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30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

theintercept.com

121–130 of 577 posts

Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#121
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Just to be clear, the January 6 defendants: - were a group of at least 1000 people - who, among other things, erected a noose on the capitol grounds, brought zip ties and weapons - forcefully overran several capital police barricades intended to deter their entrance - used any weapon available including poles etc to violently attack any police in their way Granted they did not explicitly shoot any federal agents with…

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Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#122
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

30 years for an accessory charge? For someone who did not attend the event? Sounds excessive.

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Is there actual evidence of "intent of mass murder"? It seems speculative at best.

Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#123
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do want violent criminals prosecuted. But the problem is that there is a very clear signal given that prosecution is highly selective. I made my point earlier - if this administration cared about prosecuting violent criminals, they would never have even considered pardoning the J6 criminals. They would additionally call for swift and thorough investigations on the use of force against the killings of protesters in…

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The J6 crowd broke into and overran the legislature to prevent the Constitutional transfer of power from one President to another, following a rally organized by the President that was about to lose power. You are talking like it was a coincidence that they just happened to be there and spontaneously decided to do some trespassing for fun.

If you constrain your analysis to: who is a violent actor, and how severe was the violent act in question, I think you can produce a more reasonable comment tbf.

OK. Let's look at this case of a guy who actually murdered a security guard at a federal building in cold blood, for political reasons, in a drive-by shooting that was organized in advance using the internet. He got 41 years, vs this other guy getting 100 years for attempted murder.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/11/1080311940/alleged-boogaloo-m...

Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being aware that he was moving the zines to obstruct a federal felony investigation is surely relevant. Intent is an important aspect of crime.

In what way could that possibly have obstructed that investigation?

? He moved them because his wife asked him to, because his wife didn't want the police to find them, because they spoke to her motive. So it would have obstructed the investigation by making it harder to prove her motive.

Like how is this complicated? Somebody commits a crime and then calls you and says "Hey can you hide X so the cops don't find it?" Always a crime to hide X in these circumstances.

Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#125

Freedom of speech is absolute. It doesn't matter what the government thinks of the situation. It isn't a "crime" to move publications, even if the police think that. It's sickening how this could even possibly happen.

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Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh. None of your first three points is meant to be illegal. - coordinating using a Signal group - bringing firearms, body armor, and first aid kits to a location just outside a federal facility - taking up a concealed position along a tree line For you to even list them shows a fascist bent. As for fireworks, they might not be illegal either. The only possible crime is the shooting, and only if it was not done in se…

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Btw -

> If you want to concede that it's fascist to want violent criminals prosecuted,

I believe it is fascist to bring trumped up charges for ridiculousness. Say for example the case of “sandwich guy” who the DoJ spent three attempts at a grand jury to bring federal charges. For throwing a fully loaded Subway sandwich at a kitted out ICE officer.

Started by sending a full swat team of twenty armed agents to his apartment. Complete with a slickly produced propaganda video for your enjoyment! https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956114803295953325

Mind you this is, once again, for the violent crime of throwing an Italian hoagie at a federal officer with full body armor.

Then they failed to get a grand jury to indict him on felony assault … finally charging him with misdemeanor assault.

Thankfully he was acquitted.

Tell me that’s not fascist.

Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#128
post #70

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I can't imagine "both side'sing" the situation in the United States right now. The country has been taken over by a criminally corrupt, sick individual, who given his responsibility w.r.t Jan 6th isn't even eligible for the office he holds - the country is collapsing.

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Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#129
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I read, the person who was arrested for transporting zines was not even at the protest or part of the group - just the husband of one of the protestors.

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And you think that's worth a 30 year sentence? I think the founders of the US would disagree.

Also worth noting that the husband did not conceal evidence of the wife committing a crime. Having political zines isn't illegal. The zines were circumstantial evidence that the prosecution wanted to use to characterize her general political views. They had no direct relation to the events at the ICE detention center.

Re: 30-year sentence for transporting zines is a five-alarm fire for free speech

#130
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shifting the goal posts. I’m talking about the selective prosecution and you’ve tried to equate that with hn sentiment. Does it really matter what the double standard is for a bunch of keyboard warriors arguing over imaginary internet points? No! But it makes a shit ton of difference when the state, with a monopoly on violence and justice, makes a public showing over its double standard. That double standard has impa…

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HN is a collection of people with varying viewpoints and backgrounds posting arbitrarily throughout the day. There is no single position to be hypocritical of.

The “Hypocrisy” you are experiencing here is just you having to sort through other people’s opinions and getting upset at the ones that disagree with yours.

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