Considering Self-Defense: At Volokh Conspiracy this morning, Eugene Volokh posted his thoughts on what he calls "Self-Defense Blindness." Volokh describes "self-defense blindness" as "complete failure to even consider self-defense as one of the functions
of a gun or other weapon. Either the speaker doesn't even think of
self-defense, or at least he assumes that the listener can be persuaded
not to think of self-defense." Volokh writes that this curious phenomenon doesn't occur much, but he has found in it Attorney General Opinions and court decisions. The problem with these examples is that "they seem to be part of a broader blindness to self-defense," and a weapon's role in self-defense. This is interesting since, as Volokh points out, every U.S. state "legally allow[s] self-defense."
With Money Tight, Should Criminal Justice Be the First Thing We Cut?: At Sentencing Law and Policy, Doug Berman stretches logic to imply that yesterday's Tea Party protests against "giant government programs" indicate it might be time to cut criminal justice programs "that 'create huge economic burdens' in the course of seeking to execute certain murderers, chasing lots of drug users and dealers, and locking up many thousands of individuals." But when money is tight, personal safety should be the one thing that people can expect from their government. The rest of our freedoms don't mean much if we don't feel safe.
DOJ Promises Not to Prosecute for Harsh Interrogation Practices: According to Joe Palazzolo at Blog of the Legal Times, Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. has announced that CIA officials who used harsh interrogation tactics on suspected terrorist will not face federal prosecution. Holder also announced that the government will provide free legal assistance to any official who is sued for participating in the now-banned program. The government has also promised to indemnify "to the extent permissible under federal law" the officials for any money judgment imposed against them, and to represent them in any congressional investigation. These remarks followed the announcement that the Obama Administration will release four torture memos "issued by the Office of Legal Counsel between 2002 and 2005..."
With Money Tight, Should Criminal Justice Be the First Thing We Cut?: At Sentencing Law and Policy, Doug Berman stretches logic to imply that yesterday's Tea Party protests against "giant government programs" indicate it might be time to cut criminal justice programs "that 'create huge economic burdens' in the course of seeking to execute certain murderers, chasing lots of drug users and dealers, and locking up many thousands of individuals." But when money is tight, personal safety should be the one thing that people can expect from their government. The rest of our freedoms don't mean much if we don't feel safe.
DOJ Promises Not to Prosecute for Harsh Interrogation Practices: According to Joe Palazzolo at Blog of the Legal Times, Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. has announced that CIA officials who used harsh interrogation tactics on suspected terrorist will not face federal prosecution. Holder also announced that the government will provide free legal assistance to any official who is sued for participating in the now-banned program. The government has also promised to indemnify "to the extent permissible under federal law" the officials for any money judgment imposed against them, and to represent them in any congressional investigation. These remarks followed the announcement that the Obama Administration will release four torture memos "issued by the Office of Legal Counsel between 2002 and 2005..."
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