If I were called to testify against someone selling pot, I would be in a very bad place indeed; I would have a moral mandate to refuse to testify, but if I did refuse I would face incarceration myself. That just isn't right.
It's even worse with a murder trial. If forced to testify my choices would be a) refuse to testify, and be incarcerated myself, b) testify and be murdered myself, or c) join the "witless protection program" and lose my job, my friends, my family, my possessions, and everyone and everything I love. This despite the fact that I, myself, had done nothing wrong whatever.
If my child committed murder I would go to jail rather than testify. Oddly, you can be compelled to testify against your child or your parent but not your wife. This, too, is wrong. The fifth amendment gives the criminal the right to remain silent, the witness should have the same right.
I could have bought tickets to ZZ Top, who are playing here at the Illinois State Fair, but as they're still an RIAA band, they're underboycott. I'll go to a band paying tribute to an RIAA band, but not the band itself.
Change is good. Unexpected change is very, very bad.
I can't agree with that AT ALL. When the gasoline prices change, they get higher. It isn't unexpected, but it's BAD.
OTOH if all of a sudden I was for no reason apparent to myself attractive to women to the point that they were fighting over who I would let have sex with me, that would be VERY VERY DOUBLE PLUS GOOD! Worrisome, perhaps, but DAMNED GOOD.
They call you "apathetic" for that. Do what I do - vote for a candidate who is ignored by the madia and has little chance of winning. This year I'm voting for Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney, despite the fact that I don't like her views. I may vote for Libertarian Bob Barr. She has no chance of winning; it is the same as casting a vote for "none of the above".
I do this after decades of voting for the "lesser of two evils"; the only candidates I've ever actually voted FOR were Dick Durbin, the late Paul Simon, and I voted for Clinton when he ran for re-election because I thought he did a pretty good job in his first term (I loathe Hillary, however).
I've voted Republican as often as Democrat. Not, however, recently.
IAWTP; however - isn't it up to you to pay that lawyer until compensation gives you a refund
When I was still married and the kids were small, my ex-wife was hit by a city truck whose driver ran a red light, and the city refused to pay the medical bills. In the case of an auto accident at least, the way it works in Illinois is you get three times the medical bills for "pain and suffering". The doctor gets a third of the settlement, the lawyer gets a third, and you pocket a third.
If the case is settled out of court, the lawyer gets 1/3, but if it goes to court and you win, (s)he gets 50%. If you lose, your lawyer gets nothing.
I don't think the law says this is necessarily how it must work (IANAL so TIWAGOS) but here, at least, it's how most lawyers operate. They pretty much know if you have a case or not, and will IME give you the first consultation for free.
Since it's now modded "+5 informative" the system worked... kind of.
"Probably because I didn't actually add anything substantive to the discussion. It's cool--I have the karma to burn, and my sig says it all." Indeed.
The way to get karma at slashdot is to comment honestly, rationally, candidly, without rancor, and most of all don't worry about the karma. I get modded "troll" and "flamebait" quite often (despite the fact that I don't, in fact, troll, and try to be calm) but my karma is excellent and I usually metamoderate daily.
Speaking of not worrying about karma, since this post is offtopic already I might as well add that today's mcgrew journal is uncharacteristically SFW (although it's not a very good one)
"No karma bonus" checked, please mod me down farther, thx
the cop can write you a ticket for impeding normal traffic flow if you're going unreasonably slow relative to everyone else
Yes, I've heard of that, but I've never been pulled over for going too slow, even when I'm doing 50 and the Escalades are doing 80. In fact, one trip to the St Louis area recently (gas was well over $4 a gallon and I had all day) I passed a cop sitting on the side of the road. A herd of expensive cars blasted past me, and a minute later flashing blue lights were in my mirror. The cop, too, blasted past me. A couple of miles down the road one of the leadfoots was pulled over, with the cop writing him a ticket.
Perhaps Maryland's laws are differen than Illinois' laws?
Dude, I have hazel eyes, BET is not my cup of tea. As I'm a nerd, whores are a blessing; I'd never get laid otherwise. I'm one of those nice guys with a sense of humor they say they want.
And, all woman are whores. The cheapest sex I ever had cost me a draft Budweiser, the most expensive cost me a house, a car, and part of my pension!
raise awareness about the change in policy due to 9/11.
