Crazyness in the News

[Telarus]

Some interesting stories I've run across recently:

Judge won't let Franklin Township man cite medical need for marijuana
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/judge_wont_let_franklin_townsh.html

The interesting thing about this story is the blatant language demonizing Jury Nullification

Deputy Attorney General Russell Curley filed a motion in April asking Reed to bar defense attorney James Wronko from asserting personal use as a defense and from referencing Wilson's medical condition at trial.

The criminal case is progressing as the state Legislature contemplates the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. If it passes, New Jersey would become the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana.

During today's hearing, Reed cited the bill but said the establishment of medical marijuana for personal use as a state policy or as a defense to criminal liability is a matter for the Legislature to decide and not for a court to create.

In his brief, Curley echoed the argument he raised in March.

"A person who maintains or operates a controlled dangerous substance production facility for planting, propagating, cultivating, growing or harvesting marijuana is, in fact, guilty of maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility, regardless of whether the marijuana is produced for distribution or personal use," he wrote.

During the hearing, Curley said allowing information about multiple sclerosis is merely a way to garner sympathy and could encourage jury nullification. Jurors might opt to acquit Wilson, believing he had a reason to break the law.

.........

Reed said the personal-use defense does not negate the elements of the production facility or manufacturing offenses. He also said introducing evidence of Wilson's disease "would create a powerful emotional argument in favor of jury nullification because it gives defendant a sympathetic reason for breaking the law."

Reed said he is mindful of the danger in becoming a "judicial legislator."

"When judges appropriate legislative pronouncements and executive prerogatives, they demean those branches of government, and diminish the stature of the courts," Reed wrote. "If medical marijuana use is to be recognized as an exemption to our criminal law, the legislative process must produce that result. This court will not do so."

Oh, and these are some cool stories:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nycity-news-service/sudans-female-genital-mut_b_246333.html

Midwives and Henna artists in Sudan have developed a henna code to signal to the midwife that the mother is against genital mutilation, and not to perform it. This avoid scrutiny from the community.

http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/07/06/the-difference-is-as-plain-as-the-ear-on-your-face/

Audiophiles can tell the difference in sound quality between various files, but not based on the actual sound quality. They use the FILE LABEL.

[Iason Ouabache]

Some interesting stories I've run across recently:

Judge won't let Franklin Township man cite medical need for marijuana
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/judge_wont_let_franklin_townsh.html

The interesting thing about this story is the blatant language demonizing Jury Nullification

Deputy Attorney General Russell Curley filed a motion in April asking Reed to bar defense attorney James Wronko from asserting personal use as a defense and from referencing Wilson's medical condition at trial.

The criminal case is progressing as the state Legislature contemplates the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. If it passes, New Jersey would become the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana.

During today's hearing, Reed cited the bill but said the establishment of medical marijuana for personal use as a state policy or as a defense to criminal liability is a matter for the Legislature to decide and not for a court to create.

In his brief, Curley echoed the argument he raised in March.

"A person who maintains or operates a controlled dangerous substance production facility for planting, propagating, cultivating, growing or harvesting marijuana is, in fact, guilty of maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility, regardless of whether the marijuana is produced for distribution or personal use," he wrote.

During the hearing, Curley said allowing information about multiple sclerosis is merely a way to garner sympathy and could encourage jury nullification. Jurors might opt to acquit Wilson, believing he had a reason to break the law.

.........

Reed said the personal-use defense does not negate the elements of the production facility or manufacturing offenses. He also said introducing evidence of Wilson's disease "would create a powerful emotional argument in favor of jury nullification because it gives defendant a sympathetic reason for breaking the law."

Reed said he is mindful of the danger in becoming a "judicial legislator."

"When judges appropriate legislative pronouncements and executive prerogatives, they demean those branches of government, and diminish the stature of the courts," Reed wrote. "If medical marijuana use is to be recognized as an exemption to our criminal law, the legislative process must produce that result. This court will not do so."

Oh, and these are some cool stories:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nycity-news-service/sudans-female-genital-mut_b_246333.html

Midwives and Henna artists in Sudan have developed a henna code to signal to the midwife that the mother is against genital mutilation, and not to perform it. This avoid scrutiny from the community.

Awesome.

http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/07/06/the-difference-is-as-plain-as-the-ear-on-your-face/

Audiophiles can tell the difference in sound quality between various files, but not based on the actual sound quality. They use the FILE LABEL.

And THIS is exactly why I think all audiophiles are pretentious assholes.

[Kai]

Tel, that last one makes audiophiles everywhere cry.

I'm very thankful for that, because it shows what a bunch of pretentious assholes they really are.

Cause really, no one can hear the difference between fine audio and very fine audio, just like you can't tell a quality increase after so many frames per second in film.