Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

As Criminal Laws Proliferate, More Are Ensnared
Wall Street Journal ^ | July 23, 2011 | GARY FIELDS and JOHN R. EMSHWILLER

Posted on 07/23/2011 9:13:16 AM PDT by DManA

As federal criminal statutes have ballooned, it has become increasingly easy for Americans to end up on the wrong side of the law. Many of the new federal laws also set a lower bar for conviction than in the past: Prosecutors don't necessarily need to show that the defendant had criminal intent.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2a; 2ndamendment; 3feloniesaday; atlasshrugged; aynrandwasright; banglist; beprepared; bho44; biggovernment; bloat; bloodoftyrants; bohica; bushlegacy; clintonlegacy; communism; copsgonewild; corruption; crime; criminalnonjustice; crushfedgov; cw2; cwii; deadtyranytswalking; democrats; dojisajoke; donttreadonme; donutwatch; fascism; fedgov; fedgovisajoke; fedzilla; fraud; freedomlost; getreadyhereitcomes; govtabuse; gunrunner; holder; holderspeople; holdertruthfile; judicialtyranny; liberalfascism; lping; nojustice; nwo; policestate; prepperping; prohibitedmandatory; rapeofliberty; rapeoftaxpayers; survivalping; threefeloniesaday; tyranny
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last
To: DManA
increasingly easy for Americans to end up on the wrong side of the law.

Whoa. It appears the vast majority of the Freepers would be guilty of anti-cyber bullying laws for expressing their opinions.

he figures that "being emotionally distressed is just part of living in a free society.

It is called developing a thick skin to ignore those who are a-holes.

41 posted on 07/25/2011 6:28:00 AM PDT by John123 (US$ - I owe you nothing. Euro - Who owes you nothing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bamahead

B U M P


42 posted on 07/25/2011 6:40:45 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (God, family, country, mom, apple pie, the girl next door and a Ford F250 to pull my boat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: DManA

This article points out why it is extremely important that as many people as possible become informed about jury nullification. No matter what a judge or prosecutor tells you you do not have to convict if you think the law is wrong or that a law is being applied in an unjust way.

Just one juror who knows his rights can hang a jury. After two or three hung juries prosecutors are going to back off because it screws up their convection rate, which they view like a baseball player views his batting average.

http://fija.org/


43 posted on 07/25/2011 6:42:30 AM PDT by SUSSA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ChildOfThe60s

” step outa line, the man come

and take you away..”


44 posted on 07/25/2011 6:42:52 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (God, family, country, mom, apple pie, the girl next door and a Ford F250 to pull my boat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: bamahead

i saw this in the wsj the other day.

one almost needs to be a course in law to avoid the tens of thousands of trip wires in every day life.

selling part of the federal lands to pay of debts would reduce this a bit.


45 posted on 07/25/2011 6:43:05 AM PDT by ken21 (liberal + rino progressive media hate palin, bachman, cain...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: DManA

“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers.”

Quote by: Ayn Rand
(1905-1982) Author
Source: “Atlas Shrugged”, Part II, Chapter 3


46 posted on 07/25/2011 6:43:43 AM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the "Dave Ramsey Fan" ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gun_supporter

I’ve always loved watching Stossel. He’s got his head on straight and cracks some good jokes.

In terms of this issue it does not surprise me. They want to keep everyone on their knees while the fed grows in power. I’m hoping that some people wake up, and not at the ballot box.


47 posted on 07/25/2011 9:23:56 AM PDT by digital-olive
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: JudgemAll

“Hell, why do you think Jews refuse to go to jail ever since the Holocaust... “

There are no Jews in Jail/Prison?

Who knew. . . .


48 posted on 07/25/2011 10:58:04 AM PDT by Hulka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: bamahead

Great link; thank you.


49 posted on 07/25/2011 1:09:44 PM PDT by jjm2111
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Prokopton
At one time most of our criminal laws were for acts that were "malum in se", that is they were wrong in and of themselves such as stealing or assault. Now, most of our new criminal laws are "malum prohibitum", that is there is nothing inherently wrong with the act but it is criminal merely because it is prohibited by the government.

There was a time when someone could avoid breaking laws just by doing what was 'right'. Your concience could be your guide.

Now, what is legal and what is right are barely overlapping subsets.

50 posted on 07/25/2011 1:48:15 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ChildOfThe60s

Welcome to the new East Germany.

Did you see the Homeland Security video - the one that encourages citizens to turn each other in? Another 'tell'..

51 posted on 07/25/2011 4:12:07 PM PDT by GOPJ (Honk if I'm paying for your car, your mortgage, and your big, fat Greek bailout - mewzilla)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: GOPJ
Did you see the Homeland Security video - the one that encourages citizens to turn each other in?

As bad as that is, the fact that much of the citizenry of this country doesn't know and doesn't care that we are morphing into a police state is even more disturbing.

The only hope I see is in the fact that we have the most well armed citizens (the ones that give a damn) in the world.

52 posted on 07/25/2011 6:47:41 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: Hulka

Read the jewish press. a jew in jail is a big issue, and they are right.


53 posted on 07/26/2011 5:51:11 AM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Hulka

Read the jewish press. a jew in jail is a big issue, and they are right.


54 posted on 07/26/2011 5:51:19 AM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: JudgemAll

You are making no sense.

You said there ARE NO Jews in jail.

Clearly this is not the case.


55 posted on 07/26/2011 6:00:22 AM PDT by Hulka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Hulka

You wrote “No jews in jail”, I never did. Read again.


56 posted on 07/26/2011 7:53:40 PM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Hulka

By the way, with civil rights, now that gay behavior is listed, it only is a matter of time before the government starts listing Christian, Jew or muslim behavioral traits... I mean, why not... This is what I am getting at. We are headed for some nasty waters. Interestingly there is a group of proud jewish leftists working for Zero who think they can bask in the “I do not belong anywhere” type cop-out basket that Zero basks in, staying in the dark or immune. Well, I got news for them, they are not immune, period.


57 posted on 07/27/2011 2:24:26 PM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: GOPJ; ChildOfThe60s

By the way, with civil rights, now that gay behavior is listed, it only is a matter of time before the government starts listing Christian, Jew or muslim behavioral traits... I mean, why not... This is what I am getting at. We are headed for some nasty waters. Interestingly there is a group of proud jewish leftists working for Zero who think they can bask in the “I do not belong anywhere” type cop-out basket that Zero basks in, staying in the dark or immune. Well, I got news for them, they are not immune, period.


58 posted on 07/27/2011 2:26:23 PM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: ChildOfThe60s; patriot preacher

“””

Let’s face it folks — we’re all criminals now. It’s only a matter of whether the Feds decide to prosecute, and on what “charge.”
Which is exactly the government’s intent. We become afraid and will submit to anything in order to stay below the radar.

Buffalo Springfield had no idea they’d be talking about their liberal idols when they wrote “For What It’s Worth”.

Welcome to the new East Germany.

“””

They will go for gun owners first, all red or pink brown, and then they will go for the gays and the weak... It’s a nice “attract the flies” with the honey program.


59 posted on 07/27/2011 2:29:05 PM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: JudgemAll
They will go for gun owners first

Agreed.

IMO, the key here for ALL gun owners to come to grips with is this:
When the government comes to confiscate your guns you have two choices. You can give them your guns then and wait for them to come get you in the night at the time of their choosing. Or you can resist and go down then and there.

Make no mistake. If the government knows you own guns, you are in the cross hairs. You may as well decide now when and how you are going to meet your maker.

Once they take your guns, you are a dead man walking.

60 posted on 07/27/2011 7:26:39 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson