Jury can consider manslaughter, but not felony murder (based on child abuse) in Zimmerman trial

 

Prosecutors convinced the judge presiding over George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial Thursday to allow jurors to consider manslaughter, but their surprise bid to include felony murder -- based on child abuse --  in the jury instructions was denied after a heated morning session in which an angry defense attorney called the effort a "trick."

Judge Debra Nelson ruled against the prosecution's request that jurors be able to consider a third-degree felony murder charge based on child abuse. Under felony murder statutes, a defendant can be charged with murder if he or she causes someone's death while committing a felony, in this case, according to the prosecution, child abuse. At 17, Trayvon Martin was a minor when he was killed.

"I just don’t think that the evidence supports that," Nelson said of the felony murder charge. "And if I’m not sure about that, I’m not going to charge the jury on that."

Earlier, defense attorney Don West bristled when the prosecution first proposed the third-degree felony murder charge, alleging it was a "trick" by the state.

"Just when I thought this case couldn't get any more bizarre, the state is seeking third degree murder charges based on child abuse?" he said after the prosecution's request. "It's outrageous that the state would seek to do this at this point."

More @ Fox

Priceless: Anti-Graham Billboard

Via WND

Marine pulls gun on rampaging carjacker

That's what the police are here for."  (Yeah, right)

It’s apparent Eliud Martir Montalvo never heard of the old warning about taking a knife to a gunfight.
It was a retired Marine who was carrying a concealed weapon that brought a halt to Montalvo’s alleged crime spree, which included a series of attempted carjackings in Orange County, Fla., this week.

According to WFTV-TV in Orlando, the suspect allegedly tried to steal four cars, one after another, on Tuesday.

Authorities said the attacks all were within a block of one another, and the episode was halted when a Marine Corps veteran, Andrew Koplin, pointed his concealed weapon at the alleged carjacker and kept it there.

More @ WND

Top televangelist: America must 'rise up' like Egypt

A famous U.S. televangelist is urging Americans to take an example from Egyptians who ousted former President Mohamed Morsi and “rise up” to stop Obamacare.

“You know they revolted in Egypt against the oppressive actions of the Muslim Brotherhood, and this example of state socialism is something that Americans should rise up against,” Pat Robertson said Wednesday on the “700 Club,” referring to President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

More @ WND

Federal judge refuses to block Colorado’s ban on high-capacity magazines

 

A federal judge in Denver won’t block a controversial new law banning ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds since the law has already gone into effect, according to the Associated Press.

The sheriffs sought an injunction against the magazine ban pending the outcome of their lawsuit to overturn it. The suit also seeks to overturn another law requiring universal background checks.

“It is already the law of the state and there is nothing for me to enjoin,” Judge Marcia Krieger said.

More @ The Daily Caller

GOP Bill Targets Anti-Gun Hysteria in Schools

Kids will be kids no matter what a school’s policy is on playing with imaginary weapons. They’re going to play cops and robbers, they may chew their pop tart into the shape of a gun and yes, even throw imaginary grenades to save the world from evil forces.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, teachers and school administrators exercised zero-tolerance policies with regard to weapons—real or imagined—but they took it way too far. A heightened sensitivity after such a horrific event is understandable but not exercising any judgment is ridiculous. For many of the kids affected by such policies, it wasn’t just a matter of getting scolded—most of them got suspended and will thus have that on their permanent record.

Now, one lawmaker is taking action. Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) introduced legislation this week that would block federal funding for schools that enforce policies that punish students for playing with imaginary weapons. Via The Hill:

More @ Townhall

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano defends Jack Hunter and Rand Paul

Via WiscoDave

 

Yesterday you saw some hawks, whose ideology is dying and whose worldview is being discredited every day, launch an attack on Senator Rand Paul by attacking one of his brillian aides, Jack Hunter.

Jack’s sin in their eyes was having spoken favorably of states’ rights, and negatively of Lincoln. They can’t seem to recognize that states’ rights–even secession–does not equal racism; it constitutes a brake on the feds’ march to totalitarianism. Most modern day states’ rights advocates recognize the sovereignty of the states and their inherent ability to nullify and avoid federal violations of the Constitution in order to protect life and liberty from an overgrown, intrusive federal leviathan that literally now interferes in or spies on every facet of our lives. And most historians and legal scholars who appreciate personal liberty and limited government recognize that the history of Lincoln’s assaults on civil liberties is a topic capable of divergent views and worthy of exposure.

But really, the hawks and neocons weren’t attacking just Jack—who possesses profound intellectual honesty and who has a gift for reducing complex arguments to understandable terms–for his views on federalism. Everything that was “broken” in the “news” story in the Free Beacon has been public information for a long time. It was not hidden. And it was not news. Some of it was youthful hyperbole, and all of it was sliced and diced out of context.In other words, the neocon world view, which assaulted our civil liberties in a way that would make Lincoln blush and brought us 12 years and two trillion dollars’ worth of useless wars, is crumbling. And it isn’t just crumbling on its own. 

It has a sledgehammer being taken to it every day by Senator Rand Paul. So, when someone does a hit piece on the Senator’s gifted aide, or when you see a vicious attack on the Senator himself as you no doubt will, think about why it is happening. The attacks are coming from those on the losing side of history. 

Complete article, Establishment Attacks Rand Paul on Support of Tenth Amendment, States’ 

Rights, @ Tenth Amendment Center

Effort To Create New State Called ‘North Colorado’ Grows

Via Bill 

 

There’s a growing effort to create a 51st state out of parts of northeast Colorado.

Ten counties, including Weld and Morgan, started talking about seceding last month. Now some people Lincoln and Cheyenne counties say they want to join a new state they’d call “North Colorado.”

Organizers of the secession effort say their interests are not being represented at the state Capitol.

Representatives from the 10 counties held a meeting on Monday in the town of Akron in Weld County to begin mapping the boundaries for the new state they say will represent the interests of rural Colorado.

More with video @ CBS Denver

SystemD as a Game (Trailer is worth a watch)

Here's a video trailer of a new game from Ubisoft.  

It's a dramatic interpretation of what I talk about in Brave New War.  

More @ Global Guerrillas

Caught on Video: Border Patrol Agents Shatter Driver’s Window, Handcuff Him After He Refuses to Cooperate at ‘Internal’ Checkpoint

Via avordvet

 

 Border Patrol agents shattered a driver’s window at a checkpoint in Pine Valley, Calif., when he apparently refused to cooperate with law enforcement officials or consent to a warrantless search of his vehicle. The driver was then removed from his car and put in handcuffs.

The man in the video claims he was stopped at an “internal” Border Patrol checkpoint, meaning inside the United States and not on the U.S.-Mexico border, on May 31. However, the exact location of the checkpoint has not yet been confirmed.

He says he refused to roll the window down or talk to Border Patrol agents at the checkpoint, clearly bringing suspicion upon himself from law enforcement officials.

The man in the video, who was apparently taking photos to document the incident, then claims a German shepherd drug dog was dispatched to inspect his car. He says the dog detected no drugs in his car but detected 42 grams of marijuana in the car next to him.

After consulting with other law enforcement officials, including the Sheriff’s office, video shows the Border Patrol smashing the driver’s front window and remove him from the car.

Watch the video below

More @ The Blaze