(September 24, 2015 at 5:41 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote:(September 24, 2015 at 3:40 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I see in some places we are already there.
Thanks, Rock.
It's not in the article, but in Missouri, many counties are sending prisoners a "bill" for each day they stayed in the county jails... of course, in prison, they cannot work except at $40/month (max!) jobs, so the bill follows them back on the street, and may result in their reincarceration. While in prison, it means that whatever money they do earn (minus $5/month for soap, toothpaste, etc) is taken from their pay and sent to the county. It also means that if you fight your case, which may result in a minimum stay of 8 months (Speedy Trial limit in Missouri) or more likely a year or two (since Public Defenders in this state have the right to wave your Speedy Trial rights for you, and usually do because they're so swamped with cases, then tell you about it later), putting pressure on the defendant to plead out quickly so they don't stack up a bill.
I filed cases on behalf of some of the inmates, claiming the practice is unconstitutional as a violation of Equal Protection, but none of them had made it to the appeals court ruling stage (local courts always shoot down the first round of inmate petitions, requiring an appeal, which has a "filing fees" of $90 at each level of court applied to, so $270 in total, not counting xerox copies and stamps to mail the numerous copies required to apply) by the time I got out.
The eighth amendment is supposed to protect against excessive fines, which makes this unconstitutional. Not that I'm horribly surprised they ignore the constitution when it suits them. It also protects against cruel and unusual punishments, but some people still think we should torture people at Guantanamo and wherever else they feel like doing it.
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html