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Oregon Occupiers - Not Guilty of Firearms on Federal Property Despite Video Evidence

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Posts

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Houn wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    To paraphrase an old colleague:

    "May you never stand at the mercy of 12 individuals too stupid to get out of jury duty."

    And I hate that phrase because it implies doing your civic duty is something only idiots agree to and that pisses me off. I'd love to serve on a jury, as an american it helps our legal system function and for people to get justice one way or another.

    This faith in humanity isn't like you, Preacher. I hope you get your shot one day, then come back and tell us all about the 11 mouth breathing troglodytes you were trapped in that deliberation with.

    I'd imagine I'd be dismissed, but I guess 12 angry men just stuck with me too much to be dismissive of doing jury duty as some kind of mark against a persons intelligence. I mean my wife served on a jury, should I call her an idiot?

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Jury Nullification is the last stand of citizens against unjust laws, and should not be "gotten rid of". If it was used in this case, its a fucking terrible misuse, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

    I do not believe in jury nullification as a principle and I believe there are other ways for citizens to take stands against unjust laws.
    After others have suffered from unjust prosecution?
    Phoenix-D wrote: »
    Jury Nullification is the last stand of citizens against unjust laws, and should not be "gotten rid of". If it was used in this case, its a fucking terrible misuse, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

    "Terrible misuse" is how it normally goes. Iirc most of the time historically it was used in *lynching* trials..
    How about when it was used against fugitive slave laws?

    Either way, it doesn't seem it was used here. Bad prosecutors, fucked up jury, or a combination of both.

    Yes, it may be that others suffer unjust prosecution. I realize my position is not non-controversial. But I simply do not trust juries to represent the best wishes of society, or even the consensus of society, when it comes to judging whether laws are unjust.

    I totes understand what you are saying. I just subscribe to the idea that letting 10 guilty parties off is better than convicting one innocent. For the record, I do believe y'all qaeda should have been convicted here.

    Well that's a different principle - that's the reason we have a very high standard of proof.

    Jury nullification stands for the idea that even if the burden of proof is met, the jury still acquits anyway.

  • HamHamJHamHamJ Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    To paraphrase an old colleague:

    "May you never stand at the mercy of 12 individuals too stupid to get out of jury duty."

    And I hate that phrase because it implies doing your civic duty is something only idiots agree to and that pisses me off. I'd love to serve on a jury, as an american it helps our legal system function and for people to get justice one way or another.

    This faith in humanity isn't like you, Preacher. I hope you get your shot one day, then come back and tell us all about the 11 mouth breathing troglodytes you were trapped in that deliberation with.

    I'd imagine I'd be dismissed, but I guess 12 angry men just stuck with me too much to be dismissive of doing jury duty as some kind of mark against a persons intelligence. I mean my wife served on a jury, should I call her an idiot?

    I think you misunderstand the point of the saying.

    While racing light mechs, your Urbanmech comes in second place, but only because it ran out of ammo.
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    To paraphrase an old colleague:

    "May you never stand at the mercy of 12 individuals too stupid to get out of jury duty."

    And I hate that phrase because it implies doing your civic duty is something only idiots agree to and that pisses me off. I'd love to serve on a jury, as an american it helps our legal system function and for people to get justice one way or another.

    This faith in humanity isn't like you, Preacher. I hope you get your shot one day, then come back and tell us all about the 11 mouth breathing troglodytes you were trapped in that deliberation with.

    I'd imagine I'd be dismissed, but I guess 12 angry men just stuck with me too much to be dismissive of doing jury duty as some kind of mark against a persons intelligence. I mean my wife served on a jury, should I call her an idiot?

    I think you misunderstand the point of the saying.

    No I get it, its an incredibly stupid saying that leads to the very problem its supposedly addressing.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    No, I'm saying voir dire has nothing to do with whether someone will try to get people disagreeing with them removed.

