Majority rule can be dangerous. The Economist magazine recently published "What's gone wrong with Democracy ... and what can be done to revive it?" The suggestion is that democracy is some kind of ideal for organizing human conduct. That's a popular misconception. The ideal way to organize human conduct is to create a system that maximizes ... MORE
Court demands blind obedience to petty harassment. There are two ways to view the video of Richard Rynearson's March 2010 encounter with U.S. Border Patrol agents at an immigration checkpoint in Uvalde County, Texas. Authoritarians will say Rynearson should have been more cooperative, while libertarians will say the agents should ... MORE
What politicians have done to promise of America. This post explains the liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution – and provides a scorecard on the extent of the loss of each right. The 1st Amendment protects speech, religion, assembly and the press. The Supreme Court ... MORE
Pushing the collective agenda. Whenever government establishes special “rights” or “privileges” for a perceived aggrieved class (also called a minority class), it does so at the expense of the rights of others. It inevitably leads to law, logic and reason being tied into undecipherable knots, contributes to the power and collectivism of government, ... MORE
You may not want to roll down your window. DUI checkpoints are used by multiple South Florida law enforcement agencies to try to keep the streets clear of intoxicated drivers. But, a local attorney says there’s a legal way around the checkpoints for any driver, while prosecutors say not so fast. “Normally what they look for is: ... MORE
by Marjorie Cohn. Ignorance of the law is no excuse -- that is, unless you're a police officer. For the first time, in December, the Supreme Court upheld a traffic stop even where there was no traffic violation. The court, in Heien v. North Carolina, continued its steady erosion of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and ... MORE
Featuring the DUI Flyer video. Is a DUI checkpoint a violation of fourth amendment rights? Interpretations vary, but some claim it amounts to a warrantless search, and they feel their rights are being violated every time they submit to one. YouTuber HONORYOUROATH says there’s an additional concern. He worries that, even if a driver ... MORE
Public servants don't want their behavior public. An Orlando man was jailed for recording police as they arrested another individual. The man subsequently sued for taking his phone and for false arrest and won a settlement of $15,000. The Blaze reported: Alberto Troche, who sued Orlando police for wrongfully jailing him and taking ... MORE
Thick badge, thin skin. A Georgia woman jailed for criticizing
police officers as she rode by on a bicycle has been awarded a $100,000 settlement in a civil
suit against the local police department. Cobb County resident Amy Barnes was bicycling to the store in
April 2012 when she passed police officers questioning a suspect.
She treated ... MORE
by Kevin Mathews. Did you know that, no matter the evidence, if a jury feels a law is
unjust, it is permitted to “nullify” the law rather than finding someone
guilty? Basically, jury nullification is
a jury’s way of saying, “By the letter of the law, the defendant is
guilty, but we also disagree with that law, so we vote to not punish the
accused.” ... MORE