read the OP very carefully because I explain a few things, and the original question is concerned with is it ethically right to protect a friend from the law and I personally don't think the specifics matter with some as clean cut as the law. I.e if its bad you should be punished

The law is far from clean cut.

Assault someone?

was it GBH, ABH or common assault?

there's a difference.

The judgement itself is made by a human judge who takes all the facts into consideration before sentancing. E.g. first offense/likelyhood of reoffense/severity.

You can justify a friend stealing a tenner from a billionaire if he's starving.

You can't justify him stealing a tenner from a starving family to buy a new game.

Same crime.
Different context.

But in the terms of the law you it's established that you have to provide evidence on a crime not matter how large or small it is. In the OP I said the actually crime doesn't matter its more about what's more important the law of the country or unwritten friend "laws"

 

[sallene]

Like others have said it depends on the circumstances and I would try to convince the friend to turn themselves in, but if I was a direct witness I would be honest.

If the attack wasnt in self defense or in defense of someone else then quite simply I would put myself in the victim's shoes.. Would I want to have the shit kicked out of me and be put in the hospital? No, if it did happen would I want any witnesses to come forward with their information? yes.

If the attack by my friend was warranted then I would still go to the police to tell my side of the story if only to help my friend out as much as possible when the police come knocking down his door.

 

[Seldon2639]

I would say I ain't seen shit. Or that I was high and don't remember. They can't persecute you for refusing to testify.

I would never rat out a friend.

Uh... Yeah they can. The fifth amendment protects you from having to testify against yourself. You could be prosecuted for contempt of court (for failing to answer a subpoena), or even as an accomplice to the crime.

 

[Seldon2639]

In answer to the original question, it depends on why the friend did what he did. If my best friend just snapped and kicked some dude's ass, or if he was drunk or otherwise out of his mind, I'd testify. If he beat up a guy because the guy had done something bad, I'd probably be right there with him when he did it.

In general, I believe in Aristotle's definition of friendships, and all of mine are friendships of the good; we're friends because we're good people and see honor and decency in each other. Part of that is helping keep each other accountable and on the straight and narrow.

 

[secretsantaone]

But in the terms of the law you it's established that you have to provide evidence on a crime not matter how large or small it is. In the OP I said the actually crime doesn't matter its more about what's more important the law of the country or unwritten friend "laws"

There's crossover, that's my point.

It's not a case of one or the other. Neither is more important until context is applied.

 

[Xvito]

I don't care for rules... Bloody schemers.

 

[master m99]

depends on the friend i have 3 friends i would go stand by through thick and thin (and i am sure as hell going to regret it one day oh well =P) and on the circumstance... also if i was involved somehow (not that i would be under normal circumstances but u know) but for my close friends i would probably lie for them ya.