Money shot:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been routinely monitoring the e-mails, instant messages and cell phone calls of suspects across the United States -- and has done so, in many cases, without the approval of a court.
And now juxtapose: Judges can still punish acquitted defendants - Los Angeles Times
Money shot from that:
The Supreme Court declined Monday to reconsider a legal rule that might surprise most Americans: Judges can punish defendants for certain crimes even after a jury has acquitted them of those charges.
In recent years, the justices have described the right to jury trial as one of the bedrock principles of American law. At the same time, they have been unwilling to say that a jury's not-guilty verdict on some charges means the defendant cannot be punished. Instead, the court has said judges may take into account "acquitted conduct" when they decide on a prison term.
Let me address that second article first. Acquitted conduct means conduct a jury acquitted you of. As in, the jury ruled that they did not believe to a sufficient level under the constitution and law to convict and hence as far as American legal tradition is concerned, IT IS NOT CONSIDERED TO HAVE HAPPENED IN THE EYES OF THE COURT. Only things you are actually NOT acquitted of happened. If the jury acquits you, it did not happen, they cannot retry you (generally) for that charge again under the double jeopardy rule.
So conduct that our legal tradition says did not happen can now get you a prison sentence anyhow.
Nice end run around double jeopardy, huh? The right to a jury trial is now no impediment. Even if they fail to convict, they need only convince the judge to sentence you as if you were convicted.
Now then refer to the first subject. The FBI is now feeling free to conduct surveillance at will WITHOUT ANY ORDER AT ALL.
They say corruption proceeds from the top down. The people learn it from the rulers. This is how great civilizations collapse. The corruption of the powerful and in charge breeds contempt for the structures the corrupt represent. Without respect for those structures, the society which forms around those structures cannot stand.
Our courts, our executive, and our legislative are all on a feeding frenzy of self-aggrandizement and empowerment at our expense and will bring the police powers of the state to bear against we people at will.
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE... NEXT ELECTION, VOTE EVERYONE OUT AND DO IT EVERY ELECTION. AND FORCE THEM TO EXPLAIN THEIR UNELECTED APPOINTMENTS UNTIL THEY SCREAM FOR MERCY. This government belongs to us, not "them". We are slowly losing our freedoms regardless of which side wins elections. How sad is it that the once great USA's system can no be fairly covered with a tag line from Aliens Versus Predator 2?
"Whoever Wins, We Lose"
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