by Englishman 14 Replies latest jw friends
Englishman,
Just a couple of more things here I hope are correct:
(1) If you cross a state line after commiting a crime it becomes a federal matter.
(2) Judges cannot overturn an innocent verdict by a Jury just a guilty one, and that almost never happens.
(3) When state and federal law are contradictory; the federal law takes preceidences (sp?). An example of that is the medicinal weed law in California.
Jelly
(1) only applies to certain specific kinds of crime, and then it's a matter of moving something or somebody across the state line, just commiting a crime and then crossing the state line does not make it federal
Thanks again to everyone who responded. I would have come back earlier but I was getting my ZZzz's when the posts were made, this due to the time difference.
It seems as though each state is really a self governing country in its own right, with certain limitations.
Ging back to my remarks about Louie Woodward, I think it would be great if the British court sytem allowed TV cameras as happens in the US. It's probably only a matter of time.
Englishman.
..... fanaticism masquerading beneath a cloak of reasoned logic.
Hello Englishman,
I worked in the Crown Courts of the UK for eight years as a court reporter, shorthand writer, including the Old Bailey and now I work in the US courts and I can tell you that there are quite a lot of differences.
In the UK I did mainly criminal cases; I was one of the team of court reporters that worked on the Rosemary West trial in Winchester back in 1994. That was an experience. I also had a few celeb trials, including the Freddie Starr case where his gardener was accused of stealing from him. He was found guilty although he maintained that the items of jewelry were exchanged for sexual favours.( By the way, when he got out of prison after a year or so he moved right across the street from me in Reading!)
I also did the murder case with no body and the ex-policeman, Buckingham Palace guard that stalked and murdered his wife a few years back.
I also sat throught many sad child abuse cases and lots of fraud, including some of the Maxwell fiasco.
In my opinion, I think the British system is better than the US system as far as the proceedings goes. US courts can be more entertaining when it comes to a slinging match, and UK attorneys are much more polite. Plus, the hours are better. In the UK most judges roll into court around 10:30, whereas here in the US, 8:30 is standard.
There are stark differences when it comes to life sentences. Life in the UK is 14 years mandatory with the Home Office making the recommondation as to release, if ever.
In the US life can mean anything from 50 to 300 plus years. Some states also favour the death penalty. I happen to reside in one now at the moment.
Hope this answers some of your enquiries.
Dins
It seems as though each state is really a self governing country in its own right, with certain limitations.
that is exactly what the U.S. is or was. the fed. gov. is taking more and more states rights away every year.
in the beginning of the gulf war the president called out the national guard. it was techanically illegal for the president to make war with out an act of congress.
massachusetts refused, the govenor was against sending out trups and the govenor is the supreme commander and chief of this, in state, branch of the military not the president.
isn't that what you guys are doing in europe now, making the united states of europe?
