Brickbat: The People's Court

Credit: Broker | Dreamstime.com

In Florida, Fourth Circuit Chief Judge Mark Mahon has banned any speech on Duval County courthouse grounds that might "degrade or call into question the integrity of the court or any of its judges." Mahon's order also covers passing out literature.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Action News Law and Safety expert Dale Carson says the judge's order is over-reaching.

"Is it constitutional?" Action News asked.

"That's a good question. It doesn't matter. It's an order of the court," Carson said.

What, was Action News Law and Safety expert Dale Carson on the steps of the courthouse when they asked him about it? That's all he has to say? "Yeah, but what can ya do."

That's some ace reporting.

[Adans smith]

Ignorance can be cured,stupid is forever

[Vapourwear]

Note it says legal expert and not lawyer.

I'm dubious about him being either.

[Adans smith]

I'm dubious most lawyers are legal experts.

[Lee G]

Experts agree

[Monty Crisco]

Restrictions on speech and published opinions? SOUNDS CONSTITUTIONAL TO ME!!!

Seriously, WHAT THE EVERLIVING FUCK is going on with our legal system? If a JUDGE (FFS!!) decides that he is going to rule in a blatantly unconstitutional fashion on an issue that even a child would realize is the foundation of our constitution and the codification of our natural rights, what conclusion can we draw?
With the Robert's court and the Obama Administration, has the country at large (especially the local judges and pols) just decided that laws and constitutional amendments and legal decisions just mean whatever the fuck we want them to mean?

What the fuck is going on?

[Galactic Chipper Cdr Lytton]

It's like the government is parading around in its new fine garments and daring anyone to actually say the emperor has not clothes on.

[Galactic Chipper Cdr Lytton]

*no clothes on

[Adans smith]

Think Chris Chistie naked. {shudders]

[Fist of Etiquette]

Relax. He's totally seen the error of his ways. (After media lawsuits.)

Seriously, how many bad decisions does this genius make from the bench on a daily basis that don't get revisited because no one big enough is noticing.

[Vapourwear]

I was just bitching to my wife as follows:

*Channels Ron White*

"I guess Judge Mahon was absent on FIRST AMENDMENT DAY."

Doesn't seem like he understands First Amendment jurisprudence OR the legal significance of the flammability of celluloid....

[UnCivilServant]

Are you talking about the torts generated by the exploding billiard balls?

[Curtisls701]

It is PINAC that's involved, and that filed a federal lawsuit against this ruling. This is an organization I support.

[Jerryskids]

I've been saying for the last few years that this is the direction we're going. Remember that cop in NYC (IIRC) that got into trouble for saying that "if Obama doesn't follow the Constitution, why should we"? Once the Constitution is no longer the Supreme Law of the Land, who or what is? If the President doesn't obey the Constitution, why should the Attorney General or the Secretary of State obey the Constitution - or why should they even obey the President? And why does any regional/deputy/assistant/under-secretary have to obey his boss? Every agency becomes its own law and every agency head becomes warlord of his own little fiefdom and every under-warlord rules whatever fiefdom he has the balls and the SWAT team to claim as his own. This judge was just staking out his own little claim, he just made the mistake of not getting a surplus MRAP and some full-auto weps for his bailiffs first. It's little enough compared to what the FCC and the FDA and the EPA have recently claimed as their territory, and try not to think about the DoJ's claim that they have worldwide jurisdiction and US law covers the entire planet.

[AlmightyJB]

"even a child would realize is the foundation of our constitution"

And yet it took 8 years to overturn McCain-Feingold. I'm not even sure SCOTUS would rule Citizens United the same way today.

[straffinrun]

"degrade or call into question the integrity of the court or any of its judges."

He continued, "We can do that ourselves with this policy."

[Mr Lizard]

You mammals are going to need a larger bulk cellulose processing device.

[Gene]

I'm sure we can scale up.

