Subject:
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Re: 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 14:51:19 GMT
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Viewed:
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1636 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> 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.
My dad got called in for jury duty--first question--"Mr Koudys, what's your
take on capital punishment?"
My dad said "Hang the b***ard"
"Thank you Mr. Koudys, you may go home now..."
I got a letter saying that I had to fill out a form to be put in the queue
for jury duty. I filled out the form, and I wrote an additional letter,
stating to the effect that I was in a semester taking one of my poli sci
courses, and that I was excited to be part of the process of our system that
I was learning about, that I was eager to do the best I could for my fellow
citizen and my country, blah blah blah... I was quite sincere at the time.
I sent off the form and letter and never got the call.
Oh well.
Dave K.
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