Here is what happens when you PO a judge (lawyer, regular, Brown)
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And in the process the judge violates the first amendment. Handing out pamphlets of this nature is not against the law and is an expression of freedom of speech. Now if he were doing this inside the court then that would be different. That would be disrupting the court and other charges apply. This judge needs to be reminded his authority has limits, especially outside the courtroom.
Unfortunately, the judge is immune from any action.
If this is all true... the ACLU, and a whole slew of civil rights attorneys will be lining up to sue the city. Maybe even a civil lawsuit will be in order for the good judge.
Yes Steve seeing them stand up and take a stand would be grand!!
Judges have very few limits on their power and have very little accountability. Here is an example of what happens when you pizz off a judge.
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A Michigan activist faces up to five years in prison for exercising his First Amendment rights by distributing Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) literature outside the Mecosta County courthouse. WXMI, the Fox station in Grand Rapids, reports that Keith Wood was arrested last week after passing out about 50 copies of a FIJA pamphlet titled "Your Jury Rights: True or False?" Wood's pamphleting irritated Mecosta County District Judge Peter Jaklevic, who ordered his arrest on charges of jury tampering, a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail, and obstruction of justice, a felony punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
Jaklevic, whose office declined to comment on the case, set Wood's bail at $150,000. "When he told me the bond," Wood told WXMI, "I was speechless. $150,000 bond for handing out a piece of paper on a public sidewalk? Speechless."
Probably won't be the last, because our populace is really ignorant these days.
From their website:
"The primary function of the independent juror is not, as many think, to dispense punishment to fellow citizens accused of breaking various laws, but rather to protect fellow citizens from tyrannical abuses of power by government.
The Constitution guarantees you the right to trial by jury. This means that government must bring its case before a jury of The People if government wants to deprive someone of life, liberty, or property. Jurors can say no to government tyranny by refusing to convict."
Probably won't be the last, because our populace is really ignorant these days.
From their website:
"The primary function of the independent juror is not, as many think, to dispense punishment to fellow citizens accused of breaking various laws, but rather to protect fellow citizens from tyrannical abuses of power by government.
The Constitution guarantees you the right to trial by jury. This means that government must bring its case before a jury of The People if government wants to deprive someone of life, liberty, or property. Jurors can say no to government tyranny by refusing to convict."
Seems most people don't know that anymore.
They're too busy being pissed off about having to be there in the first place. I think there's a method to severely underpaying jurists and then forcing them by law to serve. Something which had never been done in the previous 230 years.
Depends on how the guy was going about it and where, as to how I feel about this. Judges tell juries all the time that they must follow the law but juries do have a right to nullification. That's part of the reason why we have trials by a jury of ours peers as opposed to just having judges or panels of judges for trials. Educating people about our legal system, in it's proper time and place, should not be an issue. However, some actists can be highly annoying to downright intimidating in their zeal, and if that's what this guy was doing, especially if it was to members of a sitting or potential jury as they were walking into the courthouse, it is a huge problem.
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Depends on how the guy was going about it and where, as to how I feel about this. Judges tell juries all the time that they must follow the law but juries do have a right to nullification. That's part of the reason why we have trials by a jury of ours peers as opposed to just having judges or panels of judges for trials. Educating people about our legal system, in it's proper time and place, should not be an issue. However, some actists can be highly annoying to downright intimidating in their zeal, and if that's what this guy was doing, especially if it was to members of a sitting or potential jury as they were walking into the courthouse, it is a huge problem.
Agreed. If not then the judge is trying to take away some of our freedom.
And in the process the judge violates the first amendment. Handing out pamphlets of this nature is not against the law and is an expression of freedom of speech. Now if he were doing this inside the court then that would be different. That would be disrupting the court and other charges apply. This judge needs to be reminded his authority has limits, especially outside the courtroom.
Yeah, it gives new meaning to, "settling out of court".
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