Free Republic

Listen to the stories of Bobby Unser, a three-time Indianapolis 500 champion who was charged with committing a crime in his fight to survive, and Mr. and Mrs. Denicore, a couple who fought back when facing charges for their children’s tardiness at school. For Bobby Unser and his friend, a fun day of snowmobiling turned into a nightmare when a storm hit and they were forced to abandon their vehicles to wander the terrain in temperatures as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit. After surviving and waking up in a hospital, Unser sought out the location of the snowmobiles and...

Hear the story of George Norris, a 67-year old hobbyist, was convicted and sent to prison for failure to comply with obscure laws involving his small business – selling orchids from his backyard. George Norris, a 67-year old hobbyist, developed a small business selling imported orchids out of his backyard greenhouse. Norris did his best to make sure he was in compliance with laws and regulations regarding his hobby. That’s why he was surprised to come home one day to find his house being raided by armed federal agents. After spending his life savings and borrowing what he could to...

You may be a criminal without even knowing it. Centuries ago, there were only nine felonies under English Common Law. The common law dealt with behavior that is widely understood to be culpable — murder, theft, rape, etc. — but in today's state legislatures and in Congress, innocuous behavior is too often criminalized. In Michigan, a person can be convicted of a crime for betting in an office March Madness pool, or mocking a person who refuses to duel. Accompanying this over-criminalization is the failure of legislatures to define the intent necessary for a prosecutor to prove a crime has...