Subject:
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Those stupid conservative (was liberal) judges are at it again!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 24 Sep 2002 12:43:53 GMT
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Viewed:
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1650 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Richie Dulin writes:
>
> > > But that's it! If you're eligible for citizenship, you're eligible to (nay,
> > > you have a duty to...) own a gun.
> >
> > ...and do you therefore also have a duty to be part of a well regulated
> militia?
>
> Well, I think the duty part is Larry's opinion. One that I vaguely
> share, but I certainly wouldn't hold people to.
Me either. Duty needs to be taken on voluntarily. It may get you extra
privs, but it shouldn't be forced.
> It's just that we think more highly of people who fully participate
> in the way of American governance. There are lots of people who scam out
> of jury duty, ignore their chance to vote, fail to stay armed and practiced,
> etc. Those people are not being fully involved in holding
> the reigns
(reins... a reign is just exactly what we want to prevent! :-) all hail
Emperor George II and his visier, Dick )
> of their country and seeing that a government of the people, by the
> people, and for the people is actually doing good stuff.
Snipped the militia part because I agree... and so I could mention the
following which is tangential.
Paraphrasing (including quotes) from the Grand Rapids Press of Thu and Fri
last: On Thu it came to light that a local judge had sentenced a juror to 24
hours of community service for the following:
She was empaneled as a potential juror, and when the prosecutor asked her
"can you weigh the testimony of police officers fairly, giving them equal
weight with that of other witnesses" she said "no, I cannot because the
police recently refused to respond to an incident at the laundromat I
manage... a woman in the parking lot was being disruptive, asked to leave,
and struck an employee of mine with a broomstick repeatedly. The police
would not respond. For that reason I harbor some resentment and don't think
I can fairly weigh their testimony".
She was excused.
Empaneled again, before same judge, asked same question, gave same answer.
Judge lost it. Said "you are polluting the pool with your opinions, why
should 40 other potential jurors hear this, you have to do something else
other than be a juror, so you have to do 24 hours of community service,
report to the community service officer"... who gave her 3 consecutive
mondays picking up litter on a group with convicted felons.
At this point I lost it too, because here's a woman who gave an honest
answer and got punished. It's *allowed* to be resentful or to be annoyed at
the police, we don't have a constitutional requirement to be Shiny Happy
People, after all. (yet?)
Myself I might have pursued action against the police rather than just being
resentful, but hey, we are from different strata, I have friends who are
lawyers.
Fortunately there is a happy ending. When the appellate court got wind of
this, they issued a rather strongly worded statement that judges do not get
to manufacture law and impose penalties and that this judge had better knock
it off.
Judge backpedaled, saying that he was suggesting that she "volunteer" rather
than that he "sentenced her", which is not borne out by the testimony of
others or of her.
Her final comment is rather telling: "Well, now I harbor resentment against
the judicial system as well as against the police" or words to that effect.
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Message has 2 Replies:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Those stupid liberal judges are at it again!
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| (...) militia? Well, I think the duty part is Larry's opinion. One that I vaguely share, but I certainly wouldn't hold people to. It's just that we think more highly of people who fully participate in the way of American governance. There are lots (...) (22 years ago, 24-Sep-02, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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