    To be honest, if he'd go that far he could have been pushy enough to get everyone else to agree out of exasperation. They don't all have to be biased, they just have to not care.

    Steam: Polaritie
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  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    There are usually leaders and followers on a jury. There's a lot of psychology to how humans act in groups. Don't assume everyone just acts like 12 self contained rational beings in there.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Polaritie wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    No, I'm saying voir dire has nothing to do with whether someone will try to get people disagreeing with them removed.

    To be honest, if he'd go that far he could have been pushy enough to get everyone else to agree out of exasperation. They don't all have to be biased, they just have to not care.

    He probably just told them he'd hang the jury and keep them there until they agreed with him, and got rid of the one guy who apparently wouldn't go along with the scheme.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • armageddonboundarmageddonbound Registered User regular
    edited October 2016
    So It Goes wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Jury Nullification is the last stand of citizens against unjust laws, and should not be "gotten rid of". If it was used in this case, its a fucking terrible misuse, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

    I do not believe in jury nullification as a principle and I believe there are other ways for citizens to take stands against unjust laws.
    After others have suffered from unjust prosecution?
    Phoenix-D wrote: »
    Jury Nullification is the last stand of citizens against unjust laws, and should not be "gotten rid of". If it was used in this case, its a fucking terrible misuse, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

    "Terrible misuse" is how it normally goes. Iirc most of the time historically it was used in *lynching* trials..
    How about when it was used against fugitive slave laws?

    Either way, it doesn't seem it was used here. Bad prosecutors, fucked up jury, or a combination of both.

    Yes, it may be that others suffer unjust prosecution. I realize my position is not non-controversial. But I simply do not trust juries to represent the best wishes of society, or even the consensus of society, when it comes to judging whether laws are unjust.

    I totes understand what you are saying. I just subscribe to the idea that letting 10 guilty parties off is better than convicting one innocent. For the record, I do believe y'all qaeda should have been convicted here.

    Well that's a different principle - that's the reason we have a very high standard of proof.

    Jury nullification stands for the idea that even if the burden of proof is met, the jury still acquits anyway.

    Yeah, I was using the terms guilty and innocent regardless of the letter of the law. As in, being guilty of an unjust law you are still an innocent.

    The most recent case of clear jury nullification I can think of is the father who watched his children get run down by a drunk driver. Right in front of the family's house. 2 minutes later the drunk driver died of a gunshot wound. The father had access to firearms in his house. He was found not guilty.

    armageddonbound on
  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    There are usually leaders and followers on a jury. There's a lot of psychology to how humans act in groups. Don't assume everyone just acts like 12 self contained rational beings in there.

    But we should assume they were all acting in bad faith, right.

  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    Basically no aspect of our government works if people are acting in bad faith

  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Polaritie wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    No, I'm saying voir dire has nothing to do with whether someone will try to get people disagreeing with them removed.

    To be honest, if he'd go that far he could have been pushy enough to get everyone else to agree out of exasperation. They don't all have to be biased, they just have to not care.

    He probably just told them he'd hang the jury and keep them there until they agreed with him, and got rid of the one guy who apparently wouldn't go along with the scheme.

    Getting rid of the lone dissenter that way is what smells to me - if someone can't be convinced then it should be a mistrial not negate them and then mob the new guy.

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  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Polaritie wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    No, I'm saying voir dire has nothing to do with whether someone will try to get people disagreeing with them removed.

    To be honest, if he'd go that far he could have been pushy enough to get everyone else to agree out of exasperation. They don't all have to be biased, they just have to not care.

    He probably just told them he'd hang the jury and keep them there until they agreed with him, and got rid of the one guy who apparently wouldn't go along with the scheme.

    Reacting to the actual experience as listed by one of the Jury members? Projection.

    Wild tales of conjecture? Totally relevant and contextually factual.

    Yeah, I'm out of this discussion.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    There are usually leaders and followers on a jury. There's a lot of psychology to how humans act in groups. Don't assume everyone just acts like 12 self contained rational beings in there.

