- I am becoming quite worried about the increasing trend of criminalizing everything in the United States and around the world. While many laws are necessary, life is becoming so regulated that almost everything humans do is becoming illegal. How can anyone obey the law if everything is illegal? Banning every activity doesn’t make people respect the law more.Americans like to say they love freedom, but there are few freedoms left in the US. The government is tightening the noose to strangle Americans with ever-increasing nanny state laws so much that the US is starting to look like North Korea. Most of the following actions have been outlawed just in my lifetime:
- Fast food restaurants have been banned.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/us/16fastfood.html
- Feeding homeless people has become a crime.
- http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-06-02/news/os-homeless-feedings-arrests-20110601_1_group-feedings-feedings-in-public-parks-orlando-police
- Sex tourism has been outlawed.
- http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2004-02-18-sex-tourists_x.htm
- Sex offenders have been required to register with the police and are forbidden from living near schools and parks.
- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123500941182818821.html
- Sex offenders can be held for life under indefinite civil commitment laws even after they complete their original sentences.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/opinion/sunday/sex-offenders-the-last-pariahs.html?pagewanted=all
- Drug users have been banned from receiving welfare or student aid.
- http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/Advice/WhatIllegalDrugUseCanCostYou.aspx?page=all
- The US Constitution has been overruled by the Patriot Act that has legalized wiretaps without a warrant and allows the government to deport and strip any American of his or her citizenship.
- http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,449497,00.html
- Guantanamo has been used to keep and torture suspected terrorists without trial.
- http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/28/world/meast/guantanamo-former-detainees/index.html
- Domestic violence abusers having been banned from having guns.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/us/06guns.html?pagewanted=all
- Mandatory seatbelt use laws have been enacted.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-08-18-seat-belt-rear_N.htm
- Seatbelt checkpoints are being conducted.
- http://wvgazette.com/News/Advisories/201105091168
- DUI and drug checkpoints have been allowed.
- http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/dui-checkpoint-snags-seven-offenders-1.878793#axzz1d8KqudEA
- http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Sheriff-using-checkpoint-warnings-in-drug-fight-2229666.php
- Governments are now allowed to seize the property of suspected prostitution clients, drug users, and drunk drivers.
- http://detnews.com/article/20091112/METRO/911120388/Police-property-seizures-ensnare-even-the-innocent
- “John TV” shows that embarrass and punish people arrested on prostitution charges are now allowed.
- http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970803&slug=2552909
- The US now has a secret panel “kill list” of Americans who are targeted to be assassinated without a trial.
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/us-cia-killlist-idUSTRE79475C20111005
- Car owners are now required to have liability insurance.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/1987-10-27/news/mn-16876_1_mandatory-auto-insurance-law
- Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/travel/bush-administration-showing-willingness-to-enforce-law-on-visiting-cuba.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- People who owe child support are not allowed to have passports.
- http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-welch21aug21,0,123074.story
- People who have defaulted student loans are not allowed to have professional licenses.
- http://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/DefaultPrevention/default.html
- The US is one of the few countries that has the death penalty.
- http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html
- Americans must report any currency that they carry over $10,000.
- http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5859&Itemid=2
- Americans must pay sales taxes on services.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/us/28taxes.html?pagewanted=all
- Americans must now pay sales taxes on mail-order products shipped from other states.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/2009/jul/03/opinion/ed-tax03
- Americans must pay US taxes on worldwide income.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/26/business/worldbusiness/26iht-tax.html?pagewanted=all
- Americans must also pay income taxes to foreign countries when they work overseas.
- http://www.sars.gov.za/home.asp?pid=44773
- Americans must pay taxes on gifts given and received.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/your-money/24iht-nwgift.html?pagewanted=all
- http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0%2C%2Cid=200722%2C00.html
- The drinking age has been raised.
- http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/01/us/wyoming-finally-raises-its-drinking-age.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- Drunk driving has been outlawed.
- http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/23/us/drunken-driving-showing-decline.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- Homeowners cannot rent rooms in their homes.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/nyregion/22homeless.html?pagewanted=all
- Debtors with defaulted student loans are forbidden from having driver licenses.
