Re: [Bikies] Hung jury and Cap Times editorial

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:25:44 -0700

I urge this list-serve to refrain from a lynch-mob mentality when it comes to these tragedies.  You collectively are obfuscating the issue of rights and responsibilities.  Did I ever say he had a constitutional right to drive like a jackass, or that anyone has a constitutional right to drive like a jackass?  No, I didn't.  What Sorum is entitled to is to not be convicted of a crime without unanimous agreement of a jury.  There was not such a unanimous agreement.  Only the jury heard all the evidence and was questioned as to their biases, so they were uniquely qualified to determine Sorum's guilt.  He was not found to be guilty.  Maybe you all would have come to a different conclusion.  That's fine, but that does not qualify you all to conclude that the jury's failure to reach a verdict reflects any defect in our system.

On 7/6/06, Ann Freiwald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Jeff is absolutely right, Sorum has a the privilege of driving his car because he has a license to do so, and I presume his car is properly registered. HOWEVER, it is hardly his or anyone else's "constitutional right" to drive a car, bike, boat, airplane in a manner dangerous to another person. He had a very simple solution to his problem and one that would have let Jessie see her next birthday, that is PULL OVER and look in the mirror down your throat. That is not too much of an inconvienence to ask when the option is putting someone in their grave. Robert, you are not being a skunk at a party, rather you are being unreasonable. None of us bike riders/pedestrians/car drivers are looking to deprive Mr. Sorum of his constitutional rights, we are asking him and other drivers to use their vehicles responsibly or pay the price with some jail time and fines.
 
Ann M. Freiwald, ASLA
 

From: Schimpff, Jeff A [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 12:40 PM
To: Robert F. Nagel; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Bikies] Hung jury and Cap Times editorial

 
Driving is a regulated privilege and not a right.  Therefore, looking into a mirror at one's throat while under way in a motor vehicle, rather than taking the reasonable precaution of pulling to the side of the road before checking one's physical condition, and killing someone who is not threatening you, is also not a protected right.

P Jeff Schimpff
Bureau of Science Services
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
"Bus, Bike, Walk or Carpool to Work for Clean Air for Kids"
(() phone:      (608) 267- 7853
( () fax:              (608) 267-5231
(+) e-mail:     [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Robert F. Nagel
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 12:00 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Bikies] Hung jury and Cap Times editorial

 
I hate to be a skunk at the party, but it is never "bad news" when an individual exercise his constitutional rights and he is not convicted of serious crime because a jury of his peers is not unanimously convinced beyond a reasonable doubt of his guilt.  It would be far worse news if our system of justice and rights failed us and someone was wrongfully convicted.  There is no allegation that the jury "wrongfully" failed to agree on Sorum's guilt.  The evidence was presented to them and they made their decision. 

On 6/29/06, Robbie Webber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
In case Bikies haven't seen the paper today, there is some depressing
news. But in a nice coincidence (or maybe smart editorial placement),
there is also an excellent editorial by Chuck Strawser.

First, the bad news. Both the Cap Times and State Journal report a
mistrial because of a hung jury in the trial of Tracy Sorum, the
motorist that hit and killed Jessica Bullen almost exactly one year ago.
The DA is trying to decide whether to retry the case. The comments by
the defense attorney just make me ill. Here are the links:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/index.php?ntid=89418&ntpid=2
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/index.php?ntid=89493

Then, the better news. Chuck Strawser wrote an excellent editorial that
was published in the Cap Times today. Maybe it was always planned for
today, but I also wonder if the editorial staff looked at the news
section, and thought this would be a good counter balance.

Anyway, take a look, and kudos to Chuck.
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/index.php?ntid=89431&ntpid=0

-- Robbie

--
Robbie Webber
Bicycle Friendly Communities Coordinator
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
www.bfw.org
608-251-4456 (office)
608-233-1390 (home)
608-225-0002 (cell)

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--
Robert F. Nagel
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.nagel-law.com
634 W. Main St., #201
Madison, WI  53703
608-255-1501
608-255-1504 fax



--
Robert F. Nagel
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.nagel-law.com
634 W. Main St., #201
Madison, WI  53703
608-255-1501
608-255-1504 fax 
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