|
||
Intermarkets' Privacy Policy Support
Donate to Ace of Spades HQ! Recent Entries
Welcome Back My Friends, The ONT, It Never Ends
Sportsdogs Cafe Quick Hits Rand Paul Saves Joni Ernst From Choking to Death Whistleblower: CIA Analysts Determined that Covid-19 Was Manufactured In the Wuhan Lab -- But Were Then Bribed to Change Their Position Ireland's Political Class is Tripling Down: You Are Not Allowed to Say That the Permanent Welfare Case Who Went Into a Stabbing Frenzy in a Nursery is Foreign-Born and Was Due for Deportation in 2003 It's On: Nelson Peltz Announces New Proxy War Against Disney's Woke Incomptent Leadership Hamas Admits Guilt in Terrorist Attack on Jerusalem Bus Stop Which Killed Three, Wounded 11 OUTRAGEOUS: ABC "NEWS" ILLUSTRATES A STORY ABOUT A HAMAS TERROR ATTACK WITH A PICTURE OF CRYING PALESTINIANS Bank Investigator Blew Whistle on Chinese Payment to Hunter Biden Which Eventually Turned Into $40,000 Check for Joe Biden, Citing It As "Unusual" and a Possible Case of Influence Peddling The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition Absent Friends
westminsterdogshow 2023
Ann Wilson(Empire1) 2022 Dave In Texas 2022 Jesse in D.C. 2022 OregonMuse 2022 redc1c4 2021 Tami 2021 Chavez the Hugo 2020 Ibguy 2020 Rickl 2019 Joffen 2014 AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published.
Contact OrangeEnt for info
Cutting The Cord And Email Security
Moron Meet-Ups
|
« Food Thread: Pittsburgh Isn't Just A City In Pennsylvania: Steak And All Its Glorious Variations |
Main
| BUMPED: The "Super Blood Wolf Moon" Total Eclipse Is Tonight Starts in Less Than an Hour; Total Eclipse Will Happen by 11:40 Eastern »
January 20, 2019
Gun Thread: Innocent or Guilty - Conclusion [Weasel]![]() In last week's episode, we discussed jury duty and a trial involving firearms. For those interested in a review, last week's thread be found HERE. (do not comment in old threads!). To recap the case briefly; responding to a disturbance call, police find a felon in possession of two muzzleloading rifles which they inorrectly assume is allowable. The rifles were later surrendered to the Commonwealth Attorney's office by the defendant, with the barrels plugged, ostensibly rendering them unusable. During a subsequent search of the defendant's apartment and associated storage space, a functional revolver and ammunition are recovered. The defense caims the rifles were not technically firearms since the barrels were plugged and denied knowledge of the revolver. Last week we paused after the jury took the first vote... ...which was 8 to 4, for acquittal. I will tell you now I was one of the four votes for a guilty verdict. Here's my thinking: The prosecution seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion in their decision to focus on the handgun. As demonstrated by photographic evidence and testimony, the manner in which the revolver was found did not in any way support the theory that it had been slipped through the space above the door and dropped, or otherwise planted, into the box where it was found. The physical arrangement of items in the storage cage made that explanation highly improbable, if not altogether impossible. The defense did not make the assertion that any specific person (e.g. a jealous girlfriend) had planted the gun, only that it could have been dropped inside by a passerby. The gun was found with other items clearly identifying and belonging to the defendant. The storage space was under the custody of the defendant which I agreed represented constructive possession of the items inside. At the end of the day the gun was in a box full of the defendant's stuff in a space controlled by him. So we discussed these elements for a while and took another vote, and this time it was about evenly split. Back and forth some more and after a few hours it's finally 11 to 1 for a verdict of guilty. The holdout seemed steadfast but could not support or provide any logical reason for their position which, as stated, was simply not wanting to send anyone to jail. It took some time to disuade them of this opinion, mostly because I believe they were enjoying the attention, but finally it's unanimous. Guilty as charged. Once the verdict was read in court, the trial went directly into the penalty phase. The jury is informed the sentencing guidelines dictate between 2 to 5 years in prison. No more, no less. The jury also now learns the nature of the previous felony; aggravated assault, which had been committed by the defendant in another state a few years earlier, and for which he served his time. The decision regarding a sentence comes quickly; 2 years. The consensus of the jury in choosing the minimum sentence was the fact the possession did not occur during the commission of a violent act. Concluding Thoughts As I heard the case I suspected the defendant's previous felony was serious, otherwise the nature of the crime would not have been suppressed. However, I did my best to focus solely on the facts at hand as I saw them; Felon + Gun = Crime. I was forced to think quite a bit about whether I wanted to convict or not based on some of the same reasoning advanced in the comments last week. In the end I realized my quandary had more to do with the question of whether I thought the law was right, rather than whether I thought a law had been broken. I had not been asked if I agreed with anything, only whether I thought, beyond a reasonable doubt, a law had been broken. Since I believed the facts and circumstances proved constructive possession, to return anything other than a guilty verdict would have meant, in my opinion, inserting myself into the legislative process. When I said I thought I'd been selected as a juror based on my stated 2nd Amendment views during voir dire, I think the defense was hoping I'd act emotionally and vote not guilty because of the percieved infringement of the defendant's 2nd Amendment rights. Does this mean I personally adhere to each and every law simply because it exists? No. Would I blindly adhere to a law I found so objectionable I was otherwise unwilling to obey? I'll leave that to your imagination. Suffice it to say I would make that decision accepting the risk of punishment for my actions, and hoping they would be judged dispassionately. Sending someone to prison is not an easy thing to do. How would you decide the case, and if guilty, what length of a sentence would you impose? Link-O-Rama
This week's Mailbag entry comes to us from Hank Curmudgeon Thanks HC!! ![]() The magic number of attendees for NoVaMoMe 2019 has been reached and even exceeded a little. No worries if you have registered and received a confirmation email - you're all set! If you haven't registered and are still interested in attending, we will be happy to place your name on the waitlist should a space open up, just send us an email. If you have registered and your plans change, please let us know so we may offer the space to others. A big thanks to all those who have registered and we look forward to seeing you on February 9th! Please note the new and improved email account morongunthread at gmail dot com. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome! That's it for this week - have you been to the range? | Recent Comments
nurse ratched :
"Heh. The seahacks showed up to play. ..."