- http://www.doj.mt.gov/driving/driverlicensesanctions.asp
- Americans cannot have US or foreign bank accounts while living overseas.
- http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2011/03/10/red-white-and-through/
- Americans who do have overseas bank accounts must report them to the US government every year.
- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804796387763807.html
- Adultery is illegal.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-04-26-column26_ST_N.htm
- Foreign workers are forbidden from working in many countries.
- http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/9/23/central/2090943&sec=central
- Unmarried couples may not live together.
- http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2005-07-17-state-law_x.htm
- Oral sex is illegal.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/us/11bar.html
- Some countries require websites to be licensed by the government.
- http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/08/world/fg-chinaweb8
- Panhandling is illegal.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-09-25/panhandle-ban-louisville/50541244/1
- Loitering is illegal.
- http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090714/ARTICLES/907149911?p=all&tc=pgall
- Homeowners are legally required to mow their lawns.
- http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Jailed-homeowner-reconsiders-mowing-lawn-1811557.php
- There is now a 5 year lifetime limit on welfare.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/2002/apr/20/news/mn-39050
- Bankruptcy has been outlawed.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-04-20-bush-bankruptcy_x.htm
- Watering and not watering lawns are both illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/2007/oct/07/nation/na-drought7
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-18-2585115022_x.htm
- Fat taxes are being added to food.
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/08/alabama-places.html
- Smoking indoors, in parks, at beaches, and on public transportation has been made illegal.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/25/us/more-california-air-space-set-for-no-smoke-zones.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- Sales of cigarettes to minors has been outlawed.
- http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/18/nyregion/keeping-teen-agers-smokeless-perth-amboy-moves-combat-cigarette-sales-minors.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- Airline passengers can now be added to “no-fly” lists, searched, and required to have an ID.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/us/22tsa.html
- Driving while using a mobile phone has been banned.
- http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/01/three-more-states-enact-texting-while-driving-bans/1
- Americans are now required by law to have health insurance.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2011-06-29-health-care-ruling_n.htm
- Cars are required to have air bags.
- http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/25/autos/airbags/index.htm
- Americans are now required to have a passport to visit Canada and Mexico.
- http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/03/14/business/doc49bb9a6967f18615571979.txt?viewmode=fullstory
- The minimum driving age has been raised.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/10/automobiles/how-we-drive-the-young-and-reckless-ready-to-drive.html?pagewanted=all
- Curfews have been enacted.
- http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/21/us/atlanta-sets-a-curfew-for-youths-prompting-concern-on-race-bias.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- Homeowners must have a permit from the government to remove trees from their own private property.
- http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110930/COLUMNIST/110939996?p=all&tc=pgall
- http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/jan/25/vero-beach-homeowner-issued-15k-fine-for-tree/
- Homeowners are banned from installing fake grass on their lawns.
- http://articles.glendalenewspress.com/2011-11-15/news/tn-gnp-1116-artificial-turf_1_artificial-turf-fake-turf-fake-grass
- Premarital sex is illegal.
- http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/524859/IDAHO-COUNTY-DUSTS-OFF-FORNICATION-LAW.html
- Teaching about polygamy is illegal.
- http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=6979
- Homeowners are legally required to shovel snow from sidewalks.
- http://articles.boston.com/2011-02-02/news/29341996_1_shovel-citations-complaints
- Sex toys are illegal.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-01-2390404063_x.htm
- Selling a toy gun is illegal.
- http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/state_attorney_general_targets.html
- Background checks are required for gun buyers.
- http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004884,00.html
- Soft drinks are banned from schools.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/business/05junkfood.html?adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1322741106-hCReaBGMgViZUZAYsO/m+w
- Skateboarders, bicyclists, and motorcycle riders must legally wear helmets.
- http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/argus/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1269631274148530.xml&coll=6
- Skateboarding on roads is illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/1991-10-31/local/me-878_1_laguna-niguel
- Sleeping on the beach, in parks, on public streets, in alleys, or in a parked car is illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/24/local/me-aclu24
- Wearing baggy pants is illegal.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/fashion/30baggy.html
- Redlight cameras are being installed at intersections.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/14/nyregion/14red.html
- Speed cameras are being installed at intersections.