    But we should assume they were all acting in bad faith, right.

    They acquitted obvious felons, so yes we should assume that at least some of them were operating in poor faith. Especially with how they removed Nickens specifically to implement their plan? Like you do see they got rid of one person for a perceived offense right before they voted to acquit right? That's fucking hinky as fuck.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular
    Having been on several juries I would be more apt to blame procedure/judge before jury bias. I would think that the instructions were not proper or complete.

  • HounHoun Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    To paraphrase an old colleague:

    "May you never stand at the mercy of 12 individuals too stupid to get out of jury duty."

    And I hate that phrase because it implies doing your civic duty is something only idiots agree to and that pisses me off. I'd love to serve on a jury, as an american it helps our legal system function and for people to get justice one way or another.

    This faith in humanity isn't like you, Preacher. I hope you get your shot one day, then come back and tell us all about the 11 mouth breathing troglodytes you were trapped in that deliberation with.

    I'd imagine I'd be dismissed, but I guess 12 angry men just stuck with me too much to be dismissive of doing jury duty as some kind of mark against a persons intelligence. I mean my wife served on a jury, should I call her an idiot?

    Yes, you would probably be dismissed. You know what Jury Nullification is.

    Story Time!

    I've only been called for Jury Duty once, and I was not selected; in my defense, my number was pretty far back, and they had selected their 6 jurors long before getting anywhere near my number to ask questions of. That said, a friend of mine was in a rather odd coincidence also called, and did get selected for the case in question, and he told me all about it afterward.

    As he tells it, the charge was DWI, but there was no breathayzer administered at the time that the defendant was pulled over, and the only test administered was hours later at the precinct and showed under the legal limit at that time. It was literally the defendant's word vs. the cop. The five other jurors all immediately didn't like the defendant and wanted to find "Guilty" and go home despite there being no evidence of the crime. My friend disagreed and stood his ground.

    Mistrial, hung jury.



    I didn't even have to be in the room to lose my faith in the justice system. A jury of your peers only works if the populace is educated and civic-minded, and that is NOT the America I know and grew up in.

  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    Houn wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Houn wrote: »
    To paraphrase an old colleague:

    "May you never stand at the mercy of 12 individuals too stupid to get out of jury duty."

    And I hate that phrase because it implies doing your civic duty is something only idiots agree to and that pisses me off. I'd love to serve on a jury, as an american it helps our legal system function and for people to get justice one way or another.

    This faith in humanity isn't like you, Preacher. I hope you get your shot one day, then come back and tell us all about the 11 mouth breathing troglodytes you were trapped in that deliberation with.

    I'd imagine I'd be dismissed, but I guess 12 angry men just stuck with me too much to be dismissive of doing jury duty as some kind of mark against a persons intelligence. I mean my wife served on a jury, should I call her an idiot?

    Yes, you would probably be dismissed. You know what Jury Nullification is.

    Story Time!

    I've only been called for Jury Duty once, and I was not selected; in my defense, my number was pretty far back, and they had selected their 6 jurors long before getting anywhere near my number to ask questions of. That said, a friend of mine was in a rather odd coincidence also called, and did get selected for the case in question, and he told me all about it afterward.

    As he tells it, the charge was DWI, but there was no breathayzer administered at the time that the defendant was pulled over, and the only test administered was hours later at the precinct and showed under the legal limit at that time. It was literally the defendant's word vs. the cop. The five other jurors all immediately didn't like the defendant and wanted to find "Guilty" and go home despite there being no evidence of the crime. My friend disagreed and stood his ground.

    Mistrial, hung jury.



    I didn't even have to be in the room to lose my faith in the justice system. A jury of your peers only works if the populace is educated and civic-minded, and that is NOT the America I know and grew up in.

    I suspect it is, and you just didn't realize how bad jurors are then. I don't think juror behavior has changed much in the last 50 years.

