A population frozen in an extended adolescence. When one man, Justice Anthony Kennedy, acting as the deciding swing vote on the Supreme Court, declared that “gay marriage” was now the law of land for a country of some 320 million persons, he may as well have been seated on a planet other than the one originally occupied by the men who ... MORE
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Justice Sotomayor Has Kind Words For Jury Nullification
by Jacob Sullum. Because justice is a result, not just a process. This week Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor had some kind words
for jury nullification, which empowers jurors to judge the law as well
as the facts of a case and may involve disregarding the law when the law
is unjust. During a discussion
about juries at NYU Law School on ... MORE
Labels:
drug war,
juror,
jury,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
prosecute,
reason,
Supreme Court,
trial
Kade Crockford: This Federal Appeals Court's Ruling Put A Dent In The Police Officers' 'Qualified Immunity' Defense
Cop to be held accountable in killing of unarmed man. A police officer is not immune from accountability after he points a
gun at a non-threatening person, with his finger on the trigger and the
safety off, and accidentally fires. So ruled the
First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston last week, in a case that has
far-reaching implications for public ... MORE
Labels:
accountability,
coercion,
force,
government,
justice,
law enforcement,
police,
responsibility
Jacob Sullum: What Rand Paul Brought To The Race
The fate of the only small government candidate. During the last Republican presidential debate in which he participated, Rand Paul condemned the National Security Agency's mass collection of Americans' telephone records, cautioned against reckless intervention in Syria's civil war, and declared that a "true fiscal conservative" must "look ... MORE
Labels:
conservative,
Fourth Amendment,
GOP,
individual liberty,
justice,
NSA,
Rand Paul,
Republican
VIDEO: The Grand Jury - A Prosecutor's Best Friend
How the grand jury system can be easily manipulated for political purposes.
Labels:
cronyism,
deception,
government,
grand jury,
justice,
law,
law enforcement,
politics,
prosecute
Why Jury Nullification? New Jersey Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Growing 17 Marijuana Plants
by MaryAnn Spoto. Because justice is a result, not simply a process. A Mays Landing man was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday for growing 17 marijuana plants in the Pinelands. When Jon Peditto was arrested in 2012, he admitted the pot plants were his and told investigators he grew them primarily for his own use but had also ... MORE
Labels:
drug war,
government,
jury nullification,
justice,
marijuana,
prohibition,
victimless crimes
Why Grand Juries Are A Prosecutor's Best Friend
by Sara J. Berman. Choosing evidence to control the outcome. Unlike a preliminary hearing, held in court with the defense side
present, the grand jury does not make its decision in the context of an
adversary proceeding. Rather, grand jurors see and hear only what
prosecutors put before them. (Prosecutors technically have an obligation to ... MORE
Labels:
control,
evidence,
government,
grand jury,
juror,
justice,
power,
process,
prosecute,
tactics
Jury Nullification Anyone? - Planned Parenthood-Linked Prosecutor Fuels Bias Charges Against Pro-Life Activists
by Valerie Richardson. Pro-life groups cried foul over Monday’s criminal indictments against two Center for Medical Progress investigators because a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s office is also a Planned Parenthood board member. Lila Rose, founder of the pro-life group Live Action, called for a special prosecutor to review ... MORE
Labels:
abortion,
cronyism,
government,
grand jury,
journalism,
jury nullification,
justice,
prosecute
Jury-Nullification Activist Delivers In-Your-Face Defense
by Bob Unruh. A Michigan man charged with felony
obstruction of justice and jury tampering for handing out a leaflet on
jury nullification in front of a courthouse contends the local
prosecutor’s objection to the contents of his material doesn’t make his
actions a crime. Keith Wood, a former pastor, was arrested Nov. 24 on the orders of Mecosta ... MORE
Labels:
government,
individual liberty,
information,
judges,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
resistance
Terence P. Jeffrey: Can The Government Force You To Fund The Agenda Of GOP -- Or That Of A Teachers Union?