- http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-13-traffic-cameras_N.htm
- Pick-up trucks are required to be parked inside garages at night.
- http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/14/2266463/city-to-start-enforcing-pick-up.html
- Using leaf blowers is illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/1997/jul/02/news/mn-8967
- Bloggers are required to have business licenses.
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2010/08/23/philly-requiring-bloggers-to-pay-for-business-licenses/
- Loud stereos are illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/2002/oct/16/autos/hy-wheels16
- Indoor tanning bed use is banned.
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2011/10/tanning-bed-ban.html
- Putting indoor furniture outdoors is now illegal.
- http://www.news-gazette.com/news/courts-police-and-fire/2010-06-22/fire-leads-ban-urbana-having-indoor-furniture-outside-home.ht
- Fireworks are illegal.
- http://www.gazette.com/articles/fireworks-120725-city-tents.html
- Plastic bags have been banned.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/2010/may/31/local/la-me-plastic-bags-20100531
- Children are now required to ride in child safety seats.
- http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/700-new-state-laws-which-one-s-yours-1643340.php
- Using Silly String is illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/print/1993-11-26/local/me-61013_1_parades-doo-dah
- Selling alcohol on Sunday is illegal.
- http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-insider14aug14,5623601,4512959,full.column
- Feeding pigeons is illegal.
- http://articles.latimes.com/2003/dec/23/local/me-sbriefs23.8
- Sitting on a milk crate is illegal.
- http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/missconduct/2008/01/milk_crate_myst.html
- The recently signed National Defense Authorization Act allows the indefinite detention of any American or foreigner accused of terrorism without trial by the US military on US or foreign soil.
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/02/president-obama-signed-the-national-defense-authorization-act-now-what/
- Enough is enough. America doesn’t sound so free if everything is illegal. If you care about your liberty, talk about the changes happening to the US with your friends and family, vote, donate to the ACLU, contact the media, and write to your elected officials. Governments would love to take away all your freedom if they could. Thousands of Americans did not die fighting for freedom and democracy in wars to have liberty denied in the USA. Please do not let their sacrifice go to waste. Our freedoms are diminishing, not growing. Stand up, fight for your rights, and protect our freedom and values now!
- http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
- http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html
- http://www.economist.com/node/16636027
- http://www.dumblaws.com/
- http://nannystateliberationfront.net/
- http://www.aclu.org/
_________________________ - First they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me, but there was no one left to speak for me.
- If only one person is not free, then no one is free.
- They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Freedom says, CHECK IT OUT
Calif. county's marijuana plant zip ties become most-mourned casualty of federal crackdown..
OFF THE WIRE
LISA LEFF
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO - Residents of Mendocino County, the redwood and marijuana-rich territory in California's fabled Emerald Triangle, thought they had reached detente in the decades-old clash between pot growers and local law enforcement two years ago when the sheriff agreed to stop raiding medical cannabis producers who paid to have their crops inspected.
For a $1,500 fee and adherence to rules over water usage, odor control and distance from neighbors, marijuana farmers working for groups of patients could grow up to 99 plants on five acres of land. Numbered red zip ties had be affixed to each plant, confirming the county's seal of approval and giving a visiting deputy proof the pot was legally grown.
The one-of-a-kind program generated $663,230 for the sheriff's department — and prompted inquiries from other jurisdictions interested in creating their own.
But this month, the permitting system became the most striking casualty of the crackdown on medical marijuana cultivation and distribution by California's federal prosecutors. The board of supervisors ended the experiment after the U.S. attorney for Northern California threatened take the county to court for helping produce an illegal drug.
"We thought we had something that was working and was making our life easier so we could turn our attention to other pressing matters," Supervisor John McCowen said. "We were creating an above-ground regulatory framework that protected public safety and protected the environment. It was truly a landmark program."
