Showing posts with label law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label law. Show all posts

John Stossel: The Left Smears Inconvenient Truths

Like more guns mean less crime.   This week my TV show is on gun control. I interviewed activist Leah Barrett, who wants stricter gun laws. I pointed out that after most states loosened gun laws to let people carry guns, 29 peer-reviewed studies examined the effect. Eighteen found less crime, 10 found no difference and only one found an increase.  ... MORE

Jury Nullification Has Long History Of Righting Wrong Laws

by Frank Parlato.     Because justice is a result, not just a process. In 1215, when the Barons of England compelled King John to sign the Magna Carta, trial by jury was established. The King now had to seek permission through 12 citizens unanimous in their verdict before he could take anyone's freedom away. That’s why we have jury trials: To    ... MORE

Massachusetts Considers Fully-Informed Jury Legislation

Because justice is a result, not just a process.      A bill under consideration in the Massachusetts House would reaffirm the right of jury nullification by explicitly allowing defendants to tell jurors about their ability to nullify unjust or immoral laws. Introduced by Reps. Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleboro) and Paul Heroux (D-Attleboro), House  ... MORE

Keith Crosby: Stand Up Now Or Kneel Forever

Judge wisely.     In the United States a jury of 12 has much more power than the attorneys or judges want you to know. I urge all who are honored to serve either as a Grand Juror or Petit Juror to study and know this power before appearing to serve. John Jay, the first chief justice of our Supreme Court and a Founding Father, said, "It is presumed that ... MORE

Ken White: If I Just Talk To The Police I Can Clear This Up

— The Dangerous Delusion.“Don’t talk to law enforcement without consulting a lawyer” is simple advice. Anyone can follow it. Most of us understand why it’s a good idea. But too many people reject the advice because of a common and misplaced fear. It’s the fear that if they don’t return that detective’s call immediately, if they don’t invite FBI  ... MORE

Don’t Forget The Jury’s Power To Rule On Moral Grounds

by James Weeks II.        In recent years, many people have fallen victim to government tyranny, everything from drug offenses to tax resisters. Historically, going back to the Magna Carta, it has been the job of the jury to stand in the way of government tyranny and judge the law as well as the case. Jury nullification was used to deny convictions  ... MORE

Lawrence J. McQuillan: The United States Of America Now Has Less Economic Freedom Than Chile, Jordan, Or Taiwan

The verdict on hope and change is in.    Today the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, Canada, released the 2015 Economic Freedom of the World Report (pdf) and it’s bad news for the United States, where economic freedom is falling. The U.S. ranks only 16th in economic freedom trailing Chile, Jordan, and Taiwan. The EFW Report measures the level  ... MORE

Detective Not Immune From Warrantless Entry Lawsuit

by Michael Booth.     Cops must abide the law as well as enforce it. A New Jersey appeals court ruled that damages may be awarded to a Vineland woman whose home was essentially occupied by the police while they waited for hours to obtain a search warrant. In a published ruling issued Sept. 11, the three-judge Appellate Division panel said    ... MORE

Andrew Napolitano: Religious Belief And The Rule Of Law

The lesson for Kim Davis.  Shortly before the Labor Day weekend, a federal judge in Kentucky ordered the Rowan County clerk incarcerated for violating his orders. Five days later, he released her. The judge found that the clerk, Kim Davis, interfered with the ability of same-sex couples in her county to marry by refusing to issue them applications for      ... MORE

Jack Curtis: The Government Vs. Uber

Bad economics is often good politics.       Capitalist cronies in government, old-model cab companies, and their unions have been attacking Uber, Lyft, and their ‘ride sharing’ business model since the Internet gave them birth, in hopes of squelching the new competition. It’s a lot easier when government heads off your new, high-tech    ... MORE

Europe's Gun Laws Disarm Victims, Not Terrorists

by J. D. Tucille.      When wannabe-terrorist Ayoub El Khazzani was wrestled to the floor of a train in France and given a righteous stomping by pissed off and proactive passengers, they relieved him of a small armory. He had been planning to inflict murder and mayhem with an AKM assault rifle, a semiautomatic pistol, a box cutter, and a container of    ... MORE

Denver Concedes Distributing Jury Nullification Pamphlets Near A Courthouse Is Constitutionally Protected Speech

by Jacob Sullum.  But, it still won't drop charges against those arrested for doing so.   Yesterday a federal judge in Denver issued a preliminary injunction protecting the First Amendment rights of activists who want to distribute jury nullification pamphlets outside the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse. Two activists, Mark Iannicelli and Eric Brandt, did  ... MORE

Anti-Ridesharing Laws Are Stuck In The Past

by Jordan Richardson.   Times have certainly changed since Robert De Niro was driving cab around New York's boroughs in the move Taxi Driver. The 1976 film showcased a society focused on the Vietnam War and De Niro's obsession with a presidential campaign. But one thing has not changed since the 70s: The government is still trying to regulate  ... MORE

The Case Against Jury Nullification -- Rebutted

by Ilya Somin, Washington Post.    JUSTICE IS A RESULT, not just a process. In a recent post, co-blogger Orin Kerr offers a thoughtful critique of my and Glenn Reynolds’ recent defenses of jury nullification. Orin’s points have some validity.  But, on balance, I still think that jury nullification is likely to be more beneficial than harmful relative  ... MORE

Explaining Jury Nullification To A Sitting Judge

by Scott Shackford.    I spent a day last week immersed in Los Angeles County's immense judicial system downtown after being summoned to jury duty. My experience was not quite as vividly terrible as Matt Welch's in New York, partly because Los Angeles lets you complete your questionnaire and orientation videos online well in advance, and thus I was   ... MORE