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  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    There are usually leaders and followers on a jury. There's a lot of psychology to how humans act in groups. Don't assume everyone just acts like 12 self contained rational beings in there.

    But we should assume they were all acting in bad faith, right.

    I don't assume that necessarily. I'm not ruling out stupidity, or unconscious bias. We also have the statement of the juror who was kicked off, which sheds some light on Juror #4's attitude, I think.

  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Jubal77 wrote: »
    Having been on several juries I would be more apt to blame procedure/judge before jury bias. I would think that the instructions were not proper or complete.

    Attend enough trials and you'll see juries submit questions out to the judge that are easily answered by the instructions they were given.

    Instructions, honestly, don't do that much in my opinion.

  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    Polaritie wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    No, I'm saying voir dire has nothing to do with whether someone will try to get people disagreeing with them removed.

    To be honest, if he'd go that far he could have been pushy enough to get everyone else to agree out of exasperation. They don't all have to be biased, they just have to not care.

    He probably just told them he'd hang the jury and keep them there until they agreed with him, and got rid of the one guy who apparently wouldn't go along with the scheme.

    Reacting to the actual experience as listed by one of the Jury members? Projection.

    Wild tales of conjecture? Totally relevant and contextually factual.

    Yeah, I'm out of this discussion.

    I don't see anyone agreeing with Preach's post as a statement of fact. It is speculation based on what Nickens says about what happened.

  • Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Jubal77 wrote: »
    Having been on several juries I would be more apt to blame procedure/judge before jury bias. I would think that the instructions were not proper or complete.

    Attend enough trials and you'll see juries submit questions out to the judge that are easily answered by the instructions they were given.

    Instructions, honestly, don't do that much in my opinion.

    I guess I would think of a in a combination of things. I would think any ambiguity left available everything else to snowball after. Just a hunch.

  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    It's very easy to take over a jury room and control the flow of discussion and more or less force what you want to have happen. It's easier when one of the jurors hasn't been a part of the discussion. Most likely the jury had two competing outcomes, one pushed by BLM and one by Juror 4. The rest of the members are making up their minds based on the argument by the two domineering jurors. When one gets dumped for bias it's over, juror 4 "wins" the argument.

    So if 4 is angling for a specific outcome it would be easy enough for him to dump his opponent and dominate the rest of the conversation. Especially if he can say "the judge pulled him because he was biased".



    wbBv3fj.png
  • Grape ApeGrape Ape Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Going back to it, this is the reason things sorta fell apart here:
    "But we were not asked to judge on bullets and hurt feelings, rather to decide if any agreement was made with an illegal object in mind,'' the Marylhurst student wrote. "It seemed this basic, high standard of proof was lost upon the prosecution throughout.''

    Mens rea wasn't satisfied with the prosecution. Jury #4 guy sounds like a jackass, but the point here is relevant to the jury's duty. The guilty act here is not in question, we know they did the things they did. But you have to prove guilty mind, intention to commit that specific law you are being prosecuted for. From what Jury #4 said in his little time in the limelight, I would probably call into question some of it as well. Conspiracy given the context of those charges seems... really a stretch. As he mentioned, a lot of crimes were absolutely committed here but the ones that could be charged with the preponderance of evidence weren't sought after.

    Like, if they went after them for coercion, they probably could have made a case. Destruction of property and criminal mischief, no doubt. Probably a good number of other crimes as well. But proving they were there specifically to obstruct federal operations and that was their actual intent in their actions is pretty hard to show beyond reasonable doubt. The videos in question do not show them specifically intending to block federal employees from doing their jobs as an intent, perhaps as a result of their actions, but as the intent of those actions.

    Is it bullshit technicalities? Sure. It's also the law. The Prosecution should have gone for lesser sentencing with which they had a stronger case.

    The strength of the case seems irrelevant in the face of jury nullification; it's an admission that yes, they were guilty, but no, we will not punish them.