After four-and-a-half months, the federal government's highly publicized offensive has reverberated unevenly throughout California. It has resulted in a near-total shutdown of storefront pot dispensaries in some cities that welcomed federal intervention. It has upset officials in pot-friendly places, who thought they had found the right formula for facilitating legal use. And it has created uncertainty in localities still struggling to curtail their pot outlets.
Medical pot is legal to varying degrees in 16 states and the District of Columbia. And officials in more than half of them have been told government workers implementing medical marijuana laws could face criminal charges.
But California, which in 1996 became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use, has come under special scrutiny. Its laws remain the nation's most liberal, allowing doctors to issue pot recommendations for almost any ailment and giving local authorities broad discretion, but little guidance, in how to implement them.
The state's laws stand in conflict with federal law, which holds marijuana is illegal substance with no recognized health benefits. And the current offensive is designed to make dispensaries and local government officials comply with it.
The primary tool the U.S. attorneys have used is threatening to seize the properties of landlords who knowingly leased farms or retail spaces to the commercial medical marijuana trade. But they also have filed criminal and civil charges against owners of nonprofit dispensaries they say were pocketing tons of money and furnishing pot to people who had no medical need for it. And in some cases, such as Mendocino's, they have warned government officials.
"These licensing schemes are inconsistent with federal law," Melinda Haag, Northern California's U.S. attorney, said in October. "We are simply reminding local officials the ordinances are illegal."
As part of the statewide crackdown, about 90 dispensaries in 19 Southern California cities were sent letters telling them to close or face possible criminal charges and fines. More than a dozen building owners where marijuana clinics were once located have been subjected to federal forfeiture lawsuits.
In Orange County, the city of Lake Forest had a dozen dispensaries operating a year ago. After officials sought help from federal prosecutors, only one pot shop remains.
In San Diego, the vast majority of the 180 or so pot shops whose landlords were sent warning letters have closed. And in unincorporated parts of Sacramento County, where the Board of Supervisors cited the federal crackdown when outlawing dispensaries, all 97 pot shops are gone.
"What the feds bring to the party is they can do things under their federal law that cities and counties and even the state of California cannot do," said Jeffrey Dunn, an attorney who has helped Lake Forest and other Southern California cities shutter dispensaries. "There are no disputes about medicinal use because it doesn't matter. If you are distributing marijuana, end of discussion."
Federal authorities have not yet weighed into Los Angeles, where city officials tried to limit the number of pot shops two years ago and are now considering a total ban.
City officials believe there still may be hundreds of shops doing business right now. "As of today, we don't know how many exist," said special assistant city attorney Jane Usher. "The last thing they are inclined to do is to tell us they are open."
For a $1,500 fee and adherence to rules over water usage, odor control and distance from neighbors, marijuana farmers working for groups of patients could grow up to 99 plants on five acres of land. Numbered red zip ties had be affixed to each plant, confirming the county's seal of approval and giving a visiting deputy proof the pot was legally grown.
The one-of-a-kind program generated $663,230 for the sheriff's department — and prompted inquiries from other jurisdictions interested in creating their own.
But this month, the permitting system became the most striking casualty of the crackdown on medical marijuana cultivation and distribution by California's federal prosecutors. The board of supervisors ended the experiment after the U.S. attorney for Northern California threatened take the county to court for helping produce an illegal drug.
"We thought we had something that was working and was making our life easier so we could turn our attention to other pressing matters," Supervisor John McCowen said. "We were creating an above-ground regulatory framework that protected public safety and protected the environment. It was truly a landmark program."
After four-and-a-half months, the federal government's highly publicized offensive has reverberated unevenly throughout California. It has resulted in a near-total shutdown of storefront pot dispensaries in some cities that welcomed federal intervention. It has upset officials in pot-friendly places, who thought they had found the right formula for facilitating legal use. And it has created uncertainty in localities still struggling to curtail their pot outlets.
Medical pot is legal to varying degrees in 16 states and the District of Columbia. And officials in more than half of them have been told government workers implementing medical marijuana laws could face criminal charges.
