- Quickdraw McLaw
- 24 Comments
- 400 Views
- The state is considering striking a deal with a private prison company for parole services. [TNI]
- Here’s the latest filing from Steve Wynn as he takes on the Gaming Control Board. [TNI]
- Sex-trafficking charge added against North Las Vegas Justice Court bailiff. [RJ]
- House Democrats released two articles of impeachment against President Trump. You can read them at the New York Times.
President Trump vindicated! Read the FBI Report and see that it says exactly what he has been saying. Of course, it does not go far enough but we are confident the AG will address that further. Please, please let this motivate you to ask your friends and family to vote for Trump again. As far as this blog goes, it does appear to be dead but I'll keep checking in.
We must be looking at different reports. I don't see it as validating what Trump has been alleging all along, rather it debunks his allegation that the investigation was a politically motivated witch hunt. Were mistakes made along the way? Absolutely! Were they the results of a political bias seeking to destroy Trump, No. Rather, the errors appear to be the result of inadequate policies, procedures and training.
There was a proper legal basis to initiate an investigation, however, better policies and procedures (and oversight) are needed to conduct such investigations in the future. Hopefully, that is the lesson of this episode and the necessary changes are made to improve the process, just like there were abuses post 9/11 under the Patriot Act and over time they have been reigned in.
@11:46. I am going assume you are a lawyer and understand linguistic gymnastics. You are right, the report said it did not find documents of political bias and no one admitted to political bias. It also said at numerous points that interviewees did not remember basic information and repeatedly refused to review documents which could refresh their recollection when the IG volunteered to show them. It also noted that 3 different "hand picked" teams made the same basic and fundamental mistakes all going in one direction (to Trump detriment) with no plausible explanation why they deviated so far from established procedures. It also pointed out that over the course of 4 different FISA applications the FBI omitted/misrepresented between 7 to 17 material facts FOR EACH APPLICATION which were material and exculpatory to the targets. These FISA applications are ex parte proceedings which require the FBI to provide all information, both incriminating and exculpatory.
I get you may not like/hate the guy, but as trained professionals who uphold justice from day to day, we need to take this at more than spin value. It has just been revealed that the FBI repeatedly misrepresented/omitted and even fabricated evidence in an ex parte proceeding for purposes of targeting someone campaigning to be present. If your take away was that "they did not find political bias" then you are missing the forest for the trees. This is one of the most significant abuses of justice in our time.
Coupling that with leadership that claims not to remember significant events (and an unwillingness to have their memory refreshed) and we have a corruption unlike any we have seen in decades, and possibly our lifetimes.
P.S. I did not vote for Trump.
I would bet a fair assessment of FISA apps for individuals whose trials will never be covered by every news organization in the country would show the average application is worse than this, not better. If there is any lesson to draw from this it is that every deviation from procedure, every abuse, every violation of due process was something federal law enforcement willingly participated in knowing every scrap of paper could one day be scrutinized. Imagine what they do in the absence of that risk.
A large cause of the FISA system abuses relates to the changes in the FISA law following 9/11. Prior to then, the FISA court was viewed as solely an intelligence court and there was a solid wall between the intelligence side of the government and the criminal side (no information or leads obtained by the FISA side could be shared with the criminal side). Following 9/11 and the passage of the PATRIOT ACT, that wall was dismantled and the intelligence side was expected to share information with the criminal side.
In the abstract that shouldn't be a problem if both sides used the same protocols and standards for the issuance of warrants, but they don't. The main goals of the the FISA court are to protect the nation against espionage and threats against the country, not criminal prosecutions of the individuals involved. Historically, since most of the perpetrators of acts that the FISA system is protecting against were state actors (frequently with diplomatic cover) the goal was to identify them and exclude them from the nation, as well as, identify and disrupt their activities. The dismantling of the wall between FISA and criminal changed that distinction and fundamentally changed the balance struck between the FISA invasion and constitutional protections.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I must be missing something with the sex trafficking case. The story seems to indicate that the defendant met the victim via an online dating app which requires all users to be 18+ to access. The victim claimed to be 20 y/o on the app and in person. The victim talked about being a UNLV student. The defendant thought the victim was 22 y/o.
Assuming all of those facts to be true, I am missing something in this crime. Where is the mens rea necessary for a criminal act? I can understand a statutory rape type charge since that is effectively a strict liability type offense, but something like sex-trafficking? It doesn't appear that the defendant was pimping the victim out to other perpetrators, nor that he received anything from the relationship other than anyone else that uses the various dating apps.
I am not arguing that the defendant was proper in his dating choices, but if the reported facts are true and there are no additional unreported facts, how could anyone protect themselves from a similar fate short of checking officially issued government ID or perhaps avoiding dating anyone younger than middle age?
NRS uses the federal definition of sex trafficking, and that includes any commercial sexual acts by a minor.
The article says that he was paying the minor for sex acts, so it wasn't just "dating."
But I agree… to call that "sex trafficking" rather than just plain ole prostitution seems whacky.
Your state bar president wants you to donate money to make them and NSC look good to the public while they schedule annual meetings out of state for you not to attend
This has been mentioned often here.
Not answered, Does the bar pay for hotel and plane fare for Bar officers? Judges? Who else?
Why not have the annual meeting in NEVADA, so the average member can afford to attend (in terms of both time and money)?
The BOGs conference fee, hotel, and air are paid by the State Bar. The State Bar does not pay for the Judges.
Great, I am happy I am paying for BOGs vacation.
Typically, the various sections pay for one or more officers to attend. Judges can apply to the Administrative Office of Courts to pay for their excursion as education.
That is incorrect. The BOG's flight and some of the hotel are paid by the Bar (if requested for reimbursement) because the BOG have an all day meeting the day before the conference starts. The conference fee has to be paid by the the member if they want to attend.
Hmm, wonder if I can surcharge my client billings for the portion of my bar dues attributable to the cost of the annual meeting, over which I have no voice?
So no updates on Eglet Adams' Holiday gathering?
You mean Downton Eglet?
Was Downton Alexis there?
Was holiday party at their public library, eh. . . house?
Yes it is a very nice home and the food was excellent. Judges and Governor enjoyed themselves. Hope you can join in the fun next time!
Yes, let's hope so! Criminals enjoying their spoils!
Just say no to the private for profit prison industry. It'll put artificial impediments in front of the inmates just to generate profits at our expense.
I am a conservative and cannot agree with you more. For-profit prisons that lobby for stiffer sentences and more incarceration is a drain and blight on society. We are better than this people.