Non Violent Crime Amendment

[presence]

Would you support an amendment to the Constitution similar to:

Any infraction of local, state, or federal regulation, statute, or other offence, which does not involve violence, threat of violence, damage, or theft can only be punished by citation and fines. Non payment of those fines can effect consumer credit rating but cannot lead to incarceration or any other remedy. In lieu of payment, those cited should have the option to repay their fines via local community service at the per-capita median wage of the jurisdiction levying the fine.

[osan]

Would you support an amendment to the Constitution similar to:

Any infraction of local, state, or federal regulation, statute, or other offence, which does not involve violence, threat of violence, damage, or theft can only be punished by citation and fines. Non payment of those fines can effect consumer credit rating but cannot lead to incarceration or any other remedy. In lieu of payment, those cited should have the option to repay their fines via local community service at the per-capita median wage of the jurisdiction levying the fine.

How about this:

Any local, state, or federal regulation, statute, or other ordinance, policy, or instrument which prohibits or in any other manner and degree sanctions acts that do not involve criminal violence, criminal damage, or theft is by definition attempting to criminalize valid acts and is therefore itself invalid, carrying no force of law. All invalid legal instruments as addressed herein, regardless of when enacted, shall be ignored at the pleasure of each and every individual as they may see fit while incurring upon themselves no consequences whatsoever for disregarding them. Furthermore, such individuals are hereby recognized and acknowledged as holding the preexistent sovereign authority of Natural Law to defend life, limb, and liberty of themselves and any other individuals against the unauthorized actions of any governmental officer, agent, contractor, or other mechanism or means attempting to enforce such invalid instruments, whether directly or indirectly. Victims of such action by government agents may take any steps they deem necessary to protect themselves, their rights and properties, as well as those of others falling victim to unlawful governmental action as addressed herein, up to and including the taking of life from those who trespass upon them in such manners. Victims of unlawful enforcement shall be immune from any accountability for acts committed directly in defense of self and others against such crimes perpetrated against themselves or those in whose behalf they respond in aid.

Any government official, department, agency, employee, other agent or means thereof acting to enforce invalid legal instruments shall be guilty of having committed one or more felonies, and shall be held strictly liable and accountable, both singly and severally, for each and every violation of human rights committed during such criminal acts of enforcement. Liabilities shall extend to those both criminal and civil in nature and claims of unintentional harm shall not constitute an admissible defense for the accused.

Those government agents and instruments thereof who shall have been convicted under this Amendment shall serve not less than two years at hard labor at the military barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for each and every instance of violation for which they will have been convicted, the maximum penalty not to exceed ten years per instance at labor in said prison. Prosecutors failing to file charges within 30 days against such individuals shall themselves become subject to the precise liabilities of the accused with the additional guilt of violating the public trust for which conviction shall result in not less than three years at hard labor. Upon failure to file, any individual may himself file the appropriate charges against all parties in question, including all failed prosecutors, said parties to be taken into immediate custody and held without bail until trial.

In all such cases wherein an individual shall have been convicted under the specifications of this Amendment, sentencing shall be determined solely by the jury with the exception of those cases where the presiding judge may determine that said juries have not assessed sufficient punitive sentencing. In such cases, judges shall be free to augment the punishment up to the maximum allowable as specified in this Amendment. Service of sentences is to begin immediately upon conviction with no interval of reprieve of said service during the filing of appeals.

All individuals convicted under this Amendment shall forfeit in toto all personal assets including real estate, the liquidation of which shall be applied toward the satisfaction of damages suffered by their victims as determined in any civil determination made against the perpetrator. Individuals so convicted shall be barred from holding any governmental position whatsoever for the remainders of their lives or until such time as their convictions shall have been overturned without controversy. Any official overturning such a conviction without lawful basis shall share equally in the sentencing of those rightly convicted, including civil penalties.

Government agents shall retain the right to present exculpatory evidence at any time during the course of their sentence but may not appeal along any other avenue. Any person found to have caused the false conviction of such government agents or other employees shall, upon conviction, be subject to the precise same penalties as provided for in this Amendment.

If you're going to go for it, then go for the gusto and don't play patty-cake. These people need to quake in their Cole Haan's at the very hint that anything they are doing might possibly place them in the cross-hairs. Otherwise, there is really no point in entertaining such notions.

[tod evans]

[Bryan]

Would you support an amendment to the Constitution similar to:

Any infraction of local, state, or federal regulation, statute, or other offence, which does not involve violence, threat of violence, damage, or theft can only be punished by citation and fines. Non payment of those fines can effect consumer credit rating but cannot lead to incarceration or any other remedy. In lieu of payment, those cited should have the option to repay their fines via local community service at the per-capita median wage of the jurisdiction levying the fine.

Good idea in principle, but you'd for sure need to remove the credit reporting clause: "can effect consumer credit rating but".

I would further change it to:

Any infraction of local, state, or federal regulation, statute, or other offence, which does not involve violence, threat of violence, damage, or theft can only be punished by citation and fines. Non payment of fines can be made public and result in a loss of government afforded privileges.

Privileges such as getting licenses, or otherwise. (Of course, licenses need to go, but that's another issue....) I would not support forced labor in lieu of payment.