But California, which in 1996 became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use, has come under special scrutiny. Its laws remain the nation's most liberal, allowing doctors to issue pot recommendations for almost any ailment and giving local authorities broad discretion, but little guidance, in how to implement them.
The state's laws stand in conflict with federal law, which holds marijuana is illegal substance with no recognized health benefits. And the current offensive is designed to make dispensaries and local government officials comply with it.
The primary tool the U.S. attorneys have used is threatening to seize the properties of landlords who knowingly leased farms or retail spaces to the commercial medical marijuana trade. But they also have filed criminal and civil charges against owners of nonprofit dispensaries they say were pocketing tons of money and furnishing pot to people who had no medical need for it. And in some cases, such as Mendocino's, they have warned government officials.
"These licensing schemes are inconsistent with federal law," Melinda Haag, Northern California's U.S. attorney, said in October. "We are simply reminding local officials the ordinances are illegal."
As part of the statewide crackdown, about 90 dispensaries in 19 Southern California cities were sent letters telling them to close or face possible criminal charges and fines. More than a dozen building owners where marijuana clinics were once located have been subjected to federal forfeiture lawsuits.
In Orange County, the city of Lake Forest had a dozen dispensaries operating a year ago. After officials sought help from federal prosecutors, only one pot shop remains.
In San Diego, the vast majority of the 180 or so pot shops whose landlords were sent warning letters have closed. And in unincorporated parts of Sacramento County, where the Board of Supervisors cited the federal crackdown when outlawing dispensaries, all 97 pot shops are gone.
"What the feds bring to the party is they can do things under their federal law that cities and counties and even the state of California cannot do," said Jeffrey Dunn, an attorney who has helped Lake Forest and other Southern California cities shutter dispensaries. "There are no disputes about medicinal use because it doesn't matter. If you are distributing marijuana, end of discussion."
Federal authorities have not yet weighed into Los Angeles, where city officials tried to limit the number of pot shops two years ago and are now considering a total ban.
City officials believe there still may be hundreds of shops doing business right now. "As of today, we don't know how many exist," said special assistant city attorney Jane Usher. "The last thing they are inclined to do is to tell us they are open."
Until Mendocino County officials bowed to pressure, the federal offensive was not very visible in pot-tolerant places either. In San Francisco, only five of the city's 26 dispensaries have closed, with federal prosecutors saying they were targeted because of their proximity to places such as schools and playgrounds. Only one of neighboring Marin County's six clinics closed, and Fairfax town officials appealed to keep it and its tax revenue.
Advocates and experts say Justice Department directives have sent mixed signals since the election of President Barack Obama _first saying that prosecutors would no longer pursue dispensaries following state law, then stating that cultivating, selling and distributing marijuana was still against the law.
The pressure by California's federal prosecutors came in response to the second directive and the unsuccessful efforts by local governments to keep dispensaries in check, said McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney in Sacramento.
"The perception by proponents of medical marijuana was that, if they... were complying with state law, the feds were going to leave them alone," Scott said. "I think what happened is, the administration realized they had made a mistake by taking the lid off."
Supporters of medical marijuana have questioned why the federal government is derailing attempts to create legal frameworks for getting pot to people authorized to use it.
"They claim they don't have any problem with individual medical marijuana patients accessing their medicine, but then go out of their way to prevent the creation of any kind of responsible system from being developed," said Stephen Gutwillig, the Drug Policy Alliance's director in California. "It's basically a form of sabre rattling."
____
Associated Press writer Greg Risling contributed to this article from Los Angeles
Advocates and experts say Justice Department directives have sent mixed signals since the election of President Barack Obama _first saying that prosecutors would no longer pursue dispensaries following state law, then stating that cultivating, selling and distributing marijuana was still against the law.
The pressure by California's federal prosecutors came in response to the second directive and the unsuccessful efforts by local governments to keep dispensaries in check, said McGregor Scott, a former U.S. attorney in Sacramento.
"The perception by proponents of medical marijuana was that, if they... were complying with state law, the feds were going to leave them alone," Scott said. "I think what happened is, the administration realized they had made a mistake by taking the lid off."
