Saturday Round Up

Houston DA Scandal-
Mark Bennett has done a masterful job breaking down the email scandal inside the Harris County DA’s office. These posts are a must read.

The latest embarrassment is an email from one Harris ADA that decries “Canadians” on a jury.
Why does that matter? Apparently Canadians is slang for the N-Word.

Mark’s work has inspired an open records request to the Dallas DA for any emails that contain the word “Canadians”. I hope this search turns up nothing.

Hookers and Cops in Chicago-
The Agitator breaks down a recent study on prostitutes in Chicago. It seems that hookers are statistically more likely to have sex with a police officer than get arrested by one.

3% of all tricks by Chicago’s hookers are “protection sex” with police. Another 5% of tricks are given to gang members for protection. Hmmm… corruption, organized crime…reminds me of..Prohibition. That’s because it is.

Prohibition of commercialized sex results in the same externalities as drugs. Fortunately you don’t have to take my word for it.

Nevada’s legal brothels are not only free of pimps and protection sex, they are much safer. Only 20% of professional sex in Chicago involves condoms, compared with 100% at Nevada’s legal brothels.

My Readers Want Law
My views on the federal government and the deficit have drawn some reader criticism. I was even called a “neo con.” I do not break from criminal justice issues often. However, daily copy is difficult and I do have other interests.

I hope my readers understand that I believe there is no “good” big government. All spending requires taxation and coercion. I view taxes as sanctioned theft and the national debt as a direct threat to freedom just like the War on Drugs. The interstate commerce clause is the common thread from Prohibition to Entitlement spending. The parallels are clear to me.

However, I respect my readers and their views. If you disagree with me that is what comments are for. This blog is still 95% law and will stay that way. Thanks for reading.

Help End Home Invasion Searches
The SWAT killing in Lima, Ohio is merely the latest death caused by home invasion drug searches. You can help end these residential paramillitary raids. StoptheDrugWar.org has an easy form to email your local officials to let them know you do not support home invasion searches. I would encourage any IWTS reader to take a few minutes and fill out this simple form.

<img src="http://www.blogge says:

January 13, 2008 at 8:58 am

As you point out, it is nearly impossible to discuss personal liberties and individual freedoms without addressing the fact that the federal government diverts — by force — a substantial portion of the income of each citizen for purposes not chosen by such citizen (and oftentimes for purposes directly in opposition to such citizen’s ethics and moral values). The founders understood that one of the keystones of personal liberty is that a person’s right to dispose of her property as she sees fit according to her individual values should be protected by law (as opposed to subverted by law).Democrats are no better than Republicans (or “conservatives” or “neo-cons”) at recognizing this essential liberty, and indeed they tend to be very touchy about the issue because it reflects a lack of principle on their part. In other words, Democrats tend to be very big on protecting certain liberties (e.g., freedom from unreasonable searches) while actively seeking to curtail other basic liberties (e.g., those springing from property rights).