As a non-lawyer, and as a generally law-abiding citizen, my main interaction with the criminal justice system is going to be as a juror. But over at a public defender, Gideon is saying that jurors don't really understand the presumption of innocence: I have come to believe that that is hogwash. Jurors are smart enough to know what to say. They've also been reading the … [Read more...] about Jurors’ Presumptions
The Murderous Cops of Fairfax County, Virginia
Police officers in Fairfax County, Virginia, have been killing civilians. Then they've been stonewalling everyone who asks about it, not even revealing the names of the officers who pulled the trigger: Last November along the roadside of Richmond Highway, a major thoroughfare in Fairfax County, Virginia, a police officer shot and killed David Masters, an unarmed motorist, as … [Read more...] about The Murderous Cops of Fairfax County, Virginia
It’s Been a Year…
Happy Easter everybody. Today's not really a great day for me. It was a year ago today that my mother died. The trouble actually started two weeks earlier when she went into the hospital. That's when she really disappeared. But today's the first anniversary of the day she died. All in all, this is the end of a rough year for me. I lost both my parents, I lost months of my … [Read more...] about It’s Been a Year…
Why Does Immigration Law Suck?
A couple of days ago, I wrote about the case of Jerry Lemaine, an immigrant who has been living in the United States for 25 years, who was busted for pot twice -- convicted only once -- and has now spent three years in jail awaiting possible deportation because of his "crimes." I put "crimes" in quotes not just because I despise the war on drugs, but because, legally speaking, … [Read more...] about Why Does Immigration Law Suck?
ICE Is Un-American
Opponents of increased immigration to the United States often justify their bigotry by claiming that foreigners don't understand American values. I'm sure there's some truth to that, but I usually feel that the most un-American values are held by people who are already here. And whether it's turning back friendly tourists, keeping out musical styles they don't understand, … [Read more...] about ICE Is Un-American