TheAgitator.com
Drew Carey on Poker Raids
Monday, December 3rd, 2007Here’s the Drew Carey video. It’s on the Dallas police department’s dumb decision to raid a VFW hall that was hosting poker games. This one was one of my suggestions. I think it came out very well.
I agree, it did come across quite well… but I would have liked to have emphasized the overuse of force against people who turned out to be committing misdemeanors, w/ a max of 6 months in jail. As a new Dallas resident, may I thank the Dallas vice for protecting me from these criminals….. Truly they were a threat to mine, and my family’s safety…
Oh wait, they’re VETERANS who served to protect our safety. Truly, if Dallas wants to shut down the VFW poker room b/c it violates the law, I have no real problem w/ that, except I would lobby to change the law. But the way they have goneabout it is shameful. These men and women deserve better.
As for production values, it would have a bigger impact to see what one of these raids looks like, live. Any possibility of getting access to contact from the SWAT reality show? Or just consider it fair use?
Here in Ohio we can’t play poker at the golf club.Plus no more cigars ,it’s now non smoking by law.So much for male bonding.
I agree w/P.A. If it’s illegal, lobby to change the law. But perhaps the police should have just sent an officer over and say “Hey guys, I hate to tell you this, but you can’t raise money from poker, OK? Sorry about that”. I’m sure the VFW members would have found some other way to raise money and continue their poker games without a house rake.
Unfortunately, even if you could change the law, it’s too late for these guys. If this ends up in court, can anyone say jury nullification?
I agree any case resulting from this police raid is a prime candidate for jury nullification, but jury selections in most jurisdictions has been so screwed up by the judiciary that anyone who might consider jury nullification gets screened out in the jury selection process. That’s not to say that it never happens, but it happens a lot less than it should.
I can verify that you will not be allowed to serve on a jury if you ask the judge about the subject of jury nullification. I never made it past voir dire and was dismissed. In hindsight, I should have remained silent. I hope I get another chance someday..
well what is happening here is definitely police control and i know I am sick of how certain crimes get slapped on the wrist while something that was’nt hurting but helping get charged and they make it stick ! because the major drug traficker’s can afford top lawyer’s they get a fine (which goes back into the court system) and the small guys that are using the crap are filling up the jails to over crowding ! but this case appalls me badly, that they couldnt have went & talked to the memeber’s that thye had to subject the older people at the fund raiser to swat style commado raid !!
I was on a drunk driving jury a few years back. We were all questioned together by the judge and lawyers. I was the first to be asked a question: “Have you ever known anybody to be drunk?” the prosecutor asks? I answer “Yes.” Prosecutor follows up: “How did you know?” I say “because I was the one who was drunk.” The whole room busts out in laughter. Other jury members, judge, defense attorney. The prosecutor was the only one who wasn’t amused. I didn’t intend to be funny. I just blurted it out. It was the truth. I was one of the lucky six to be selected for jury duty.
The defendant was guilty as sin, he did drive drunk, but both the cops testilied about the DUI bust. So all 6 of us voted “not guilty.” I was the only single one without kids. The rest were upstanding, married with kids, suburban people. Upstanding white folks. I expected at least a few of them to support the cops. None of them did. They were all appalled about how easily the cops lied and contradicted each other and their own written reports. Both cops even interrupted and challenged the judge on several occasions. Arrogant pricks they were.
Anyway, I got on the jury. I practiced jury nullification. The guilty went free. I personally learned that day that cops lie all the time. And expect special treatment for it.
Opened my eyes it did…
What ever happened to a friendly drop in by the police, informing that games as such is illegal, letting the folks stop and moving on? You would think that there must be a vet or two on the vice squad who would have suggested this.
My guess is that the DA wanted the bust, not the cops. DAs, by their own virtue, are political machines and not defenders of justice.
If it was so bad, the Marvin Zindlers of the world would have crashed that place a long time ago.
Bravo, Dallas. The yankee influence has spoiled yer Texas heart.
Could have been stronger. There needed to be a bigger point made about the casual cruelty of not letting a woman use the toilet and demanding everyone stay in a certain position for 45 minutes.
This is what is really scikening about what is going on in this country is the casual infliction of pain and discomfort on folks who have done nothing to bring it on.
It’s not so much a police state as it is a bully state.