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Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:10 PM

tpsbmam (3,883 posts)

South Carolina Judge Sentences Drunk Driver To Bible Study

Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles attached a rather odd — and unconstitutional — provision to the eight year prison sentence of a drunk driver: a mandatory bible study and what is essentially a book report on the Book of Job:

Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles of Rock Hill has included in his sentencing of Cassandra Tolley the assignment of reading through the Book of Job and then writing a summary on the Old Testament Scripture.

Cassandra Tolley was convicted of drunk driving after she drove down the wrong side of the road and plowed into an oncoming car, seriously injuring two men. Her blood alcohol content was more than four times the legal limit.

Tolley undoubtedly deserved a stiff sentence, but sentencing someone to a religious activity clearly violates the Constitution’s ban on laws “respecting an establishment of religion.” As conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy explained in Lee v. Weisman, “t is beyond dispute that, at a minimum, the Constitution guarantees that government may not coerce anyone to support or participate in religion or its exercise.”

The rest at Think Progress

Unbe-frigging-lievable! I am so sick of the Bible thumpers doing their damnedest to impose their religion, their version of sharia law, on all of us I could scream! And I'm damn well sick of these right-wing judges who flout the Constitution and are doing everything in their power to turn us into a bloody fascist police state with the oligarchs and their fascistic fundamentalist co-conspirators destroying OUR country!!!

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15 replies	Author	Time	Post
South Carolina Judge Sentences Drunk Driver To Bible Study (Original post)	tpsbmam	Jul 2012	OP
Doesn't that flagrantly violate the separation of church and state?	shraby	Jul 2012	#1
The judge should be sentenced to constitutional law study. nt	pinboy3niner	Jul 2012	#2
Hehehe!	freshwest	Jul 2012	#4
Check out his face - does he not look like someone who would do precisely this?	Sarah Ibarruri	Jul 2012	#3
He looks constipated to me	tularetom	Jul 2012	#5
LOL! nt	Sarah Ibarruri	Jul 2012	#15
... Kenneth Gaines, a law professor for the University of South Carolina,	struggle4progress	Jul 2012	#6
Hell with that, it sets precedent	demwing	Jul 2012	#13
Has he not heard of the 1st Amendment?	SoutherDem	Jul 2012	#7
One day God is bragging to Satan how much Job loves him. Satan says, "That's because you have	Tom Ripley	Jul 2012	#8
If I were Cassandra Tolley I would dutifully attend my bible studies secreatly......	wandy	Jul 2012	#9
He should read about what happened to Lot	Art_from_Ark	Jul 2012	#10
Cruel and Unusual, if you ask me.	NYC_SKP	Jul 2012	#11
Duh he is admitting that it is a punishment to	treestar	Jul 2012	#12
+10^10	demwing	Jul 2012	#14

Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:15 PM

shraby (15,455 posts)

1. Doesn't that flagrantly violate the separation of church and state?

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:18 PM

pinboy3niner (27,548 posts)

2. The judge should be sentenced to constitutional law study. nt

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Response to pinboy3niner (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:24 PM

freshwest (31,522 posts)

4. Hehehe!

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:24 PM

Sarah Ibarruri (18,667 posts)

3. Check out his face - does he not look like someone who would do precisely this?

http://www.judicial.state.sc.us/circuitCourt/displaycirjudge.cfm?judgeid=2140

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Response to Sarah Ibarruri (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:30 PM

tularetom (17,403 posts)

5. He looks constipated to me

Which may be the reason he did do it.

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Response to tularetom (Reply #5)

Mon Jul 9, 2012, 10:24 PM

Sarah Ibarruri (18,667 posts)

15. LOL! nt

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:40 PM

struggle4progress (71,485 posts)

6. ... Kenneth Gaines, a law professor for the University of South Carolina,

Last edited Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:42 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

doesn’t think it will warrant any constitutional concerns. “Under normal circumstances, the judge wouldn’t have the authority to do that,” Gaines told the paper. “But if she consented, it’s really not an issue. It’s critical that the defendant was in entire agreement with it.” ...
Judge Sentences Woman To Read Bible For Drunk Driving Conviction
July 2, 2012 4:33 PM
http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2012/07/02/judge-sentences-woman-to-read-bible-for-drunk-driving-conviction/

... Tolley said she turned to alcohol after being physically abused as a child by a relative. When she was 11, Tolley suffered burns when the relative poured gasoline on her and set her on fire ...
Judge Orders DUI Defendant to Write Report on Book of Job
Posted Jul 5, 2012 10:34 AM CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_orders_dui_defendant_to_write_report_on_book_of_job/

A South Carolina woman whose drunken driving seriously injured two people has been sentenced to eight years in prison, substance abuse counseling, and to read the Bible. The Herald of Rock Hill reports reported Cassandra Tolley's attorney said she was thankful for the task and has started working on her assignment to read the Old Testament book of Job and write a summary ...
SC judge rules DWI penance is to read the Bible
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/sc-judge-rules-dwi-penance-read-biblle/nPkDD/

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Response to struggle4progress (Reply #6)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 09:31 PM

demwing (10,979 posts)

13. Hell with that, it sets precedent

and who would argue with their judge? No doubt they're afraid of an even tougher sentence.

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:41 PM

SoutherDem (2,151 posts)

7. Has he not heard of the 1st Amendment?

And these people say Obama is destroying the constitution?

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:43 PM

Tom Ripley (2,645 posts)

8. One day God is bragging to Satan how much Job loves him. Satan says, "That's because you have

rewarded him"
God says, "Oh yeah? Watch this!"
God tortures Job. When God is through torturing Job, he says to Satan, "C'mon, you have a go at him. Fuck him up real good"
God and Satan are mean motherfuckers.
The end.

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 08:49 PM

wandy (1,532 posts)

9. If I were Cassandra Tolley I would dutifully attend my bible studies secreatly......

Laughing my butt of the whole time!

People have been know to spent some time in jail for DUIs.

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 09:07 PM

Art_from_Ark (16,910 posts)

10. He should read about what happened to Lot

when his daughters got him drunk

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 09:08 PM

NYC_SKP (48,877 posts)

11. Cruel and Unusual, if you ask me.

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Response to tpsbmam (Original post)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 09:27 PM

treestar (40,494 posts)

12. Duh he is admitting that it is a punishment to

read the Bible?

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Response to treestar (Reply #12)

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 09:32 PM

demwing (10,979 posts)

14. +10^10

clever

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