Indeed. Back when I was young I was heavily into photography, and often carried an SLR with a 135mm lens. Back then nobody cared. Ironically, these days they don't want you photographing, yet there are Big Brother cameras (including government cameras) everywhere.
It's too late to change awareness; the terrorists have won.
The point is that this Washington guy pissed off the wrong people. As to the free press issue, American reporters go to jail over politics, too. The one linked refused to name a source; the right to free speech is supposed to be the right to not speak as well. You can't have a free press if people are afraid to blow the whistle.
I believe the hydrogen was impure. The baloon that didn't float was maybe six inches diameter or so, the one I ignited on the stove was about the size of a golf ball. It let out a lout WHOOMP and a fireball a yard wide.
Wow, did I slip into a paralell universe or something? I'm hoisting a glass to the esteemed Mr. Beckerman tonight at JW's as I listen to a local band cover the Grateful Dead.
I hope you can afford that new tie now, Ray;)
Whatever you're getting out of this, it isn't enough.
People who live in glass countries shouldn't throw bricks. In the US you don't have to critize anybody to be arrested and hauled away by the cops.
"This is a big-time dealer for us," Davis said. "This guy is huge, probably the biggest we've pulled down. We hit him on a light day."
Facing a possible 100-year prison sentence, Washington was held on a bond of $1 million.
But what looked like a slam-dunk case didn't play out that way. The two detectives who instigated Washington's arrest -- Paul Carpenter and Jim Graham -- had just come under scrutiny at the time of the dawn raid. Over the following year and a half, as the investigation of the two cops intensified, the case against Washington fell apart. In October 2006, the SPD fired Carpenter and Graham for misconduct; last month, Sangamon County State's Attorney John Schmidt dismissed charges against Washington, citing problems with the sworn affidavit used to obtain the search warrant executed at his home.
Now Schmidt's first assistant, Steve Weinhoeft, won't discuss the alleged crime.
The story goes on to explain that the drugs were most likely planted on Washington by the two dirty detectives.
On the other hand, if you ARE a cop you can be indicted for 49 felonies, plead guilty to two misdemeanors, and go scot free.
It wasn't until his arraignment, the next day, that he discovered the gravity of the charges: one count of obstructing justice, three counts of criminal sexual abuse, seven counts of criminal sexual assault, seven counts of armed violence, 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, and 21 counts of official misconduct. Lewis' bond was set at $250,000, and he was placed in solitary confinement.
Seventeen of the charges were class X felonies with special penalties, each carrying the possibility of a 60-year prison term to be served consecutively with other terms. Calculating by the grimmest formula, Lewis faced a potential sentence of 1,200 years behind bars.
The charges sprang from complaints made by seven women, all of whom told authorities that Lewis had made sexual advances toward them while wearing his police uniform. One woman said Lewis approached her in a parking lot and showed her a picture of his penis next to a beer bottle. Another woman said he lured her to the police station to take a Breathalyzer test, then dropped his uniform trousers and had sex with her on the bathroom sink. Another said Lewis pulled her over as though making a traffic stop, then reached into her car and grabbed her crotch while forcing his tongue into her mouth.
The details of the charges varied from victim to victim, but the women had one thing in common: They all performed as strippers at a Belgium tavern called the Playpen.
In other news, China declares war on Russia because of its cyber attack, not realising that their melted servers are slashdot's doing rather than the Russians.
Women don't know what they want. They say they want a kind, generous, man that can make them laugh, but they're always with some asshole that calls them "bitch" and slaps them around.
They want the kind, generous men as friends; they want a tough guy in bed.
Treat a whore like a lady and she'll act like a lady. Treat a lady like a whore and she'll suck your dick.
How you can't read the last line of the post in IE6, and why they can't use the same CSS that almost works in the rest of the site;)? Or maybe how I had to put a <p> between quoting you and my firs line to keep the <br> from acting like a <p>?
Fuck, even putting <p>& nbsp;<p> doesn't work.
Oh, as to the topic, it looks to me like some kid thinks slashdot is AOL's tech support. Either that or sam HBT.
Guys, the CSS on idle is an embarrassing mess, are you ever going to fix it?
"Family friendly?" Right now I live alone, but I have two grown daughters; we are family. I used to play Quake with them on our networked computers when they were teenagers. So to me, a violent, bloody video game IS family-friendly.
