How Jurors are Selected

Filed under:Criminal Law, Blogroll — posted by Tom on April 25, 2007 @ 11:58 pm

 The system known as “voir dire” is the process lawyers  use to select jurors. Both sides have a chance to interview the jurors to determine those who would be a poor choice based on certain prejudices.

State and federal courts differ a bit on how they do this.

Federal courts, voir dire is performed by the judge presiding on the case.

State courts allow attorneys to interview the potential jurors for a period of time. After voir dire,  the counsel will use “for cause” to remove jurors who may deliver a verdict based on a personal bias.

If theres a rape case, one wouldnt want a juror whose wife had been raped because its highly likely that he couldnt differentiate between his wifes rape and that of the defendant. In this case the attorney would ask for his dismissal.

It can get  rather complicated, each side have challenges and rebuttals, but thats the gyst of it.

The Mexican Controversy

Filed under:Opinions, Controversial, Federal Rulings, Civil Law, Blogroll, Ethics, News — posted by Tom on April 14, 2007 @ 11:08 pm

Fascinating were the protests here in America, the weekend of March 25th. Congress is finally addressing the illegal immigration issue, and consequently we have seen some protesting. Whst appears to be most startling, is these very large protests, were superbly organized, and not just locally, but yet on a national level.

Perplexing, when nearly 100% of Americans want their govenrment to do soemthing about this problem of illegal citizens, and still the illegals manage to organize a protest, in the land where they are criminal? These criminal people demand our government ignore the tax paying CITIZENS and cater to the population of illegal citizenry.

I know they have had problems with the student population walking out and refusing to return to class in Texas. This was done the monday and tuesday imediately after the protesting took place. These children were marching defiantly, exclaiming their rights were violated. {Oh really? Which constitution grants right to the populace of a foreign nation?} Most of the children asked , responded that they were not american citizens, and neither were their parents. Whats really interesting is how all these kids just started protesting, coincidence?, no, they are being instructed.

Even more infuriating is this criminal population struts about decrying our nation, plainly exhibiting their presence, demanding their ‘rights’, yelling about what they should be given, what they are ‘owed’. But noone is asking to be made an American, or even pretending to be one. They just want a free education, and they want an american job, to have the benefits of our social system, and admission to our american universities. And during all that, they wave the flag of mexico, and stomp on and disrespect the american flag. How damn perplexing!.

These protesters, the rabble rousers who demonstrated the weekend of the 25th, they dont wish to be a productive member of the nation, paying taxes, and commiting to serve this nation in one fashion or another. They want what americans have broke their balls to get, and they want it free and easy. They want what our systems provide, they want our top notch education, the income generated by a healthy economy, and the humanity provided in our social system. HOWEVER they dont wish to be american, to work to obtain that citizenship like so many of our families had to do. they seem almost subversive in their methods.  The flag they hold shows me their true heart.

If our government caves to this display of arrogance by this criminal faction, then there is little hope, we will have let them doom us as a country, and our economy and morals will be in shambles. They demand things they have no right to! Its time the government took a stance and remove their hostile presence.

these people dont wish to join us, but to live in our nation and take our jobs, and evidentally to cause a ruckus.

The Technology Net Part 3

Filed under:Technology, Controversial, Opinions, Civil Law, Blogroll, Ethics, News — posted by Tom on April 4, 2007 @ 12:53 pm

With this post I will close this series for a time, as there are some controverseries unfolding in the legal world that i want to devote time to, and we all know technology and  its abuse wont be leaving us soon, so we shall revisit.

In the event you do not know, London specifically, and the UK generically, are absolutely surveiled by closed circuit cameras. There are over 500,000 in London alone, and one study has shown you can expect to be filmed 300 times a day. Londons main line of their railways boasts 500 cameras among 34 stations that films 166 million people annually.

New York City officials think thats a good idea for their city, 2 weeks ago they installed 505 television cameras. The name of the American “ring of steel ” is called Lower Manhattan Security Initiative. 505 security cameras in a 1.7 square mile area.

I think its safe to assume in time, all of NYC will be as saturated with cameras. And as we know most law enforcement is modeled after and trained by  NYC.

Its disturbing, we in America used to fight for freedom, now we give it away.



image: detail of installation by Bronwyn Lace

Website Links