Supporters of medical marijuana have questioned why the federal government is derailing attempts to create legal frameworks for getting pot to people authorized to use it.
"They claim they don't have any problem with individual medical marijuana patients accessing their medicine, but then go out of their way to prevent the creation of any kind of responsible system from being developed," said Stephen Gutwillig, the Drug Policy Alliance's director in California. "It's basically a form of sabre rattling."
____
Associated Press writer Greg Risling contributed to this article from Los Angeles
USA - You Go To Prison, They Get Paid.... W.T.F.
OFF THE WIRE
VIDEO - http://youtu.be/Kxp1t1tp8Z8
Stuff They Don't Want You to Know - Prisons and Profit.. W.T.F.
VIDEO - http://youtu.be/d9JG03iAefE
"...Corrections Corporation of America, the nation's largest operator of for-profit prisons, has sent letters recently to 48 states offering to buy up their prisons as a remedy for "challenging corrections budgets." In exchange, the company is asking for a 20-year management contract, plus an assurance that the prison would remain at least 90 percent full, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Huffington Post...".* Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss on The Young Turks.
* http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/private-prisons-buying-state-prisons...
* http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/private-prisons-buying-state-prisons...
VIDEO - http://youtu.be/Kxp1t1tp8Z8
Stuff They Don't Want You to Know - Prisons and Profit.. W.T.F.
VIDEO - http://youtu.be/d9JG03iAefE
The U.S. has the world's largest prison population, and some prisoners are held by private companies. Proponents of this practice believe the state saves money, but not everyone buys the official story. Tune in to learn more about for-profit prisons.
http://howstuffworks.com/
http://facebook.com/ConspiracyStuff
http://twitter.com/conspiracystuff
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-they-dont-want-you-to/
http://howstuffworks.com/
http://facebook.com/ConspiracyStuff
http://twitter.com/conspiracystuff
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-they-dont-want-you-to/
Monday, February 27, 2012
OREGON - Canby man pays 'hit man' to attack judge, bungles his own trial
OFF THE WIRE
Steve Mayes
oregonlive.com
William Birhanzl insisted on wearing his jail uniform while representing himself in Clackamas County Circuit Court. "I want the jury to know I'm in jail, where I can't meet with anybody," he said.
William Birhanzl's boiling hatred of an Oregon City municipal judge peaked late last summer when he paid an ex-con on a Harley Davidson $1,000 to shatter Daniel Woram's elbows and smash his ribs. As the biker -- actually an undercover police officer -- rode off, cops swarmed Birhanzl's car and arrested him.
Birhanzl's raging sense of injustice bubbled up again this month when his case came to trial in Clackamas County Circuit Court.
Rather than trust the outcome to a court-appointed defense attorney, Birhanzl, a self-styled legal expert, represented himself. The trial was a must-see for lawyers and courthouse employees, drawn by Birhanzl's reputation for confrontation and his willingness to breach legal decorum.
They were not disappointed.
The jury would hear a story about crimes motivated by obsession, anger and revenge, said lead prosecutor Scott Healy, who presented a methodical case. Police testimony would be vividly highlighted by tape recordings of Birhanzl speaking gleefully about his desire to see Woram writhe in pain.
Birhanzl frequently interrupted or argued with Circuit Judge Jeffery S. Jones and intentionally wore his inmate uniform as a protest. "I want the jury to know I'm in jail, where I can't meet with anybody," he said
Birhanzl said his constitutional right to due process had been violated. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you go to prison ... and we trade places ... whether you like that or not, sir," he scolded Jones.
On the third day of trial, Birhanzl demanded the case be halted. His heart was not pumping enough oxygen to his heart and brain, he said. "That affects my ability to focus and concentrate."
Jones ruled against him. Birhanzl refused to participate and demanded to be returned to jail. And the trial went on -- two prosecutors versus an empty chair.
Extremely rare
It is highly uncommon for a defendant to be removed from the courtroom in the middle of a trial. But a trial continuing with no one representing the defense is extremely rare.
Margie Paris, former head of the University of Oregon Law School, said she had never heard of that happening. "You have a prosecutor and no defense. That would concern me greatly," said Paris, who continues to teach criminal law at the school.
