Anthony Levandowski Pardoned • Hacker News Board

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#271

Post by saalweachter » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:12 PM UTC

koheripbal wrote: post #258

ModernMech wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not true -- double jeopardy applies to the same jurisdiction. You can certainly be charged in state and federal court for the same crime.

Actually, you are correct. https://www.wklaw.com/double-jeopardy-federal/ Of course, there's still the limitation that the State would need to find it's own law that the accused violated - they have no jurisdiction over Federal law (and vice-versa). Still... it doesn't sit quite right with me. If someone is acquitted by a jury in, let's say, Rhode Island for murder. It doesn't seem right that the Federal government c…

Isn't that exactly why federal hate-crime legislation exists? To allow a do-over in federal court if juries in some jurisdictions ignore crimes against some victims?

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#272

Post by rsynnott » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:13 PM UTC

refurb wrote: post #62

amatecha wrote: post #59

Issued on January 20th, 2021.... Didn't Joe Biden just win the popular vote with 51.3% on... November 3rd, 2020, over two months ago? Why does the US political system wait months to enact the peoples' will? I don't understand this at all.

Is this a serious question? This is what most systems do right? Hold an election and then the newly elected sit at some later point in time. Or are you suggesting the second we know the winner the previous president should be booted out?

So, most developed democracies are parliamentary democracies, and don't have executive presidents. In that case, it's normally pretty rapid. For instance, Ireland held a general election on the 8th of Feb 2020, the 32nd Dail was dissolved on the 14th of Feb 2020, and the 33rd Dail convened on the 20th. In that particular case, the cabinet (the executive) stayed in power as a caretaker government for months afterwards (and took major decisions over covid) because the new Dail struggled to either appoint a new prime minister or call a new election (covid was unhelpful there), but that's very abnormal.

In presidential and quasi-presidential systems, it typically takes a week or so. The US really is an anomaly here.

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#273

Post by preommr » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:13 PM UTC

jmull wrote: post #251

JeremyNT wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to "both sides" this too much, because I do feel like there's a new, special level of corruption and self-dealing on display with this administration, but it's not uncommon for these guys to use pardons for personal gain or the benefits of their friends. For a little context and flavor, remember that Clinton pardoned some real winners on his last day too, including some guy who paid $200k to Hillary Clinton's bro…

> Not to "both sides" What do you think you just did?

They framed a relevant point that furthers the discussion in a way that was less ambiguous and less likely to do harm.

For me personally, it's frustrating to see comments about things like whataboutism when they're obviously just to deflect and distract.

At the very least, with caveats like saying "I don't support this, but..." there's some level of acknowledgement of, "yes, this might be veering into sketchy waters".

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#274

Post by 0goel0 » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:13 PM UTC

bluelu wrote: post #96

According to https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/19/former-google-engineer-ant... "Instead, Alsup sentenced Lewandowski to 18 months, but delayed his prison time until the pandemic was under control. Levandowski also agreed to pay $756,499.22 in restitution to Waymo and a fine of $95,000." So he didn't even spend a single minute in prison. Wow

This is by design. White collar crime is rarely prosecuted and convicted.

https://www.huffpost.com/highline/article/white-collar-crime...

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#275

Post by draw_down » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:14 PM UTC

gorgoiler wrote: post #204

kenneth wrote: post #86

Seems the comments here are mostly negative — saying his pardon is an example of corruption and that he should be in jail. Personally, I think that the ability for gigantic corporations' ability to not only sue their former employees or influence justice to get them thrown in jail by the government is a much bigger problem. And generally I feel like prison sentences for white-collar and non-violent crime is in almost…

I’m not really interested in seeing Levandowski sent to jail either. People like him are a menace to society and shouldn’t be allowed to operate companies or deploy capital. Society blesses individuals with the privilege to form a company and in exchange those company officers are expected to make a net positive contribution to society. Jobs, investment, progress. If you fail to do that — through stealing, fraud, cor…

Society blesses individuals with privilege?