  • HamHamJHamHamJ Registered User regular
    So I am seeing a question on skeptics.stachexchange that suggests that some number of the people involved were informants and that might confuse the issue of intent. Has anyone seen an actual reference to this?

    While racing light mechs, your Urbanmech comes in second place, but only because it ran out of ammo.
  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    There are usually leaders and followers on a jury. There's a lot of psychology to how humans act in groups. Don't assume everyone just acts like 12 self contained rational beings in there.

    But we should assume they were all acting in bad faith, right.

    Well at least some.

    I find it a stretch of logic so mind-bafflingly extreme that we have videos of them on federal land with weapons and the resulting verdict of not guilty of that exact charge being any sort of good-faith action by one or all of the jurors.

    Im still out on my opinion of the judge and how she presided over this case due to a lack of information Ive read, but as of now its not positive.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    So I am seeing a question on skeptics.stachexchange that suggests that some number of the people involved were informants and that might confuse the issue of intent. Has anyone seen an actual reference to this?

    The crazies always claim in wake of some of them being arrested that people were informants. I don't think anyone involved in the take over were working for the government.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Enc wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    I think the reason they went for the harder charge because these fucking yabbos did a little bit more than god damn criminal trespass.

    No doubt, but they clearly didn't have the case to support it.

    a conspiracy is the action of plotting to do something unlawful or harmful

    there is literally video evidence EVERYWHERE of them proudly doing just that.

    this is nothing more than a bullshit violation of justice that every sane american should be against. The prosecution shouldn't have had to 'make a case', they could have just pressed play on hours and hours of footage of these dipshits doing everything they were charged with.

  • DoctorArchDoctorArch Curmudgeon Registered User regular
    From Oregonlive.com:
    Defense lawyers urged jurors in closing arguments not to mix-up the "effect'' of the occupation – which undoubtedly kept federal employees from doing their jobs - from the "intent'' of the occupiers.

    The defense lawyers' arguments, coupled with the jury instructions on how to apply the law to the evidence, resonated with jurors, Juror 4 noted.

    "Inference, while possibly compelling, proved to be insulting or inadequate to 12 diversely situated people as a means to convict,'' the juror wrote. "The air of triumphalism that the prosecution brought was not lost on any of us, nor was it warranted given their burden of proof.''

    The bolded bothers me, particularly because it indicates a much higher standard of proof for these militia types (e.g., white people) than others. Apparently, even though they are on record as saying that they never planned on returning the land and, in fact, desired to seize the facility and turn it over to private interests, that isn't enough to draw the inference that the occupiers intended to impede federal agents.

    What I am seeing here is a roadmap for militia types in the future. If a jury can't draw the needed inference of intent to impede from the deliberate and recorded statements of the perpetrators there is simply no way to convict these yahoos in the future under the current law.

    It just infuriates me. My god, if I seize someone's house with the goal of giving it to someone else, apparently I can argue that my intent is only to give the house to the other person and not to prevent the first person from ever returning. It's pants on head stupid.

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  • SurfpossumSurfpossum A nonentity trying to preserve the anonymity he so richly deserves.Registered User regular
    Yeah, I was just looking through the old threads for the very same reason (inference), and came across this bit:
    In a phone interview with the Oregonian, Ammond Bundy said that “would not rule out violence if law enforcement tries to remove them.” He called the headquarters building “the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds” and said he was “planning on staying…for years.” In a message on Facebook Bundy said he planned on establishing the facility as a base for militia members across the country:
    The original facebook message seems to be gone, but like... at what point after taking over a facility and converting it to a base for your organization can we assume that you intend to impede the original employees of that facility from using it?

