I learned something recently which I never knew...about 1/3 of all prisoners in French prisons were arrested by the gendarmes and then taken straight to prison!
No charges, no attorneys, no trial, and no Judges!
Apparently in France the gendarmes are technically military police with martial law powers to "clean up the streets"...they also have the right to enter all properties without warrants and without permissions, as well as take any property they want out of any dwelling place, without asking permission and without returning the property!