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Whiskeytide

(4,652 posts)

59. It HAS always been that way...

Thu May 31, 2012, 11:47 AM

May 2012

... but government's role use to be to try and level the scales at least a bit because it had to respond - lethargically, but still respond - to public opinion. Consumer protection laws, anti-trust laws, regulatory agencies, trial lawyers - they all use to have some teeth, and big money was a little afraid of them. Even politicians use to have to pander to the public at least a little for votes, and could never be outright caught consorting with big money interests. The problem is that the 1% got to the media - especially TV, and now public opinion can be "shaped" rather than merely catered to. Now they can buy politicians openly, and if there's flak about it, they run an ad/pundit/talking head campaign to squelch it.

I really believe Watergate and the Nixon scandal was the single greatest educational event for the right wing in the last 100 years. They learned what they had to do to not get exposed again. And they've done it.

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An 18 year old girl was killed by a texting drunk driver. He was just acquitted. He is rich. [View all] Godhumor May 2012 OP

That's inexplicable. The Velveteen Ocelot May 2012 #1

WTF? whathehell May 2012 #12

Yes that makes it worse to me. Hardly a defense. KurtNYC May 2012 #14

Jeebus... whathehell May 2012 #47

Many do. My BIL used to work in the ER and said that when KurtNYC May 2012 #112

Talk about chutzpah! whathehell May 2012 #129

He flipping deleted texts and wiped down his car. MattBaggins May 2012 #86

if he hit an animal, why wipe down the car and delete texts? SemperEadem May 2012 #115

Is texting while driving illegal in NY? There should be records. The Wielding Truth May 2012 #116

Yes, it is Godhumor May 2012 #126

So if involved in a crash while texting and someone is killed,all they do is take your phone? The Wielding Truth Jun 2012 #157

Yes, If that doesn't qualify as "knowledge of guilt", I don't know what does! whathehell May 2012 #131

A jury that's too enamored of and bedazzled by position, liberalhistorian May 2012 #143

A juror who was interviewed said the prosecution didn't address the issue pnwmom May 2012 #102

Jeebus...I've got to send this my sister whathehell May 2012 #130

Yep, I thought of the Senser case when I read this. n/t geardaddy May 2012 #45

I hope there is an attorney out there ready for a huge civil suit. nt nanabugg May 2012 #113

.... abelenkpe May 2012 #119

I attend graduate school in Minneapolis during the week, liberalhistorian May 2012 #142

What's up with the jury? Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #2

The jurors names and faces should be on every front page in Buffalo n/t radhika May 2012 #68

um...no Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #70

If the decision was honest, I'm sure they'd be proud to stand by it n/t radhika May 2012 #72

It's not what these jurors think its about future jurors Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #74

Actually, I do get your point - and my second comment was sarcastic...but radhika May 2012 #97

"If you're not doing anything wrong, you have no need for privacy!" TheWraith May 2012 #93

sadly, too many people... awoke_in_2003 May 2012 #121

kilted? trumad May 2012 #3

Already have. Damn that auto-complete n/t Godhumor May 2012 #5

When I first saw this thread I thought maybe English wasn't your 1st language Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #71

One set of rules for the wealthy, and another set for the rest of us CanonRay May 2012 #4

Exactly right. n/t DLevine May 2012 #7

Apparently the DA (read: The System) put up a strong case. It was the jury that did this. Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #11

Jury hasn't spoken about decision yet, but the consensus is they believed his testimony Godhumor May 2012 #15

ditto. It's just stunning. n/t Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #22

What was his BAC? nt msanthrope May 2012 #34

He refused the breathalyzer and had his blood forcibly drawn 5 hours after the hit and run Godhumor May 2012 #57

So he challenged the estimated BAC, and the jury believed his expert? msanthrope May 2012 #65

5 hours after, his BAC was still 0.1 Godhumor May 2012 #73

If that is what the jury faced, then I can tell you you win that case on msanthrope May 2012 #85

ironically, a juror was dismissed on the 5th day after being cited for aggravated DWI Godhumor May 2012 #91

That is fucking appalling. joshcryer May 2012 #123

As a doctor, he may have known how to purge alcohol from his system with deep breathing. AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #88

