no third solution » Police State
Police Can Now Interrogate You Without Counsel
For the past 23 years at least, any information gleaned from police interrogations after a suspect has requested counsel and without counsel’s presence has been generally inadmissible. This all changes, now. Thanks to a recent SCOTUS ruling, however, the information/evidence from interrogations where a suspect has asked for counsel, but has not yet received counsel, will no longer be deemed inadmissible in court. Solicitor general, Elena Kagan said the 1986 Michigan v. Jackson decision “serves no real purpose” and offers only “meagre benefits”, and Justice Antonin Scalia, reading the majority opinion (overturning Michigan) said, Because of the protections created by this court in Miranda and related cases, there is little if any chance that a defendant will be badgered into waiving his right to have counsel present during interrogation. Awfully presumptuous, … Read entire article »
Filed under: American Politics, Legalese, Police State
Child Abusers in Uniform
Bad: 43 children being shot with stun guns by police/penal system employees for no good reason. A total of 43 children were blasted with stun guns as part of an “educational” program during visits at three state corrections facilities during “Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day,” a state investigation revealed Friday. Worse: The children were not accused or suspected of any crimes. Worser: The parents knew about it. Worst: The parents “consented” to it, which is just slightly worse than the fact that the police/prison system employs the sort of person who is happy to shoot a stun gun at a child on a field trip for no good reason. This wasn’t education, it was sadism. It’s child-abuse. None of the children were seriously harmed by the stun guns, which is hard … Read entire article »
Filed under: Left Libertarian, Police State
Do You Feel Safer Now?
From my brother, via e-mail, “I cant decide if this (login required @ NYT)is somewhat disturbing or incredibly disturbing. Oh, wait — it’s incredibly disturbing.” The NYT’s Jennifer Steinhauer reports on an Explorer Scout program, indoctrinating training American youths — some as young as 13 and a half — to preserve the Empire, which of course means learning how to shoot brown people from poor countries trying to make a better life for their families and learning how to destroy lives by perpetuating the war on drugs. Explorers were instructed on how to quiet an obstreperous lookout. “Put him on his face and put a knee in his back,” a Border Patrol agent explained. “I guarantee that he’ll shut up.” “Cathy Noriego, also 16, said she was attracted by the guns. The group … Read entire article »
Filed under: American Politics, immigration, Left Libertarian, Police State