In a free country, the answer is obvious. Yet in the Supreme Court last week, it was up to Justice Antonin Scalia to ask the question. "Is it OK to force somebody to contribute to a cause that he does believe in?" Scalia asked. Note: Scalia did not ask if it is OK to force somebody to contribute to a cause he does not believe in. "I wouldn't think, ... MORE
Labels:
force,
government,
justice,
Justice Scalia,
mandates,
special interest,
Supreme Court,
unions
Boston Police Seek Charges Against Marijuana Advocate
by Milton J. Valencia. Boston police are seeking criminal charges against Bill Downing, one of the state’s most vocal marijuana legalization supporters, a move that his lawyer calls retaliation for his criticism of the state’s regulation of the medical marijuana industry. A magistrate judge is scheduled to consider whether to approve a complaint filed by ... MORE
Labels:
cannabis,
government,
incentives,
justice,
law enforcement,
legalize,
marijuana,
police state
What Passes For Justice In Missouri: Brother And Sister Get More Than 15 Years Each For Growing 12 Marijuana Plants
by Teresa Ressel. Why you should learn about jury nullification. A brother and sister will be going to prison for a while for growing marijuana in their apartment. On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Kenneth W. Pratte sentenced 34-year-old David G. DePriest to 22 years in prison for production of marijuana, possession of more than five grams of ... MORE
America's History Of Justice: How Jury Nullification Set Wild Bill Hickok Free Although He Killed A Man Illegally!
Because justice is a result, not simply a process. On July 20 1865, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was playing in a poker game at the Lyon House Hotel in Springfield MO., when a friend of his, Davis Tutt showed up claiming Hickok owed him $45 from an earlier game. Hickok said he only owed $25 since he had paid Tutt $20 some days ... MORE
Labels:
firearms,
history,
individual liberty,
juror,
jury nullification,
justice,
law,
murder,
principles,
trial
Frank Parlato: It's Time You Understood Jury Nullification
Justice is a result, not simply a process. Jury nullification is the term used when a jury – or even a single juror – votes to acquit a criminal defendant who is technically guilty, but who juror(s) do not believe deserve punishment. It occurs in a trial when a jury reaches a verdict contrary to the judge’s instructions. It occurs when a single juror ... MORE
Labels:
crime,
government,
juror,
jury nullification,
justice,
process,
public service,
victimless crimes
VIDEO: Brian Brown - Supreme Court Resistance
If the Supreme Court declared the sky to be green, would it cease to be blue?
Labels:
Constitution,
justice,
Justice Roberts,
Justice Scalia,
overreach,
resistance,
Supreme Court
Absurdly Harsh Penalties Sparked Oregon Rancher Protest
by Jacob Sullum. As Ed Krayewski noted yesterday, the armed men who are occupying an office building at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon broke off from a demonstration protesting the sentences received by two ranchers, 73-year-old Dwight Hammond and his 46-year-old son Steven, who in 2001 and 2006 set fires on their own ... MORE
Mandatory Minimums Don't Prevent Crime
by Kristie Eshelman. You would think that the threat of longer sentences should reduce the amount of crimes being committed. After all, it’s a basic law of behavior that people respond to incentives, so harsher punishments should serve as a deterrent to potential criminals. Unfortunately, decades of experience have taught us that this ... MORE
Tampering Charges Dropped Against Jury Rights Advocate
by Barry Donegan. Judge acknowledges the First Amendment. District Court Judge Kenneth Plotz dismissed all charges on Wednesday against jury nullification activists Eric Brandt and Mark Iannicelli, who had been charged in July with seven felony counts of jury tampering while handing out Fully Informed Jury Association flyers with general ... MORE
Police Shooting Videos Spark Need For Reform
by Steven Greenhut. It’s easy to understand why law-enforcement lobbyists have largely opposed efforts to expand the use of officer body cameras.
As we see in Chicago—and now in San Francisco—the video images of
police shootings may be at odds with what officers said took place. In Chicago, protesters have been demanding the ... MORE
Labels:
accountability,
force,
government,
justice,
law enforcement,
police,
reform,
shooting,
violence
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