Sunday, October 24, 2010

California Men with no backbone

Christopher T. Fox from San Jose California gave up on himself during Mayor Daley's slight of hand witch-hunt of the year, and I can't say I blame him.   Daley was caught back in May of this year offering to show a reporter how effective his gun ban has been by placing an M1 garand up the inquisitive reporter's butt, Daley also offered to pull the trigger.  I am unsure how Daley thought this was a good way to prove how effective his handgun ban has been.  Daley's quote was priceless:

"If I put this [rifle] up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know."

This man left voice messages for Daley, asking how he'd like it if someone did it that to him and then the LOOOONG arm of our criminal injustice system begins.   Daley claims this man threatened to shoot a public official with a firearm... Fox gets arrested in California, and shipped off to Chicago where he sits in jail for 6 months before giving up on himself, and pleading guilty, because that's the only way he's getting out of jail.  This system intimidates you, makes you feel like you're never getting out, then forces people into a plea bargain.   The news did so little as the tiniest blurb on the bargain.  Here's the entire article:

A California man charged with threatening Mayor Daley has pleaded guilty.

Christopher Fox was accused of leaving Daley a threatening voice mail back in May.
He pleaded guilty to threatening a public official and has been sentenced to 18 months probation along with jail time already served.

As opposed to the May coverage where Mr. Fox was pointing out the hypocrisy:

"So, Daley apologized, and he is off the hook, but I am still in jail," said Fox, this past Friday. "I have no bus tickets, no plane ticket; I wasn't planning on going anywhere. I'm not a threat."
My main point here, is the notion of being innocent until proven guilty is completely gone.   This man sat in a jail 2000 miles from home the entire time he was supposed to be presumed innocent.  He pled guilty, probably not because he actually threatened the mayor, the voicemails have not been released on that nor will they ever be released or more people will see the errors of the system, but because pleading guilty would allow him to go home.  

Our legal system works for corporations, government officials, and police.   To the average citizen, it is broken, because in a capitalist, regular militia (police) controlled world, the courts are supposed to protect the citizen... and they don't.

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