  • SchrodingerSchrodinger Registered User regular
    Surfpossum wrote: »
    Yeah, I was just looking through the old threads for the very same reason (inference), and came across this bit:
    In a phone interview with the Oregonian, Ammond Bundy said that “would not rule out violence if law enforcement tries to remove them.” He called the headquarters building “the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds” and said he was “planning on staying…for years.” In a message on Facebook Bundy said he planned on establishing the facility as a base for militia members across the country:
    The original facebook message seems to be gone, but like... at what point after taking over a facility and converting it to a base for your organization can we assume that you intend to impede the original employees of that facility from using it?

    When they stop being white.

  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Enc wrote: »
    Assuming that Jury #4, plus the other 10 originally selected strangers, plus the alternate juror, were all somehow biased towards releasing the occupiers with no charges rather than assuming that Jury #4 was just a self important asshole who felt another member (with a known potential bias against the folks in question) was acting biased... well Occam's Razor doesn't make that seem plausible.

    Maybe #4 is a Sagebrush and managed to somehow 12 angry men the case. Still seems highly improbable to me.

    There are usually leaders and followers on a jury. There's a lot of psychology to how humans act in groups. Don't assume everyone just acts like 12 self contained rational beings in there.

    Anybody who has been in a meeting should understand that one person can absolutely sway a group that isn't heavily invested in the outcome.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • armageddonboundarmageddonbound Registered User regular
    Surfpossum wrote: »
    Yeah, I was just looking through the old threads for the very same reason (inference), and came across this bit:
    In a phone interview with the Oregonian, Ammond Bundy said that “would not rule out violence if law enforcement tries to remove them.” He called the headquarters building “the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds” and said he was “planning on staying…for years.” In a message on Facebook Bundy said he planned on establishing the facility as a base for militia members across the country:
    The original facebook message seems to be gone, but like... at what point after taking over a facility and converting it to a base for your organization can we assume that you intend to impede the original employees of that facility from using it?

    When they stop being white.

    Even though law enforcement is prejudiced against minorities, white people do get convicted of crimes.

  • FeloniousmozFeloniousmoz Registered User regular
    There were definitely informants present at the refuge, at least one was revealed and testified at the trial.

    Steam: FeloniousMoz
  • hsuhsu Registered User regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    So I am seeing a question on skeptics.stachexchange that suggests that some number of the people involved were informants and that might confuse the issue of intent. Has anyone seen an actual reference to this?
    There were 15 FBI informants according to prosecutors.
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/15_confidential_sources_fed_fb.html
    Here's one of them on the stand:
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/highlights_from_oregon_standof.html
    [Fabio] Milaggio admitted that he provided information freely to the FBI, was at the refuge from Jan. 23 through Jan. 26, offered firearms training and was asked to oversee the shooting range at the refuge. The FBI reimbursed him for his expenses, including the cost of a ballistics vest he bought when his truck broke down because he presumed he'd be in "harm's way.''
    Here's an FBI agent talking about another informant on the stand:
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/09/defense_begins_in_case_with_a.html
    [FBI agent Chadd] Lapp also acknowledged that government informant Mark McConnell, who was driving the Jeep in which Ammon Bundy was riding when police stopped it on Jan. 26 and arrested Bundy and other occupation leaders, likely was paid by the FBI for his help.

    Lapp wasn't allowed to say how much McConnell was paid, but said he had seen a bureau proposal to pay McConnell.
    And yet another informant takes the stand:
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/defense_resumes_with_testimony.html
    The defense case in the Oregon standoff trial continued Tuesday with testimony from a San Diego woman [Terri Linnell] who was paid $3,000 by the FBI to serve as an informant.

