In a stunning defeat for the administration in general and Eric Holder in particular, a judge in Detroit has thrown out the most serious charges against a group that the government had tried to portray as seeking to wage war against the United States. This was one of the most visible cases wherein the Attorney General was seeking to prosecute “homegrown terrorists”. Read the story here http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/key-charges-dismissed-against-michigan-militia-members-charged-with-plotting-war-on-government/2012/03/27/gIQAfUYVeS_story.html
The judge agreed with the defense that hatred of law enforcement does not in and of itself constitute a conspiracy to commit a crime. Hallellujah. Thank you for recognizing that criticism of the government is protected speech. At least for now, we can express our opinions regarding the overreach of law enforcement without fearing imprisonment, maybe. The individuals in this case were deprived of their liberty for a prolonged period for asserting their first amendment rights. They will not be compensated nor will they get their time back. Nor is there anything to prevent the government from continuing its assault on our basic liberties.
But for now we can breathe a brief sigh of relief. However, the battle must continue unabated. Criminal defense attorneys are in reality the last bastion for what is left of the rule of constitutional law. The prosecutors have little regard for the constitution, although they give it lip service. From the prosecutorial viewpoint, the constitution is little more than an occasional nuisance and the presumption of innocence is a farce. Everyone is guilty and the only questions are how fast and how severely the defendant is punished.
Combined with the almost universal paranoia regarding terrorists lurking behind every bush, the atmosphere is surcharged with a desire to be protected from these imaginary threats at any cost. A perfect storm is created wherein the frightened sheep turn to the wolves for sanctuary. The government cannot and will not protect you from government.
This is of course, the inherent weakness of the constitution. It is a document that purports to put limits on governmental power, specifically that of the Federal Government. But in fact, that very document has been utilized by the Federal Government to expand its powers without limit. How could one reasonably expect that a force monopoly would exercise self restraint? In fact, it is not possible, hence the current state of affairs.
While the constitution remains the law of the land, it is susceptible to endless machinations that will eventually gut it in its entirety. Even if that is not the case, the force monopoly will ignore it with impunity. What is the solution? The beginning of real freedom is to understand that your rights and liberty are not granted to you by a piece of paper or by some oligarchy on a hill. They are inherent in your humanity and it is your right and responsibility to avail yourself of all possible tools to remain free. Freedom begins with you.
If you believe your rights have been violated, feel free to contact a Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer at 213-289-9400 for a no cost consultation.
The judge agreed with the defense that hatred of law enforcement does not in and of itself constitute a conspiracy to commit a crime. Hallellujah. Thank you for recognizing that criticism of the government is protected speech. At least for now, we can express our opinions regarding the overreach of law enforcement without fearing imprisonment, maybe. The individuals in this case were deprived of their liberty for a prolonged period for asserting their first amendment rights. They will not be compensated nor will they get their time back. Nor is there anything to prevent the government from continuing its assault on our basic liberties.
But for now we can breathe a brief sigh of relief. However, the battle must continue unabated. Criminal defense attorneys are in reality the last bastion for what is left of the rule of constitutional law. The prosecutors have little regard for the constitution, although they give it lip service. From the prosecutorial viewpoint, the constitution is little more than an occasional nuisance and the presumption of innocence is a farce. Everyone is guilty and the only questions are how fast and how severely the defendant is punished.
Combined with the almost universal paranoia regarding terrorists lurking behind every bush, the atmosphere is surcharged with a desire to be protected from these imaginary threats at any cost. A perfect storm is created wherein the frightened sheep turn to the wolves for sanctuary. The government cannot and will not protect you from government.
This is of course, the inherent weakness of the constitution. It is a document that purports to put limits on governmental power, specifically that of the Federal Government. But in fact, that very document has been utilized by the Federal Government to expand its powers without limit. How could one reasonably expect that a force monopoly would exercise self restraint? In fact, it is not possible, hence the current state of affairs.
While the constitution remains the law of the land, it is susceptible to endless machinations that will eventually gut it in its entirety. Even if that is not the case, the force monopoly will ignore it with impunity. What is the solution? The beginning of real freedom is to understand that your rights and liberty are not granted to you by a piece of paper or by some oligarchy on a hill. They are inherent in your humanity and it is your right and responsibility to avail yourself of all possible tools to remain free. Freedom begins with you.
If you believe your rights have been violated, feel free to contact a Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer at 213-289-9400 for a no cost consultation.
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