From: chloupek@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: NC vs Hunt (Marine Gay Bashing in Wilmington NC) verdict
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Physics
Lines: 48

In article <1993Apr14.152634.16128@pony.Ingres.COM>, jab@Ingres.COM (jeff bowles) writes:
> tfarrell@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu (Thomas Farrell) writes:
>>questions like "what kind of sexual perversions do you participate in?"
>>and you think he made a good case????? The arresting officer said the
>>bastards told him they did it on purpose and hoped the victim would die,
>>and you think the defense made a good case????? No wonder we're losing! 
>>We're aparently not trying to win!
> 
> The clip I saw was even worse than that. The defense attorney was asking
> something like "what have you done to serve YOUR country, as compared to
> these fine upstanding examples of patriotism?"
> 
> I didn't see the response; I don't think it was shown on TV. I wish the
> response had been "I vote. I pay taxes. I pay my salary. I support the Bill
> of Rights, unlike you, Counselor."
> 
> In my dreams :-(
> 
> Now, the real question is, could this be a federal civil rights case, since
> the state case was a sham? (Sound like a well-known Los Angeles trial?) Probably
> not: fags and dykes aren't protected (for being fags and dykes) under civil
> rights laws.
> 
>
I would doubt any civil rights case would be in order for the point that you
mentioned.  Even if it were possible, I think it is a bad idea since it smacks
real strongly of double jeopardy.  A civil case for damages is fine since that
is a trial that would proceed regardless of the first.  I think a bad precedent
has already been set in the King trial in L.A. and something like this would
make it worse.  Regardless of how bad anybody feels about this decision, it
must stand that charges of assault were not not proven against the three
marines and that's how it should stand.

Frank (who is still mad, but now somewhat sane)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frank R. Chloupek 
CHLOUPEK@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu 
Department of Physics -- *The* Ohio State University
(Not just any Ohio State University) 

"There is only one hard-and-fast rule about the place to have a party:  
somebody else's place."
							--P.J. O'Rourke


