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

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

You Know Less Than You Think About Guns

by Brian Doherty.   "There is a gun for roughly every man, woman, and child in America," President Barack Obama proclaimed after the October mass shooting that killed 10 at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. "So how can you, with a straight face, make the argument that more guns will make us safer? We know that states with the most gun laws tend ... MORE

California Town Goes Podunk; Seeks To Stymie Medical Pot

by Thaddeus Miller.    As state pot policy moves forward, one city goes backwards. Medical marijuana cardholders will not be allowed to grow cannabis for their own consumption after a vote Monday while the Merced City Council figures out what cultivation and dispensaries should be permitted in the city. The council unanimously passed the    ... MORE

Jacob Sullum: Mass Shooting Delusions

Those "common-sense gun safety laws.      Two days after the massacre in San Bernardino, Marco Rubio said something that most gun control supporters probably thought was outrageous. The Florida senator, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, told CBS News "none of the major shootings that have occurred in this country  ... MORE

Montana Man Walks Thanks To Jury Nullification

From the Tenth Amendment Center. In Montana, citizens rendered a marijuana law unenforceable through jury nullification. Recently, a man was arrested for possessing a small amount of marijuana, but the judge could not find one single person willing to sit on a jury and convict him. Unable to seat a jury, the judge was forced to give up and offer ...  MORE

Paul Bonneau: Why Renters Are Screwed

The forces are lined up against them.  Every now and then my wife and I get the itch to go into property rental. For example, we look at real estate listings on the Oregon Coast. A duplex would be nice, because we could take one unit for ourselves, and rent the other out. The renter could help watch our place while we were not around, and we  ... MORE

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