Judge formally dismisses Arpaio's criminal case

Source: ABC/AP

PHOENIX - A federal judge has upheld the validity of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's pardon despite claims from critics that letting his clemency stand would encourage officials to disobey future court orders.

Judge Susan Bolton cited U.S. Supreme Court precedent Wednesday when she formally dismissed the criminal case against the former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix.

Two months ago, Bolton found Arpaio guilty of disobeying a court order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Prosecutor John Keller says the pardon ends the case and that Arpaio will never be held accountable for defying the order.

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/judge-formally-dismisses-arpaio-s-criminal-case

Nikki Haley found to have violated Hatch Act by retweeting President Trump

No further action will be taken, case closed, nothing to see here

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley received a scolding from a government investigator which concluded her retweet of President Donald Trump was political speak.

Under the federal Hatch Act, federal employees — including ambassadors to the United Nations — can't use their position to deliver a partisan messages, including via Twitter, one of Haley's favorite methods of communication.

She received a warning letter of reprimand from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel as a result.

http://www.postandcourier.com/politics/u-n-ambassador-nikki-haley-found-to-have-violated-hatch/article_165ca812-a85a-11e7-8537-cb5f343704c6.html

Some performers & their crews had concealed carry permits

but said they couldn't touch their guns b/c cops might ID them as the shooter.

https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/915274871520849921

Vegas shooter wired $100,000 to the Philippines

From CNN's Jessica Schneider

A law enforcement official confirms that Stephen Paddock wired $100,000 to the Philippines. However, officials aren’t yet able to see when he sent the money. They also don’t know the recipient. The FBI is working with authorities in the Philippines to determine additional details.

Also, the official reiterated there are still no ties that they’ve seen to international terrorism.

NBC first reported the $100,000 transfer.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/us/las-vegas-shooting-live?lf-content=217383560:[email protected]&hubRefSrc=permalink

Welcome to the Our Theocracy

The United Nations approved a resolution Friday condemning the use of the death penalty in a discriminatory fashion, including its use to punish “apostasy, blasphemy, adultery, and consensual same-sex relations.” But the United States joined a minority of states who voted against it.

United States rejects UN resolution condemning use of death penalty to target LGBTQ people
So far, no explanation has been given.

https://thinkprogress.org/united-nations-gay-death-penalty-36e6a5101ec9/

How is Meatloaf's 'I'd Do Anything for Love' like the 2nd Amendment?

(But I won't do that)

So what is “that”? “It’s the line before every chorus,” explained Loaf. “There’s nine of them, I think.

The problem lies because Jimmy likes to write, so you forget what the line was before you get to ‘I won’t do that.'”

(Some of the things the song says he won’t do: forget the way you feel right now; forgive himself if you don’t go all the way tonight; do it better than he does it with you, so long; and stop dreaming of you every night of his life.)

On the other hand.....................

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

What happened to the first part?!

The 2nd amendment is one of, if not the most, debated Amendments in the United States Constitution. Most noteworthy, until the late 1960s, restrictions on the 2nd Amendment were not questioned. The NRA itself, in the early 20th Century, not only favored restrictions they publicly announced them. The completely changed their tune in the late 1960s.

The Amendment has actually been changed in the past 20 years. Those that fully support the Amendment have erased the first part from the collective memory.

Think about it, when you hear someone (that fully supports this right) quote the Amendment, they only include “… the right of the people to keep and bear Arms…” Every so often they will throw in the last part about infringed when they are trying to make a point. They rarely, if ever, mention the very first part that includes the very important phrase “A well regulated Militia.” They do this for a very good reason. It completely destroys their argument that every man and woman in the United States has a right to own a gun.

The simple reason for this is because the 2nd Amendment does not actually give citizens a right to bear arms. The 2nd Amendment guarantees a citizen the right to bear arms if they serve in a militia. It is right there in the Amendment.

Take a look at the Bill of Rights for a moment. One theme that should pop out to you is that the language in the Bill of Rights and the rest of the Amendments is not vague. To put it another way the wording is not confusing. Every part of the Amendments is laid out in such a way that is easy to understand. Except, somehow, the 2nd Amendment.

This is the main reason why I do not believe that the Amendment is left vague or confusing. It is really simple and straightforward.

Let me re-arrange the wording to help out:

The right of the people to keep and bear arms for a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, shall not be infringed.

Does it make more sense now? Despite the NRA’s attempts, the two sections of the Amendment are not meant to be separated, 'cause linguistics. If the Founder’s had wanted the two sections to work independently of each other they would have included a very important word. And. Take a look.

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, AND, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Mueller Tasks an Adviser With Getting Ahead of Pre-Emptive Pardons

Source: Bloomberg

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has a distinctly modern problem. The president, judging by his tweets, could try to pardon people in his circle even before prosecutors charge anyone with a crime.

Mueller’s all-star team of prosecutors, with expertise in money laundering and foreign bribery, has an answer to that. He’s Michael Dreeben, a bookish career government lawyer with more than 100 Supreme Court appearances under his belt.

Acting as Mueller’s top legal counsel, Dreeben has been researching past pardons and determining what, if any, limits exist, according to a person familiar with the matter. Dreeben’s broader brief is to make sure the special counsel’s prosecutorial moves are legally airtight. That could include anything from strategizing on novel interpretations of criminal law to making sure the recent search warrant on ex-campaign adviser Paul Manafort’s home would stand up to an appeal.

"He’s seen every criminal case of any consequence in the last 20 years," said Kathryn Ruemmler of Latham & Watkins LLP, who served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama. "If you wanted to do a no-knock warrant, he’d be a great guy to consult with to determine if you were exposing yourself.”

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-03/mueller-tasks-adviser-with-getting-ahead-of-pre-emptive-pardons

Every Member of Congress Who Took Money From the NRA

and Tweeted 'Thoughts and Prayers' to Las Vegas

Americans woke up on Monday morning to learn of yet another horrific act of gun violence in the United States—this time a mass shooting in Las Vegas that left at least 58 people dead and more than 500 injured. But it seems unlikely that the politicians in a position to actually change our gun laws will actually do something about it, because they never do.

So, in lieu of any substantive gun control, what do America’s senators and congresspeople have to offer? That tried and true chestnut of noncommittal national mourning: “Thoughts and prayers.” And just as in the past, those thoughts and prayers seem to have been paid for in part by the National Rifle Association, whose campaign donations and scare-mongering have effectively blocked any life-saving legislation which might prevent a person from getting their hands on a fully automatic machine gun they can then use to pump bullets into dozens of innocent people.

So who is sending their NRA-sponsored well wishes to the victims of the Las Vegas massacre today? Let’s take a look, with a little help from the campaign contribution database at opensecrets.org.

http://splinternews.com/every-member-of-congress-who-took-money-from-the-nra-an-1819059582

The legacy of Activist Judge Antonin Scalia

who trashed 200 years of rational #2ndAmendment law to pander to #NRA, is splattered with blood

https://twitter.com/BettyBowers/status/914987095550173184

This truck is headed to LV now.