[AlmightyJB]

Nice Mr. Lizard.

[Vapourwear]

FL Canon of Judicial Conduct 2A:

A Judge Shall Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in all of the Judge's Activities

A judge shall respect and comply with the law and (shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.) [...]

Parentheses Mine

Hmmmm... fascinating.

[sarcasmic]

Rules are meaningless if they are not enforced.

[Pro Libertate]

Um, fuck the draft?

[UnCivilServant]

Another anti-beer commenter?

[Restor-woodchipper-as]

Roll out the woodchippers!

[some guy]

Look, the Constitution is like a hundred years old and you can barely even read the thing any more. Who knows what it says? Besides, what difference, at this point, does it make?

[Libertarian]

Plus, we're talking about Jacksonville here. I'd be surprised if the judges there are even required to wear shoes in court.

[Dark Lord of the wood chipper]

Do flip flops count?

[Spartacus]

Hey now. I lived in Jacksonville for five years, and...uhh...ok, you're right.

[Libertarian]

OT. I thought Drudge was being funny by putting a headline with the word "lurch" in it under Kerry's picture. But it was the AP! Don't tell me we're not making progress!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....9-05-12-33

[Dark Lord of the wood chipper]

Isn't there supposed to be a Judge Nap article here by now? Did the Chinese hackers get it too?

[UnCivilServant]

What if he's been demoting to doing the sad cat? What would the lynx look like in rhetical form?

[Ken Shultz]

"Fourth Circuit Chief Judge Mark Mahon has banned any speech on Duval County courthouse grounds that might "degrade or call into question the integrity of the court or any of its judges." Mahon's order also covers passing out literature."

Judge Mark Mahon is an asshole. I call into question the integrity of his court and Judge Mark Mahon personally. I wish I were local to the Duval County courthouse grounds so I could go there and pass out literature saying so.

[Juvenile Bluster]

Were I up in Jacksonville, I might or might not be standing on the Courthouse steps with a poster of the libertarian woodchipper of doom (Not the real woodchipper of doom. Couldn't trail that thing with my car)

[Ken Shultz]

If a judge and his court ignore the First Amendment rights of people who haven't committed any crime--and aren't even accused of committing a crime--just because they're in close proximity to his court? Then I think it's perfectly reasonable to question the integrity of both Judge Mark Mahon and his court--specifically for that reason.

Here is what the literature I'd pass out would say:

"Because Judge Mahon seeks to violate people's First Amendment rights, we should all question the integrity of his court and his personal integrity".

Make the literature about exercising our First Amendment rights and make the verbiage violate the court order specifically--and you've got a winner.

[0x90]

Fourth Circuit Chief Judge Mark Mahon has banned any speech on Duval County courthouse grounds that might "degrade or call into question the integrity of the court or any of its judges."

Stack overflow.

[Libertarian]

Are you saying that we could face arrest for standing on the courthouse steps and passing out copies of his order?

[Jordan]

The folks at Photography is not a Crime have filed a lawsuit against this clown, and he's since scaled back his order.

[creech]

One more event that evidences the lack of a libertarian activist organization to protest these outrages. I'll take a backseat to no one in praising the growth of Students for Liberty, but it is an intellectual organization. We need an activist group willing to protest, go to jail if necessary. The LP spends all its resources on ballot drives to put unknowns on the ballot. Maybe if they were active in their community on a weekly basis taking on the progs and socons, they would attract more minds and votes.

[goneGalt]

The problem is that all libertarians have jobs. Hard to be an activist when you are conscientious about delivering for your customer/employer.

We'd have to non-coercively contract with activists to engage in these efforts on our behalf.

[creech]

Weekends, evenings, some libs are retired, etc.???

[Entropy Drehmaschine Void]

"We'd have to non-coercively contract with activists to engage in these efforts on our behalf."

Sorry, Old Chap, but *my* orphans are way too busy polishing monocles to be re-purposed as courthouse protesters.