tyranny in the courts

can we finally call it tyranny when the courts start denying the constitution or bill of rights as defenses in criminal cases?

http://rt.com/usa/california-man-13-prison-banks-237/
California man faces 13 years in jail for scribbling anti-bank messages in chalk

Jeff Olson, the 40-year-old man who is being prosecuted for scrawling anti-megabank messages on sidewalks in water-soluble chalk last year now faces a 13-year jail sentence. A judge has barred his attorney from mentioning freedom of speech during trial.

According to the San Diego Reader, which reported on Tuesday that a judge had opted to prevent Olson’s attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial,” Olson must now stand trial for on 13 counts of vandalism.

In addition to possibly spending years in jail, Olson will also be held liable for fines of up to $13,000 over the anti-big-bank slogans that were left using washable children's chalk on a sidewalk outside of three San Diego, California branches of Bank of America, the massive conglomerate that received $45 billion in interest-free loans from the US government in 2008-2009 in a bid to keep it solvent after bad bets went south.

There was also a court case a few years ago where the court refused to let the defendant use the 2nd Amendment in a machine gun possession/manufacture case. A couple of cases over the last 3 years have also nearly removed the 4th Amendment as a constitutional right as well.

so when do you want to start considering that we're living in tyranny?
 
Obama says its not tyranny until he opens the gas chambers.
Even then they will be called showers!
 
wow, 12 intelligent jurors in california

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-chalk-verdict-20130701,0,1617754.story

A jury Monday acquitted a 40-year-old man of all charges connected with writing protest messages in chalk on the sidewalk outside branches of the Bank of America.

The case has exacerbated the already tense relationship between Mayor Bob Filner, who called the case "stupid" and a "waste of money," and City Atty. Jan Goldsmith, who defended it as a legitimate prosecution for graffiti vandalism.

Deliberating for only a few hours, the jury apparently agreed with Filner -- declaring Jeff Olson not guilty on all 13 misdemeanor counts filed by Goldsmith's office.

Olson, who said he was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, never denied writing the slogans.

One slogan said, "No thanks, big banks." Another, "Shame on Bank of America." And in yet another, the bank was portrayed as an octopus grabbing at cash with its tentacles.

"It's chalk," Filner told reporters last week in an exasperated tone. "It's water-soluble chalk. They were political slogans."

But courts have held that graffiti remains illegal even if it can be easily washed off, Goldsmith said.

That the Bank of America contacted the city attorney's office to reportedly urge prosecution has become part of the dispute.

"We prosecute vandalism and theft cases regardless of who the perpetrator or victim might be," Goldsmith said. "We don't decide, for example, based upon whether we like or dislike banks. That would be wrong under the law."
Filner's background may be instructive. He was a civil rights activist in the 1960s, a Freedom Rider in the Deep South, arrested and jailed in Mississippi. He is often distrustful of entrenched authority and large corporations.

Earlier this year, Filner appeared as a defense witness in the city attorney's prosecution of a pro-seal activist for removing a sign at the Children's Pool beach in La Jolla. The activist pleaded guilty.

As the chalk case approached trial, Filner sent a memo to Goldsmith calling it "an abuse of power that infringes on [the] 1st Amendment."

At trial, however, Judge Howard Shore said Olson's lawyer could not invoke the 1st Amendment as a defense.

As the dispute flared between the Democratic mayor and Republican city attorney, Shore imposed a gag order on all parties. The mayor, however, would not be gagged.

"This is a nonsense prosecution and I will continue to say that," Filner said Friday.
 
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