I've always wanted to cut up one of their stickers, and rearrange them into DAMM - Drunks Against Mad Mothers
You can BUY that bumper sticker! A friend of mine who (hilariously) works at a rehab center and likes Jack Daniels had one on her refrigerator. Alas, she was the best looking drinking buddy I had, she moved to Florida a couple of weeks ago.
Slashdot Mirror
Do you really think a witness to a murder (or any crime for that matter) should be able to refuse to testify?
Yes. I do not agree with drug laws, and if I were on a jury in a drug case (well, I wouldn't be because the prosecuting attorney wouldn't let it happen) I could not in good conscience vote "guilty", no matter what the evidence.
If I were called to testify against someone selling pot, I would be in a very bad place indeed; I would have a moral mandate to refuse to testify, but if I did refuse I would face incarceration myself. That just isn't right.
It's even worse with a murder trial. If forced to testify my choices would be a) refuse to testify, and be incarcerated myself, b) testify and be murdered myself, or c) join the "witless protection program" and lose my job, my friends, my family, my possessions, and everyone and everything I love. This despite the fact that I, myself, had done nothing wrong whatever.
If my child committed murder I would go to jail rather than testify. Oddly, you can be compelled to testify against your child or your parent but not your wife. This, too, is wrong. The fifth amendment gives the criminal the right to remain silent, the witness should have the same right.
I could have bought tickets to ZZ Top, who are playing here at the Illinois State Fair, but as they're still an RIAA band, they're underboycott. I'll go to a band paying tribute to an RIAA band, but not the band itself.
I agree with your post.
just kidding ;)
Change is good. Unexpected change is very, very bad.
I can't agree with that AT ALL. When the gasoline prices change, they get higher. It isn't unexpected, but it's BAD.
OTOH if all of a sudden I was for no reason apparent to myself attractive to women to the point that they were fighting over who I would let have sex with me, that would be VERY VERY DOUBLE PLUS GOOD! Worrisome, perhaps, but DAMNED GOOD.
Oh look, it's mr paid anonymous fancy pants music industry troll. Ray's a hero around these parts, son, and he has my utmost respect.
If you ever go through a divorce or bankrupcy you will learn to appreciate a good lawyer.
<paroody>
II knoow yoou probbably doon't speeak Engglish nattively, buut thhe veerb "loooose" meeans "too seet frree". Soome tiimes aa misssspelling altters thhe meanning oof thhe senntence. Oftten iit iss juust aa typoo, buut yoou ussed thhe saame spelllling twiice.
Iis thhis commment haard too reead? Weel, ssee?
</paroody>
They call you "apathetic" for that. Do what I do - vote for a candidate who is ignored by the madia and has little chance of winning. This year I'm voting for Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney, despite the fact that I don't like her views. I may vote for Libertarian Bob Barr. She has no chance of winning; it is the same as casting a vote for "none of the above".
I do this after decades of voting for the "lesser of two evils"; the only candidates I've ever actually voted FOR were Dick Durbin, the late Paul Simon, and I voted for Clinton when he ran for re-election because I thought he did a pretty good job in his first term (I loathe Hillary, however).
I've voted Republican as often as Democrat. Not, however, recently.
IAWTP; however -
isn't it up to you to pay that lawyer until compensation gives you a refund
When I was still married and the kids were small, my ex-wife was hit by a city truck whose driver ran a red light, and the city refused to pay the medical bills. In the case of an auto accident at least, the way it works in Illinois is you get three times the medical bills for "pain and suffering". The doctor gets a third of the settlement, the lawyer gets a third, and you pocket a third.
If the case is settled out of court, the lawyer gets 1/3, but if it goes to court and you win, (s)he gets 50%. If you lose, your lawyer gets nothing.
I don't think the law says this is necessarily how it must work (IANAL so TIWAGOS) but here, at least, it's how most lawyers operate. They pretty much know if you have a case or not, and will IME give you the first consultation for free.
Since it's now modded "+5 informative" the system worked... kind of.
"Probably because I didn't actually add anything substantive to the discussion. It's cool--I have the karma to burn, and my sig says it all." Indeed.
The way to get karma at slashdot is to comment honestly, rationally, candidly, without rancor, and most of all don't worry about the karma. I get modded "troll" and "flamebait" quite often (despite the fact that I don't, in fact, troll, and try to be calm) but my karma is excellent and I usually metamoderate daily.