LenNeal is just aksin: "Toyota has been putting a gutless 4banger in their ..." Don Black (was DB): "SEA 21, DAL 20 H ..." N: " Don't worry, so am I. Posted by: Jor try t ..." Romeo13: "Hmmm... so Federal Judge kills a States ban on Chi ..." Robert: "That is... unfortunate. Posted by: LenNeal at N ..." Mike Hammer, etc, etc.: " I'm still unclear why two men with little chance ..." exdem13: "224 Miller did work with mythologists and his work ..." Jordan61: "I'm still unclear why two men with little chance o ..." LenNeal: " I have Slap Shot but I feel it was terribly overr ..." Martini Farmer: "I'm still unclear why two men with little chance o ..." LenNeal: "They made a turbo-Diesel 4Runner for the world mar ..." Recent Entries
Welcome Back My Friends, The ONT, It Never Ends
Sportsdogs Cafe Quick Hits Rand Paul Saves Joni Ernst From Choking to Death Whistleblower: CIA Analysts Determined that Covid-19 Was Manufactured In the Wuhan Lab -- But Were Then Bribed to Change Their Position Ireland's Political Class is Tripling Down: You Are Not Allowed to Say That the Permanent Welfare Case Who Went Into a Stabbing Frenzy in a Nursery is Foreign-Born and Was Due for Deportation in 2003 It's On: Nelson Peltz Announces New Proxy War Against Disney's Woke Incomptent Leadership Hamas Admits Guilt in Terrorist Attack on Jerusalem Bus Stop Which Killed Three, Wounded 11 OUTRAGEOUS: ABC "NEWS" ILLUSTRATES A STORY ABOUT A HAMAS TERROR ATTACK WITH A PICTURE OF CRYING PALESTINIANS Bank Investigator Blew Whistle on Chinese Payment to Hunter Biden Which Eventually Turned Into $40,000 Check for Joe Biden, Citing It As "Unusual" and a Possible Case of Influence Peddling The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition Search
Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Primary Document: The Audio
Paul Anka Haiku Contest Announcement Integrity SAT's: Entrance Exam for Paul Anka's Band AllahPundit's Paul Anka 45's Collection AnkaPundit: Paul Anka Takes Over the Site for a Weekend (Continues through to Monday's postings) George Bush Slices Don Rumsfeld Like an F*ckin' Hammer Top Top Tens
Democratic Forays into Erotica New Shows On Gore's DNC/MTV Network Nicknames for Potatoes, By People Who Really Hate Potatoes Star Wars Euphemisms for Self-Abuse Signs You're at an Iraqi "Wedding Party" Signs Your Clown Has Gone Bad Signs That You, Geroge Michael, Should Probably Just Give It Up Signs of Hip-Hop Influence on John Kerry NYT Headlines Spinning Bush's Jobs Boom Things People Are More Likely to Say Than "Did You Hear What Al Franken Said Yesterday?" Signs that Paul Krugman Has Lost His Frickin' Mind All-Time Best NBA Players, According to Senator Robert Byrd Other Bad Things About the Jews, According to the Koran Signs That David Letterman Just Doesn't Care Anymore Examples of Bob Kerrey's Insufferable Racial Jackassery Signs Andy Rooney Is Going Senile Other Judgments Dick Clarke Made About Condi Rice Based on Her Appearance Collective Names for Groups of People John Kerry's Other Vietnam Super-Pets Cool Things About the XM8 Assault Rifle Media-Approved Facts About the Democrat Spy Changes to Make Christianity More "Inclusive" Secret John Kerry Senatorial Accomplishments John Edwards Campaign Excuses John Kerry Pick-Up Lines Changes Liberal Senator George Michell Will Make at Disney Torments in Dog-Hell Greatest Hitjobs
The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny More Margaret Cho Abuse Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed" Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means Wonkette's Stand-Up Act Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report! Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet The House of Love: Paul Krugman A Michael Moore Mystery (TM) The Dowd-O-Matic! Liberal Consistency and Other Myths Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate "Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long) The Donkey ("The Raven" parody) |