Whether he saw or didn't see the girl should not had been a defense. LiberalFighter May 2012 #78

I suppose it never occurred to the dumbfucks liberalhistorian May 2012 #145

Most juries are full of morons. Odin2005 May 2012 #81

Here are some reasons cited by a juror. pnwmom May 2012 #103

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl May 2012 #146

I've come to the point of view recently 14thColony May 2012 #26

They want slavery Johonny May 2012 #37

It's called Bastard Feudalism malthaussen May 2012 #40

Yup...I took a history course awhile ago and it seems that at one time whathehell May 2012 #50

Ha-ha. That's a good one! Interesting question: which was worse for workers, coalition_unwilling May 2012 #55

Read "The Great Gatsby", especially how Tom & Daisy cover up a hit and run. SharonAnn May 2012 #75

Oh, we've never moved beyond fudalism. joshcryer May 2012 #124

Today? TODAY? liberalhistorian May 2012 #144

he'll kill again warrior1 May 2012 #6

His next victim may well be a patient Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #8

exactly lunasun Jun 2012 #150

What's up with the judge, he could ask the jury how they came to this conclusion... uponit7771 May 2012 #9

The good doctor.. Fumesucker May 2012 #10

no but he looks like a drunk to me. barbtries May 2012 #42

I have seen the face of evil. nt MrYikes May 2012 #13

My God, when I saw his pic I immediatey thought the same thing. Eerie. lumpy May 2012 #36

I've said for years, ever since the O.J. crap that Drale May 2012 #16

I understand that as an "ideal", but ... surrealAmerican May 2012 #87

I see a possible reason why the jury ruled the way it did atreides1 May 2012 #17

There is no justice in this Nation anymore. 99Forever May 2012 #18

Is it possible MrYikes May 2012 #19

Anything is possible. 99Forever May 2012 #24

Anymore? NYC Liberal May 2012 #21

As Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog wrote so many years ago: coalition_unwilling May 2012 #56

It HAS always been that way... Whiskeytide May 2012 #59

Well, we have seen this before. NYC Liberal May 2012 #106

the jury made Bellerophon May 2012 #51

You actually think... 99Forever May 2012 #89

are you Bellerophon May 2012 #92

And you think the only way a jury's decision... 99Forever May 2012 #98

the Bellerophon May 2012 #100

Piffle. 99Forever May 2012 #148

This message was self-deleted by its author dionysus May 2012 #99

Got money and connections you can get away with anything in this country. WI_DEM May 2012 #20

Anyone... of any age, caught driving & texting.... AlbertCat May 2012 #23

Its moving in an interesting direction. napoleon_in_rags May 2012 #120

Why shouldn't passengers be allowed to text? Can they differentiate between a driver and passenger? Ghost in the Machine Jun 2012 #151

Yeah I was thinking about that. napoleon_in_rags Jun 2012 #154

He hit a skateboarder wearing dark clothing at 11:40 pm? msanthrope May 2012 #25

The prosecution showed how the victim was highly visible from a significant distance Godhumor May 2012 #39

Why are you shocked? malthaussen May 2012 #41

It was Dan White who used the Twinkie Defense to get off of murdering Harvey Milk. n/t backscatter712 May 2012 #43

Have any links on that evidence? Ultimately the jury does not have to buy msanthrope May 2012 #46

I misspoke, it was testimony not introduced evidence Godhumor May 2012 #77

He was too drunk to process what he was seeing rocktivity May 2012 #52

Even if he was, he should still get manslaughter. The fact that the jury bought the argument... joshcryer May 2012 #125

He would have stopped if he knew he'd hit a human? I hit anything, I STOP. proud2BlibKansan May 2012 #27

He admits he KNOWS he hit something rocktivity May 2012 #35

And once again SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #28

Pure sociopathy. This is how a typical corporation behaves. This is how Capitalism behaves. Zalatix May 2012 #29

Would it be possible to have his medical license removed? Fresh_Start May 2012 #30

k and r..nt Stuart G May 2012 #31

Our legal system obviously favors the wealthy over the poor. ZombieHorde May 2012 #32

