So no one ever gets arrested in your system till after conviction?
I guess we give DUI tickets and let them go on their way
Correct, no one is arrested and imprisoned against their will without proof of their having committed a crime being demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of their peers.
You're view is either not feasible or you're contradicting yourself. Or both.
If you are going to charge someone with having committed a contradiction, you ought to point out the contradiction. Feel free to do so.
As for the feasibility aspect, it is not unfeasible. It would take a great paradigm shift, as well as a shift of resources (not necessarily more costs, just different costs). Take the following sequence of events:
1. A crime occurs.
2. The crime is investigated.
3. Suspects are identified
4. Primary suspect is charged.
5. Primary suspect is notified of the charge.
6. Primary suspect placed under constant surveillance (so long as he moves about in public, anyone is permitted to follow and watch)
7. Trial begins
8. Verdict of guilty is reached.
9. Sentencing is decided.
10. The now guilty party is arrested.
One might argue that the suspect will flee upon notification of the charges, but that is not a different worry than suspects fleeing when they are aware they are suspects. Most simply do not have the resources to do so; those that do, usually are deluded to think they are too smart to be found out, charged, convicted, etc. The former pose no problem; the latter would still think they are too smart to be convicted (hell, they might even appear in court to defend themselves). For the few that have the resources and feel they would be convicted, one worry is that they flee the US. Is that a problem? If all the criminals in our society fled to other societies, what is the problem, from the stand point of our society? Further, my view does not preclude international agreements, in which the surveillance team follows the charged individual to the airport, to the flight, and then calls ahead to whatever nation this individual is flying to; once he arrives, he is under surveillance there (easy to do considering flight numbers, itineraries, etc.) Of course, this takes a mass diversion of funds (but, funds for many jails would be free to use in such a way). It also would require US cooperation with foreign nations in a way that the US might not want to cooperate (one nation might think our drug laws arcane and not want to help enforce, but might do so on the condition that we help enforce their religious laws). Of course, this might just force the US to get rid of a bunch of arcane laws.
Is there anything unfeasible about holding a trial in absentia for the cases in which the defendant decides not to show up for trial? What is unfeasible? The prosecution would still present a case (an argument and evidence) to the jury; the burden of proof would still be on the prosecution; yet, no defense counsel would be there to poke holes in said argument. Seems like an incentive for individuals to show up in court.
But, I digress, you are the one who leveled the charges re: feasibility and contradiction. I guess it is you who ought to highlight what these consist of.