I have thought, for some time now, that I knew just how bad things were getting in the United States, in terms of us becoming a police state.
Today, I was shown just how wrong I am. [Read more...]
Overlords
March 7, 2013 by 26 Comments
To Serve & To Protect
November 6, 2012 by 1 Comment
Once upon a time, Americans actually valued life. Hell, we even valued liberty. And the purfoot of happyness.
Legally, that’s still true; in practice, not so much.
The Gangs with Badges
October 1, 2012 by 1 Comment
In a recent post, Scott Greenfield notes that:
While the analogy is often used, and used poorly, to compare the police to the mob, it seems unavoidable this time.
I’m not sure what is meant by the analogy being used poorly, but perhaps it’s because the gang that wears badges is not as sophisticated as the mob. This is not to say that gangs cannot be sophisticated. In fact, in many ways, the gang members I run into have more sophistication in their pinkies than the average cop on the street.
Who Says Crime Doesn’t Pay?
April 24, 2012 by 6 Comments
Our legal system is corrupt. It is rotten to its core. And by “to its core,” I mean “judges,” who have become, at best, nothing more than rubber stamps on acts of the government; at worst, they go a step further and become the primary governmental tools for oppression.
They are not alone in constituting the corrupt core, of course. It is a witches’ brew comprised of many elements.
Police officers prey upon citizens. They conduct home invasion robberies under color of law with impunity. Probation officers don’t concern themselves with whether their techniques for dealing with those who are essentially their prisoners actually change lives; they simply keep increasing the pressure on those under their thumbs.
Prosecutors? Like judges, they have essentially abdicated their part in the American system of jurisprudence established by those who came before them. No longer do they seek justice; only convictions. The mantra of the underlings is “I was only following orders.” Who knew that Americans would set a standard for conformity to following orders that would shame even Germany? And if, somehow, strong evidence comes to light down the road that an innocent person has been convicted, these same prosecutors will fight like the hell that spawned them to preserve the conviction, rather than allow that something may have gone awry.
Then there are the criminal defense attorneys who, believing the lostness of the cause justifies their laziness, forget to fight for their clients.
It is…disheartening…to say the least. Our elected officials have also turned a blind eye to the problems, refusing to pass bills that would require accountability from those working in the legal profession.
Only informed voters are going to be able to fix things.
Unfortunately, once you become informed, you’re not allowed to vote.1
Endnotes:
- Citizens convicted of felonies are, in a sense, no longer citizens: they are stripped of the right to vote. [↩]
To Serve & Protect
February 9, 2011 by 1 Comment
One has to wonder about the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association.
They’re either incredibly stupid, incredibly mean, or they just don’t like being criminal defense lawyers.
Or maybe they just love cops.
Good News for Modern (Police) Man
January 26, 2010 by Leave a Comment
When I was young, I remember a version of the Bible which was titled “Good News for Modern Man.” Given that this post involves the prosecution and subsequent acquittal of a police officer for excessive force in Fresno — arguably in the center of the Bible “Belt” of California — and given Supreme Court “Justice” Scalia’s not too distant comments about the “modern” and “professional” police force, it seems appropriate to play off that for this post’s title.
First, let me be clear about something, because every time I write about police abusing their authority, it seems the police supporters come crawling out of the woodwork. In Fresno, as with much of the Central San Joaquin Valley, the police can do no wrong, even when they do. Having said that, this post is not my own personal pronouncement that the jury screwed up and let a guilty man go free. I actually don’t know if that’s true.
I am, however, going to talk about what the newspaper has reported, throw in a few comments from things I’ve heard from attorneys who are more familiar with the facts, and express my opinion.
Help Yourself to a Conviction
November 4, 2009 by 4 Comments
Seventeen-year-old Sammy Adams was running down the sidewalk alongside Floradora Avenue, no doubt a little faster than he should. He was late for work. Again. Today was inventory day and he knew what the boss would do if he didn’t get there on time.
Doris Daudy, a woman of approximately 38 years old, was walking north on Maroa toward her home just north of the Tower District. Her purse was slung over one shoulder, her arms wrapped around grocery bags. She never minded the walk; it was just a few blocks. And although there was an occasional purse-snatching in the area, she’d walked this route for years without problems and felt perfectly safe.
Hold Up There, Pardner!
May 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
I thought I’d mentioned the town of Tenaha, Texas before, so this story looked familiar to me. A link sent by Bunny Chafowitz, however, makes the story look fresh so maybe it’s just my imagination.
Police in Tenaha are accused of committing — quite literally — highway robbery.
A Day in the Life of a Police Officer
December 3, 2008 by 16 Comments
If it weren’t becoming a daily event, stories like this one would be difficult to believe.
