[Floegipoky]

Stated another way, the law is being ignored because these particular criminal defendants' rights don't matter when they're inconvenient, based on the crime(s) they were accused of.

When the law is influenced by societal consensus the legal system becomes a farce.

[shkkmo]

Well, in this example the rights that are being ignored are not those of the defendants, but those of their victims to not be further victimized.

[jtedward]

I think when the law is not influenced by societal consensus it becomes a farce. In many ways the societal consensus on morality is law wheather it maintained by the state, vigilantes or in this case a legal fiction which is some combination of both.

[ryanlol]

I think this quote by the recently passed Justice Scalia is appropriate here

"the Constitution, or any text, should be interpreted [n]either strictly [n]or sloppily; it should be interpreted reasonably"

[rokhayakebe]

The law is Societal Consensus.