A judge can nullify a verdict if he feels it doesn't fit the evidence. rocktivity May 2012 #33

a judge can not nullify an acquittal. msanthrope May 2012 #38

A judge can nullify a conviction (in some jurisdictions), but not an acquittal alcibiades_mystery May 2012 #61

Hopefully the civil case will be more 'successful' azurnoir May 2012 #44

This message was self-deleted by its author TalkingDog May 2012 #48

That case needs to be reviewed and reexamined. Baitball Blogger May 2012 #49

Some pigs are more equal than others. raouldukelives May 2012 #53

Well said. I couldn't agree with you more. n/t DLevine May 2012 #90

DUIWR* isn't a crime. Ask George Bush. lastlib May 2012 #54

This happened near me Smilo May 2012 #58

There will be a different kind of justice, though not criminal. Geoff R. Casavant May 2012 #60

I was thinking similarly ut oh May 2012 #104

They can't put Dr. Corsanti in jail Hubert Flottz May 2012 #62

WTF is in the BUffalo drinking water? benld74 May 2012 #63

Doesn't exactly Meiko May 2012 #64

money talks, bullshit walks datasuspect May 2012 #66

blame the victim mentality? magical thyme May 2012 #67

So remind me what makes us different from a banana republic? nt valerief May 2012 #69

This is what Bush has done to America deaniac21 May 2012 #76

Um......no, don't think so. liberalhistorian May 2012 #147

Laws only apply to us little people. Odin2005 May 2012 #79

I understand being upset about a death... harmonicon May 2012 #80

for those interested, quick bullet points on the case Godhumor May 2012 #82

Can you confirm something I read about this trial? July May 2012 #117

Correct on all points. He called his lawyer before the police Godhumor May 2012 #127

Thanks for the confirmation. July May 2012 #128

to the aristocracy, only their own miserable lives are worth anything. librechik May 2012 #83

This is about the power of attorneys. Gregorian May 2012 #84

a bamboozled nation that pretends it has no class system ............ ManyShadesOf May 2012 #118

well BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2012 #155

Thanks. Common sense was what I was thinking of too. Gregorian Jun 2012 #156

hey Gregorian ... BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2012 #158

Tell me more about Carole Gilligan Gregorian Jun 2012 #159

Let's not forget the doctor (surgeon IIRC) that was riding his bike and was run down by a Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #94

Well, the system was fair. He won. It sucks but no way to change it. He has a right to spend... Logical May 2012 #95

I don't get it...You're just finding out that Blue_Tires May 2012 #96

I would have no choice but to kill him. MrSlayer May 2012 #101

sometimes you get 12 good men (and women) Looks like they got 12 ignorant dumbfucks. CBGLuthier May 2012 #105

This is unbelievable. The judge and jury should be ashamed. Catherine Vincent May 2012 #107

The boyfriend of the mother had to be removed from court Godhumor May 2012 #132

If he's rich he must be a productive member of society. athenasatanjesus May 2012 #108

Shows what a good lawyer can do. There is still the state medical board---he McCamy Taylor May 2012 #109

I want something to happen. 2ndAmForComputers May 2012 #110

I'll say it for you... DontTreadOnMe May 2012 #149

Also possible one of the jurors knows someone who is a patient of the doctor. McCamy Taylor May 2012 #111

kneecap him in civil court SemperEadem May 2012 #114

Corsanti might well get a stiff neck from this DFW May 2012 #122

Here's the scene ahimsa May 2012 #133

I drove past it today on my way home from work. The memorial is much larger now Godhumor May 2012 #135

Surprised headline isn't... ThoughtCriminal May 2012 #137

Alix Rice's parents are much better people than I could ever hope to be bupkus May 2012 #134

Good God, read this account of Corasanti's actions and statements bupkus May 2012 #136

OJ Simpson got off on his first trial.. MicaelS May 2012 #138

A case where the rich guy was not even charged with a felony: freshwest May 2012 #139

a super-rich guy hit & runs a middle-of-the-road rich guy. wow. how in the hell do you not HiPointDem May 2012 #140

When I was 16, I worked at the country club Corsanti was driving home from... The Doctor. May 2012 #141

OJ libodem Jun 2012 #152

Corsanti should thank god Hawkowl Jun 2012 #153

Three words: Wrongful Death Lawsuit KamaAina Jun 2012 #160