Slashdot Mirror
Pair Arrested After Telling Lawyer Jokes
fembots writes "Two men were arrested for telling lawyer jokes while standing in line leading into First District Court. A spokesman for the Nassau courts said the men were causing a stir and that their exercise of their First Amendment rights to free speech was impeding the rights of others at the court."
So in this case, "Your Rights Online" refers merely to the fact that these jokesters were standing "on line." With all due respect, I just don't see how this is Slash-worthy.
Next!
"...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada
Reading the article, however, makes me wonder if we're really getting the whole story here. Given that these aren't just two random individuals but the founders of "Americans for Legal Reform", I personally smell an increased likelyhood that their side of things contains a certain amount of BS. Of course it's just my gut instinct talking and your milage may vary.
Unfortunately this level of doubt precludes the normal level of moral outrage (aka, "hits" or "ad impressions") that these threads are supposed to generate, and for that I apologize.
Now, answer me this: How many RIAA lawyers does it take to screw in a light blub?
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Slashdot Editors!
(Psst... make a "Law" category rather than stuff everything into YRO.)
Sure it may sound bad this way... But I am sure the two guys went overboard somewhere... They did not simply offend one judge/lawyer/whatever and poof, was off to jail...
This is one situation where I am sure you had to be there to know really what happened, since there is probably two stories to this one, the one doing the arresting, and the ones being arrested...
Sorry for the rant, but what fool calls lawyers names to their faces?
Billy
By "they were arrested for telling lawyer jokes" you mean "they were arrested for 'being abusive and disturbing the peace'"
I was going to try to make some articulate argument about the scope of First Amendment rights as it applies to public places and the social contract, but I'll just sum it up like this:
Two retards act like dicks and get busted for it, and all of a sudden I have to read about it on Slashdot?
The only acceptable defense of scientific results is to say that they were the product of the Scientific Method.
In general, acting like an asshole in the presence of law enforcement is a bad idea. You may not get convicted, but chances are really good you will get arrested.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
If the two were wrongfully arrested, would they be capable of getting some sort of compensation under US law?
perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'
a) What kind of nut regularly goes to the courthouse and heckles lawyers as a hobby?
b) They've spun this story as "Arrested for telling lawyer jokes!"
I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to the judge, not to them.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
Last time I checked, standing outside a courthouse expressing disdain for lawyers is perfectly legal.
In some states, they even allow people to carry signs and march around in circles outside of buildings. In fact, from time to time, these sign wielding people will even chant repetative slogans (gasp). My friend, people have a right to protest, be it against abortion, creationism, blacks, whites, gays, white supremacists and yes...lawyers.
Do I think these guys are stupid douchebags? Of course.
Am I outraged that they were arrested for being stupid douchebags? You bet your ass I am.
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
Why could the lawyer simply ignore the men? Yes, I RTFA, and this was set-up to get attention by the two guys telling the jokes, but this is a pretty extreme way to go about stopping them. Besides, anyone but the most naive knows that lawyers will do anything to win, and in return, make tons of cash. I don't care about the money they make, but the methods which they employ scares me.
A blog like any other.
The fool that belives he lives in a free country.
Maybe RMS can update 'The Free Software Definition' to add 'free' as in the United States of America -- The software is free until they decide it's not.
``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of ``free'' as in ``free speech,'' not as in ``free like the USA.''
If you read the article, try to discover what is actually fact. Notice how no uninvolved people were interviewed - we only have the statements of the pair and a court official. Each of these people will, of course, spin the event their way. The majority of that article is little better than editorializing - filling in with opinion where facts are lacking.
I was taking one day at a time, but then several days got together and ambushed me. (from a Rhymes with Orange comic)
They are probably one of the many people who feel that lawyers who make up the vast majority of the people writing the laws, the people working for the people who write the laws, the people who lobby for such laws, the people who enforce the laws (the prosecutors not the cops), the people who interpret the laws (the judges), the people who defend you in court, the people you must pay when you need to use the courts, and the people who are paid to use the courts against you, have a bit too much power in our society.
Q: What's the difference between a lawyer and a catfish?
A: One's a scum-sucking bottom-dweller, and the other is a fish.
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
i.e. if everyone standing in line is annoyed (which sounds like what happened).
Oh dear. You lose again.
From TFA: "But while that rib and several others on barristers got some giggles from the crowd, the attorney standing in line about five people ahead wasn't laughing."
fast as fast can be. you'll never catch me.
Imagine a courtroom. It's inside a courthouse. Between the courtroom door and the exterior door to the courthouse is the rest of the building interior.
You can't put metal detectors and X-ray machines outside on the front stoop. Snow tends to leave them somewhat used up.
These guys were arrested for making fun of our laughable judicial system. Need proof that our judicial system is laughable? These guys were arrested for making fun of...
Sorry, if it was in a court room during a trial, sure, but all these guys did wrong was piss off the wrong people. Article mentions they are part of an organization to promote better public access to the courts. Obviously these two were a thorn in a side or two. Arresting them is pure abuse of power just to make a point.
Send whiskey and fresh horses!
They purposely and continually go to courts and heckle the lawyers
That is the beauty of freedom that people overlook. The idea is that if you are unhappy with something and you want to spend all day talking about it to to a person or a crowd of people then those people have the protected right to agree or disagree with you with out recourse. That is what makes freedom.
Now we do have other avenues availible ie media, but it does *NOT* replace your right to speak in public.
I would say in terms of free speach if I was a loud mouth shouting my opinion then you would have just as much a right to ignore me, agree with me, or stand across from me and scream back. As long as there is no violence and no one is get a lynch mob going that is ok and it is good because it gives all of us a pulse of our society.
Many would have you belive this is wrong and if you want opinion to listen to a radio or watch television. That is what I would call opression the media is a nice to look at thing but has no real meaning or purpose any more. If a housing complex down your street is kicking people out to make room for higher paying patrons would this make the news? Maybe.
If not and you went outside and told evreyone your opinion should you be arrested ?
A loop, by its nature, continues. If that didn't make sense, start reading this sentence again.
If a couple of guys stood outside Planned Parenthood and made slut jokes, would that be OK?. OK, if you don't consider that a good analogy, how would you feel if someone was gathering a crowded near your business making fun of your job? I suspect many of us would deal with it just fine, but many would not, especially if it had been a lousy day at work.
of the lawyers.
Lawyers are the entire power stucture on the USA: judges are lawyers, politicians are lawyers, and of course lawyers are lawyers.
"lawyerocracy" indeed.