Re: What I find most worrying...
"And this is why we should insist on fair and open trials, and humane treatment of those who are convicted, no matter what they're convicted of."
^^^ This!! Everyone on the "hang 'em high" side of the debate needs this tattooing where they cannot fail to see it several times a day. There are too many people serving time for things that any sensible jury would have thrown out, purely because it serves some political purpose (e.g. claims of "historical sexual abuse" which wouldn't get past intelligent people because the length of time involved means that there is a surfeit of reasonable doubt). The worrying thing is that it is likely to get worse before it gets better, and no-one can say that they won't fall foul of it. The Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance requires that everyone supports a fair justice system and good conditions for prisoners.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