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#276

Post by 0goel0 » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:15 PM UTC

refurb wrote: post #165

bluelu wrote: post #96

According to https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/19/former-google-engineer-ant... "Instead, Alsup sentenced Lewandowski to 18 months, but delayed his prison time until the pandemic was under control. Levandowski also agreed to pay $756,499.22 in restitution to Waymo and a fine of $95,000." So he didn't even spend a single minute in prison. Wow

I mean serious criminals are being released from prison in CA due to Covid so I’m not sure he’s getting special treatment in that aspect.

What's not serious about stealing and selling trade secrets, jeopardizing life-saving R&D, blatantly disrespecting the law, and walking away with hundreds of millions of dollars expecting not to be caught?

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#277

Post by prepend » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:15 PM UTC

pygy_ wrote: post #146

limaoscarjuliet wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A SCUBA diver here. Apparently we are all racist while submerged.

When you read "inflammable", you can often, from the context, determine whether it means flammable or not. Sometimes you can't. The same applies to the OK sign. Flashing it surrounded by notorious racists after the 4chan hoax leaves no doubt about the intended meaning. Also, given that's it's now been coopted by nazis, you may want to be careful when flashing it if you want to avoid embarrassing ambiguities, yes. It…

> Flashing it surrounded by notorious racists after the 4chan hoax leaves no doubt about the intended meaning.

Trolling is a meaning. I think in that situation it’s even more ambiguous since the “troll power” is so much greater then.

I think it’s unambiguous that the user is a shit-stirrer certainly, probably an asshole. But not necessarily racist. Or no more so than your average run of the mill “everyone is racist subconsciously” racist.

I think what’s hard is that it’s a negative thing to do that brings more chaos and harm into the world. It could be racist/white power that is super bad, let’s say 100 on the bad-o-meter. Or it could be trolling the pearl clutchers that is mildly bad, let’s say 11 on the bad-o-meter. And for scale, punching someone in the face is 200 and murdering someone is 1000.

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#278

Post by josefresco » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:16 PM UTC

adventured wrote: post #186

me_me_me wrote: post #174

The fact that even fox news was onboard with pardoning Julian Assange and then he pardons Levandowski is... well ironic is an understatement. I am failing to find a word that encapsulates my feelings.

Trump isn't considered a Republican by any of the powerful people in the Republican Party, or most of its big traditional financial backers (the Kochs particularly dislike him). It's why people like Mitch McConnell turned on him when it was clear Trump's power was gone. It's why they did everything they could to prevent him from winning the party nomination in the first place. The other Republican candidates were ver…

"Trump running was merely an arrangement with his former pals the Clintons"

You're reaching.

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#279

Post by n4r9 » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:17 PM UTC

secondcoming wrote: post #237

zimpenfish wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe the US Government (as opposed to states) hadn't executed anyone for something like 12 years (covering 3 transition periods) and then in about 3 months, executed 13. It's definitely not scheduling.

Right ok, But what I'm trying to find out is if these execution dates were set when the people were found guilty, or if someone just decided the execution dates recently.

Propublica has a good behind-the-scenes take on it:

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-trump-and-barrs-la...

In short, there has been a push to resume executions for nearly ten years, and it has accelerated during Trump's presidency (he campaigned on a strong pro-execution platform). In summer 2019 a shortlist was made of prisoners already on Death Row, whose appeals had failed. They then moved as quickly as they could to schedule the executions, quash further appeals and pass litigation to make them happen.

Re: Anthony Levandowski Pardoned

#280

Post by dagw » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 2:20 PM UTC

koheripbal wrote: post #232

wahern wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A pardon requires delivery and acceptance. (Actually, I think delivery is incomplete without acceptance.) Theoretically an incoming president could recall the pardon if it hasn't been delivered. Not sure what may constitute as delivery; or acceptance, for that matter. I don't think the manner of delivery or acceptance has been tested, let alone enumerated. If it's as simple as a phone call, then presumably nothing co…

This is not mentioned anywhere in the text of the pardon power of the Constitution. What gives you the impression pardons are limited to those that are "delivered" and/or "accepted". How would that even be legally demonstrated to a court.

What gives you the impression pardons are limited to those that are "delivered" and/or "accepted".

The Supreme Court apparently ruled that way in a case a long time ago and that precedence has never been challenged (or come up again for that matter)

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9IRZ9FzWEA

But realistically if they tried to revoke a pardon today it would certainly go to the Supreme Court again and they would almost certainly rule the other way.