Possession of a Sweet Substance

A 12 year old boy in Aurora, IL has been charged with a felony for possessing powdered sugar at his school. He joked to another student that it was cocaine, he now faces up to 5 years of probation. I've never heard of a more crazy story. We're not just talking about the school sending him home, calling his mom, and telling her that he shouldn't joke about this, we are talking about a taxpayer funded police department going after a pre-teen for carrying dixie crystals.

Here is the number for the police department if you wish to call them: (630) 859-1700

The Problem With Govt Witnesses

The "Enron Trial" is currently underway.  Two key executives of the failed company, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling are on trial for a melange of charges that could send both of them to jail for decades. 

 

This trial illustrates the problem with government witnesses.  Today, Kenneth Rice, who was the head of the internet unit at Enron testified against Skilling.  Rice has already pled guilty to numerous charges and faces up to ten years in prison.  A problem with our justice system is that it allows people such as Rice to make deals with the government in exchange for a lighter sentence.  Many of the things he is testifying on are "back room deals" that are very hard to corroborate.  Rice has a great incentive to lie; if his testimony is detrimental to Lay and Skilling, it will cast him in a more favorable light when his sentencing comes up. 

 

This situation is hardly confined to this case.  There are thousands of witnesses like Rice that testify every year.  The prosecutors have one tool that defense lawyers don't: they can directly influence jail time.  It is very disadvantageous to the defense that this system continues to go on.

 

We need to establish rules regarding sentencing.  Pleading guilty is one thing, turning into a government rat is another, specifically because the person has a conflict of interest.  If they lie about someone else, they get less time, where telling the truth might give them more time.  Testimony should never be compelled, it corrupts our system.

On confiscating firearms...

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to
possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to
carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing.”

--Adolf Hitler

So, to all of you who believe that guns should be in any way regulated, think of who's company you are in.

“Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of
depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."

-Gandhi

Marshal Express

When you've got some coke and you want it shipped as quickly and safely as possible look no further than underpaid government employees.