Birhanzl had cross-examined Woram, the first prosecution's first witness, when he called for the trial to halt. That left Jones with a few options: retry the case, temporarily stop the trial and appoint stand-by counsel or let the trial continue, as Jones did.
The evidence against Birhanzl was strong and -- with no one to represent him -- the result was predictable. The case ended last week with a jury unanimously finding him guilty on all eight charges, including attempted assault, conspiricy to commit assault and soliciting someone to commit the crime.
Birhanzl will be sentenced March 12. He almost certainly will go to prison for several years.
A local legend
View full sizeWilliam BirhanzlHe also can be intimidating.
After Birhanzl acted threateningly toward City Hall employees in 2010, Oregon City adopted an exclusion ordinance to bar disruptive people from city buildings.
Birhanzl had run-ins with prosecutors and judges over the years, but his clashes with Woram stood above the others.
The fuse was lit in 2009 when Woram, part-time Oregon City municipal court judge, sentenced Birhanzl to four months in jail for contempt of court during court proceedings. Woram, who is also a defense attorney, obtained a permanent restraining order against Birhanzl in 2010. He said Birhanzl confronted him in public, made threatening gestures and trespassed at his office.
"Sometimes you're all smiles. Sometimes you're a madman," Woram told Birhanzl, who questioned him at the restraining order hearing. "I don't know what your issues are, but you put me in fear, and I don't want anything to do with you."
Revenge
Birhanzl and Woram were set for another showdown in September, when Birhanzl was scheduled for trial on a charge of trespassing at Woram's law office.
In late August, Birhanzl told a roommate, Billy Ray Grubbs, he wanted Woram dead. He talked about shooting Woram, cutting off his fingers or having him thrown out a window while Birhanzl watched from a distance.
He asked Grubbs --who served time in federal prison for bank robbery in the 1980s -- to help him find a hitman. Grubbs met several outlaw bikers in prison and, Birhanzl believed, still had criminal contacts.
Grubbs, however, had long ago turned to Jesus and away from crime. He immediately told police about Birhanzl's plans, and they set up a sting operation. Grubbs and Birhanzl would meet the phony thug at a freeway rest stop near Wilsonville.
Gladstone police Sgt. Mike Boyd, an avid motorcyclist, played the role of the hitman and rode his Harley Davidson to the meeting. He dressed like the movie version of a bad-news biker.
Grubbs introduced Boyd as the son of a hitman. "He was trained from a baby," Grubbs said.
Birhanzl decided against killing Woram. "I can't sue him if he's gone," he said during the taped conversation. Birhanzl made it clear what he wanted as he handed Boyd a $1,000 down payment: Two broken arms and some busted ribs.
Take a Louisville slugger, and aim for the elbows, Birhanzl said. "Ball joints don't heal very good."
Birhanzl looked forward to hearing about the assault and later seeing Woram in court, struggling with pain.
"I suppose I'll hear about it tomorrow," Birhanzl said.
"There'll be a big article in the paper," Grubbs promised.
-- Steve Mayes
Question of the Day: Should Michigan repeal its motorcycle helmet law?
OFF THE WIRE
Brian Wheeler
Jackson Citizen Patriot
mlive.com
A motorcycle rider puts on his helmet as he prepares to leave the state Capitol after an anti-helmet rally in 2006.
The just-announced Thrills of the Hills Bike Festival aims to bring motorcycle riders into Jackson, Hillsdale and Lenawee counties from July 12 to 14. State Rep. Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, suggested state lawmakers will help the festival in one respect:
“I think this is going to get a big boost between now and when this event occurs, because it is my strong prediction that the Legislature is finally going to get through a no-helmet law for Michigan."
Will it? State lawmakers have been trying to repeal Michigan's helmet law for motorcyclists for years, getting as far as the desk of former governor Jennifer Granholm, who vetoed a repeal. They will be trying again this year.
So, the question is, should they? Do you believe Michigan needs to join neighboring states that do not require helmets for motorcyclists? Or should we keep the current law on the books?
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