Speaking of not worrying about karma, since this post is offtopic already I might as well add that today's mcgrew journal is uncharacteristically SFW (although it's not a very good one)
"No karma bonus" checked, please mod me down farther, thx
the cop can write you a ticket for impeding normal traffic flow if you're going unreasonably slow relative to everyone else
Yes, I've heard of that, but I've never been pulled over for going too slow, even when I'm doing 50 and the Escalades are doing 80. In fact, one trip to the St Louis area recently (gas was well over $4 a gallon and I had all day) I passed a cop sitting on the side of the road. A herd of expensive cars blasted past me, and a minute later flashing blue lights were in my mirror. The cop, too, blasted past me. A couple of miles down the road one of the leadfoots was pulled over, with the cop writing him a ticket.
Perhaps Maryland's laws are differen than Illinois' laws?
Dude, I have hazel eyes, BET is not my cup of tea. As I'm a nerd, whores are a blessing; I'd never get laid otherwise. I'm one of those nice guys with a sense of humor they say they want.
And, all woman are whores. The cheapest sex I ever had cost me a draft Budweiser, the most expensive cost me a house, a car, and part of my pension!
raise awareness about the change in policy due to 9/11.
Indeed. Back when I was young I was heavily into photography, and often carried an SLR with a 135mm lens. Back then nobody cared. Ironically, these days they don't want you photographing, yet there are Big Brother cameras (including government cameras) everywhere.
It's too late to change awareness; the terrorists have won.
The point is that this Washington guy pissed off the wrong people. As to the free press issue, American reporters go to jail over politics, too. The one linked refused to name a source; the right to free speech is supposed to be the right to not speak as well. You can't have a free press if people are afraid to blow the whistle.
I believe the hydrogen was impure. The baloon that didn't float was maybe six inches diameter or so, the one I ignited on the stove was about the size of a golf ball. It let out a lout WHOOMP and a fireball a yard wide.
In the David and Goliath story, David knocked out Goliath with a stone from a sling, then took Goliath's sword and beheaded him with it.
If the RIAA gets beheaded this will indeed be a David and Goliath story in all respects! As it is, the RIAA is just stoned.
I just saw that after R one of the FA, but I'm still toasting you tonight, as well as her lawyers.
Oops... I just RTFA (yes, uncharacteristic of me) and it appears that NYCL wasn't her lawyer?
Wow, did I slip into a paralell universe or something? I'm hoisting a glass to the esteemed Mr. Beckerman tonight at JW's as I listen to a local band cover the Grateful Dead.
I hope you can afford that new tie now, Ray ;)
Whatever you're getting out of this, it isn't enough.
People who live in glass countries shouldn't throw bricks. In the US you don't have to critize anybody to be arrested and hauled away by the cops.
The story goes on to explain that the drugs were most likely planted on Washington by the two dirty detectives.
On the other hand, if you ARE a cop you can be indicted for 49 felonies, plead guilty to two misdemeanors, and go scot free.
In other news, China declares war on Russia because of its cyber attack, not realising that their melted servers are slashdot's doing rather than the Russians.
Women don't know what they want. They say they want a kind, generous, man that can make them laugh, but they're always with some asshole that calls them "bitch" and slaps them around.
They want the kind, generous men as friends; they want a tough guy in bed.
Treat a whore like a lady and she'll act like a lady. Treat a lady like a whore and she'll suck your dick.
Now, wtf do you expect us to discuss?
How you can't read the last line of the post in IE6, and why they can't use the same CSS that almost works in the rest of the site ;)? Or maybe how I had to put a <p> between quoting you and my firs line to keep the <br> from acting like a <p>?
Fuck, even putting <p>& nbsp;<p> doesn't work.
Oh, as to the topic, it looks to me like some kid thinks slashdot is AOL's tech support. Either that or sam HBT.
Guys, the CSS on idle is an embarrassing mess, are you ever going to fix it?
"Family friendly?" Right now I live alone, but I have two grown daughters; we are family. I used to play Quake with them on our networked computers when they were teenagers. So to me, a violent, bloody video game IS family-friendly.
Ah, yes, but your nuclear electrical generators are fission generators, while the sun works on fusion. But Yeah, you're right, it is nuclear!
I've always wanted to cut up one of their stickers, and rearrange them into DAMM - Drunks Against Mad Mothers
You can BUY that bumper sticker! A friend of mine who (hilariously) works at a rehab center and likes Jack Daniels had one on her refrigerator. Alas, she was the best looking drinking buddy I had, she moved to Florida a couple of weeks ago.