    iTNdmYl.png
  • armageddonboundarmageddonbound Registered User regular
    edited October 2016
    hsu wrote: »
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    So I am seeing a question on skeptics.stachexchange that suggests that some number of the people involved were informants and that might confuse the issue of intent. Has anyone seen an actual reference to this?
    There were 15 FBI informants according to prosecutors.
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/15_confidential_sources_fed_fb.html
    Here's one of them on the stand:
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/highlights_from_oregon_standof.html
    [Fabio] Milaggio admitted that he provided information freely to the FBI, was at the refuge from Jan. 23 through Jan. 26, offered firearms training and was asked to oversee the shooting range at the refuge. The FBI reimbursed him for his expenses, including the cost of a ballistics vest he bought when his truck broke down because he presumed he'd be in "harm's way.''
    Here's an FBI agent talking about another informant on the stand:
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/09/defense_begins_in_case_with_a.html
    [FBI agent Chadd] Lapp also acknowledged that government informant Mark McConnell, who was driving the Jeep in which Ammon Bundy was riding when police stopped it on Jan. 26 and arrested Bundy and other occupation leaders, likely was paid by the FBI for his help.

    Lapp wasn't allowed to say how much McConnell was paid, but said he had seen a bureau proposal to pay McConnell.
    And yet another informant takes the stand:
    http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/defense_resumes_with_testimony.html
    The defense case in the Oregon standoff trial continued Tuesday with testimony from a San Diego woman [Terri Linnell] who was paid $3,000 by the FBI to serve as an informant.

    All these resources and the prosecutors couldn't get a conviction. When on earth is someone going to interview a jurist?

    Was the informants the reason the jury let them go?

    armageddonbound on
  • SchrodingerSchrodinger Registered User regular
    edited October 2016
    The most recent case of clear jury nullification I can think of is the father who watched his children get run down by a drunk driver. Right in front of the family's house. 2 minutes later the drunk driver died of a gunshot wound. The father had access to firearms in his house. He was found not guilty.

    So you're best example of why jury nullification is a good thing is... to defend a clear cut case of vigilante justice?
    I totes understand what you are saying. I just subscribe to the idea that letting 10 guilty parties off is better than convicting one innocent. For the record, I do believe y'all qaeda should have been convicted here.

    But 1 guy executing people on sight without trial is completely excusable, I guess.

    Schrodinger on
  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Jury Nullification is the last stand of citizens against unjust laws, and should not be "gotten rid of". If it was used in this case, its a fucking terrible misuse, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

    I do not believe in jury nullification as a principle and I believe there are other ways for citizens to take stands against unjust laws.

    Nullification, besides its importance in being one of the last lines of defense of the people against the state, is also an intrinsic function of a jury. I don't believe there is any way to extract nullification without also saying that a jury is no longer allowed to acquit anyone. In a world without nullification, any acquittal would then require putting all 12 jurors on trial to verify they applied the law 100% correctly. That's obviously ridiculous and the only other option I see is to turn all judgements over to a computer to apply all laws to the letter.

    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • armageddonboundarmageddonbound Registered User regular
    edited October 2016
    The most recent case of clear jury nullification I can think of is the father who watched his children get run down by a drunk driver. Right in front of the family's house. 2 minutes later the drunk driver died of a gunshot wound. The father had access to firearms in his house. He was found not guilty.

    So you're best example of why jury nullification is a good thing is... to defend a clear cut case of vigilante justice?
    I totes understand what you are saying. I just subscribe to the idea that letting 10 guilty parties off is better than convicting one innocent. For the record, I do believe y'all qaeda should have been convicted here.

    But 1 guy executing people on sight without trial is completely excusable, I guess.

    I realize that reframing someone's argument, to say something they didn't say, is your modus operandi but, my off the cuff best example was when jury nullification was used to protect people who harbored runaway slaves.

    armageddonbound on
  • HamHamJHamHamJ Registered User regular
    After reading a couple of the links above it seems like the defense found a lot of super sympathetic witnesses somehow?

    While racing light mechs, your Urbanmech comes in second place, but only because it ran out of ammo.
  • armageddonboundarmageddonbound Registered User regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    After reading a couple of the links above it seems like the defense found a lot of super sympathetic witnesses somehow?
    My best guess is, they found libertarian types that couldn't stand the idea of government informants. Seems to be a lot of that in the pacific northwest. No offense to any libertarians on the board, my disagreement with them is largely an economic one.

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