Comments on: Morning Links

By: John C. Randolph

John C. Randolph — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:13:23 +0000

>I actually don’t see the point in such a long sentence for the “Kids for Cash” judge.

I concur. His sentence should be very short indeed, and involve a sudden stop at the end of an eight-foot drop. Sentencing him to prison is wholly inadequate.

-jcr

By: croaker

croaker — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:19:21 +0000

@4 The 28 year sentence was actually to save his life. We’re talking Pocono Hillbillies that were going to see justice served if this idiot got off light. He pissed off way too many families that fly the Gadsden Flag, if you get my drift.

By: paranoiastrksdp

paranoiastrksdp — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:54:20 +0000

Pot smokers don’t shoot back.

By: TC

TC — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 01:42:34 +0000

Cops ignore Meth Labs in favor of shooting pot smokers.

By: Boyd Durkin

Boyd Durkin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:30:37 +0000

Kid Judge: I’ll believe it when I see it. Let’s look at the prison he serves his time and see if he doesn’t come up for parole in 18 months or get pardoned by Gov/Pres. Gotta protect yer own kind after all.

By: Comrade Dread

Comrade Dread — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:57:56 +0000

@EH

No, I didn’t.

Giving you a token title so you can put it on your resume and look like you were actually working a real job and providing a reference to prospective employers in exchange for the promise of part of your future wealth is a bit different than signing you up for seven years and not paying you and giving you a hearty kick in the keister when you’re done.

I just thought offering an essentially fake job title and reference would be a bit dicey if the person didn’t do any work. So sending and having them complete a few token assignments seemed like a decent way of getting around fraud.

By: Dr. T

Dr. T — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:13:40 +0000

Police forces across the nation each year confiscate billions of dollars of cash, vehicles, and real estate from suspected drug dealers or drug makers. But, they claim they don’t have the money ($2500 to $5000) to remove hazardous wastes from the methamphetamine labs they bust. I find it hard to believe that a busted meth lab and the people caught operating it don’t have a few thousand dollars in cash or auctionable property. I suspect that they aren’t busting real labs. They’re busting kitchen sink setups for making a few amphetamine pills from pseudoephedrine. They remind me of the feds who busted dinky homemade stills during prohibition and acted like they shut down an illegal distillery.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:48:33 +0000

Not really. Most states have a fairly well-settled procedure for anti-discrimination lawsuits by now, it’s simply a matter of tweaking the classes you want to protect.

If anything this law is slightly self-defeating because an unemployed applicant probably can’t afford an attorney.

By: Mattocracy

Mattocracy — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:53:22 +0000

It just seems very difficult to thought police the hiring practices of an HR department.

By: 2nd of 3

2nd of 3 — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:21:22 +0000

“I wasn’t aware that “giving equal consideration” and “forced to hire” were the same thing.”

They aren’t.

By: Don't comment much

Don't comment much — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:11:17 +0000

#5 marco73:

’m not sure what could pay for him ruining and ending young lives just for a few bucks.

I think it would be proper, fitting and just to give each of his victims a chainsaw, 10 minutes alone with the judge, and complete immunity for anything they chose to do during their 10 minutes.

One at a time.

By: doomboy

doomboy — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:59:27 +0000

In the comments to the article about the Ranger who killed himself ahead of his 9th tour, one person says he is the 5th infantry soldier in that unit that has killed themselves since May. Three of them were in a 3 day stretch at the end of July. Extremely sad, but also suspicious of there being a bit more to this story, why so many in one place over a short period of time.

By: celticdragonchick

celticdragonchick — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:32:22 +0000

Damn it. I have tried twice to answer Mattocracy and my reply has vanished both times because of my screwed up computer. I give up on it for now.

By: JS

JS — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:21:58 +0000

What that judge did was no better than some ancient selling children into slavery. When you’re opressed under color of law its way worse. If someone who doesn’t work for the state tries to hurt you you can always fight back but the coward judges and cops and others who hurt people while hiding behind their official government positions deserve far worse punishment because they only opress people because they know people can’t fight back against the state.

By: celticdragonchick

celticdragonchick — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:20:31 +0000

Who else should they be forced to hire? Hell, why not just turn all private sector hiring decisions over to the federal government?

I wasn’t aware that “giving equal consideration” and “forced to hire” were the same thing.

Amazing.

What else can we redefine today?

For the record, I have no problem letting the “free market” (whatever the fuck that is, since it seems as elusive as the “perfect socialist state”) take a back seat to social exisgency. We tried the free market thing with respect to people with brown skins, people in wheelchairs (like my spouse who has cerebral palsey) and people with unpopular religious beliefs.

The free market sure as hell didn’t help them out. Anything that gives more people an opportunity to work and be productive is more important to me then “free market” fundamentalism.

By: James J.B.

James J.B. — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:56:51 +0000

Sorry, I lost my outrage for the unjust sentence for the ex-judge. Effective life sentence or not – good – the agents of the state should face the harshest sanctions – not the lightest. Hope it is as harsh and hard for him as any other defendant. No, I hope it is worse.

Also, I don’t think he deserves the chance to be productive again. One year – for accepting bribes and sending KIDS, yes KIDS, to detention for times longer than deserved (this is the PA Supreme Court’s view, BTW). He profitted by putting children in detention. He deserves every day – I hope he lives long enough to serve the entire sentence.

By: Mattocracy

Mattocracy — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:21:14 +0000

@ celticdragonchick,

How exactly does one enforce this law? How can you prove that an employer is discriminating against people based on employment status and not on the basis of work experience or education?

By: New York Cynic

New York Cynic — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:18:49 +0000

I hope the Guerena family gets that and more. The state murders are going to go all out to either portray the Guerena family as illegals or dig up bogus evidence that he was a drug dealer.

By: Kid Handsome

Kid Handsome — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:16:58 +0000

Let me just add that if we viewed all sentences of any length as last resorts instead of as practical necessities, perhaps he wouldn’t have been able to send kids to juvenile prison at six months a clip without someone questioning his sanity or capacity to be a sitting judge.

By: Just Plain Brian

Just Plain Brian — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:16:34 +0000

It was child porn, and the guy was using open wifi. It should not be remarkable that they DIDN’T send in SWAT, but it is, so I’m remarking on it.

"Investigators say a former Kingsport police officer accessed child pornography over wireless networks belonging to neighbors, businesses and a church." [Emphasis mine] I have a guess why they didn't send in SWAT this time.