Topic: The unimportant news thread

[Ken B]

The Smollett dismissal proves American Justice is completely corrupt. This isn’t just run of the mill corruption, it's open in your face and you can’t do anything about it corruption.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

The Smollett dismissal proves American Justice is completely corrupt. This isn’t just run of the mill corruption, it's open in your face and you can’t do anything about it corruption.

Corruption implies acting in bad faith in return for monetary gain. I don't think the DA was bribed in this case. I think the word you are looking for is travesty, which it is. It tends to happen when celebrities are involved.

On the face of it, it is a plea deal. The little turd has forfeited his bond and agreed to community service. Maybe the case wasn't as strong as was claimed by the police and portrayed in the media. What baffles me is why charges were dismissed, rather than the customary guilty plea to lesser charges. The most galling thing is the little turd now claiming he was telling the truth all along about being attacked. In a customary plea deal he would have been required to make an allocution in court.

[Ken B]

Corruption implies acting in bad faith in return for monetary gain. I don't think the DA was bribed in this case. I think the word you are looking for is travesty, which it is. It tends to happen when celebrities are involved.

On the face of it, it is a plea deal. The little turd has forfeited his bond and agreed to community service. Maybe the case wasn't as strong as was claimed by the police and portrayed in the media. What baffles me is why charges were dismissed, rather than the customary guilty plea to lesser charges. The most galling thing is the little turd now claiming he was telling the truth all along about being attacked. In a customary plea deal he would have been required to make an allocution in court.

No. There was no plea. He claims exoneration. The record will be sealed. This was not a plea bargain.
Corruption can be for more than money, such as future political favors, or doing a favor.
Yes I believe there is mens Rea here.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

No. There was no plea. He claims exoneration. The record will be sealed. This was not a plea bargain.
Corruption can be for more than money, such as future political favors, or doing a favor.
Yes I believe there is mens Rea here.

I know, it is not a plea deal, but it resembles one, with the forfeiture and community service. I apply Occam's razor. What is the simplest explanation? The prosecutor is not getting anything out of this except public humiliation and ridicule. Political favor from whom, and it what form? Sounds like a conspiracy theory. The simplest explanation is that there was insufficient evidence to convict. The two individuals who the turd seems to have paid for the phony attack are unreliable, self-contradictory, unwilling to implicate themselves, idiots, have a new lawyer, unwilling to testify. The only physical evidence is surveillance video of the two brothers buying hats. The jury pool poisoned by police chief on national television ranting and raving about the turd... The DA despairs and fears humiliation in court and doesn't even have the leverage to obtain a plea. I'm not so willing to take the cops at their word.

[Ken B]

You know the prosecutor already had secret texts and talks with his family?  Said she wanted to help him?
They have a lot of evidence, a lot of it was presented.
The system is brutal to poor nobodies. Connected members of the nomenklatura on the other hand...

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

After Occam's razor, I apply Hanlon's razor. Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence

Hard cases make bad law. Celebrity cases make worse law.

[Todd]

Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence

In this case, the outcome can be ascribed to intervention by an aide to Michelle Obama.  That is corruption.  Well, maybe not for a Democrat. 

Of course, the case itself is not really important.

[Ken B]

In this case, the outcome can be ascribed to intervention by an aide to Michelle Obama.  That is corruption.  Well, maybe not for a Democrat. 

Of course, the case itself is not really important.

Too much even for the Illinois prosecutors

https://althouse.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-illinois-prosecutors-bar.html?m=1

[Todd]

Too much even for the Illinois prosecutors

https://althouse.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-illinois-prosecutors-bar.html?m=1

For a state where four of the last seven governors went to prison, and the Cook County tax assessor has a multi-million dollar campaign chest, maybe it will be the Smollett case that finally cleans things up.   I mean, of course it won't.  It ain't corruption if Dems do it. 

[Wanderer]

Cambridge and Heidelberg announce major project to digitise treasured medieval manuscripts.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

The sound from wind turbines causes cancer. I have it on the best authority, President Trump. He has access to the best information, NIH research, EPA studies, OSHA data.

[amw]

Man believes CD collection worth actual money

[André]

Man believes CD collection worth actual money

Interesting. Pretty much the same is going on here. I’m still able to sell to second hand shops, but the return gets smaller every time  .

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Oh, lord.



I was there once.

[mc ukrneal]

Oh, lord.



I was there once.

The spire and roof collapsed. It's serious.

ADD: Entire Ile de la cite is being evacuated.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

The spire, as I understand it, was a 19th century replacement of the original. The pitched roof which burned protects the vaulted ceiling. It is the stonework which is most valuable, and it appears to be at risk.

[mc ukrneal]

There was a lot of wood inside though and invaluable artwork and plenty of other types of works/icons/etc. This sort of heat will likely be catastrophic for the stained glass.


EDIT: Includes 17th century organ among other historical/religious items.

[Ken B]

Oh jeez. What a disaster.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

There is a statement from a "spokesman" for the cathedral saying the wooden interior is fully engulfed in flame. I have not seen photographs which confirm this - all of the lower windows of the cathedral appear dark.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-notre-dame-fire-smoke-14336461

The outlook is grim, and it is still burning.

[mc ukrneal]

It looks like one of the towers may be on fire lower down, inside. One of the streams of water is focused on that. With the roof gone, there may be a lot of issues with the stability of the structure. All that history lost...