Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with justice

Hell is thinking about other people.

taramosalata — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:01:08 -0800

Since childhood I've been a rather sensitive and justice-obsessed person, but also pretty interested in / attentive to the well-being and inner lives of other people. But I feel increasingly drained. In my field of work there is a lot of getting-ahead through nepotism/ingratiation rather than ability/ passion/effort, and it bothers me. In my life I have people whom I generally like and have opened up to, but who, at critical junctures, exhibit such self-absorption that I'm left feeling not only outraged but injured. I want to change the intensity and duration of my reaction to these things, as it's a huge waste of time, and sometimes upsets my own self-esteem. Please help me stop thinking about other people without becoming alienated and alienating.

Constitutionality of US federal death penalty

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:34:03 -0800

How would a more qualified person refute my dumb legal theory regarding the death penalty? Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution states that the President "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States". The Supreme Court has interpreted this language to include the power to grant pardons, commutations of sentence, remissions of fines and forfeitures, and amnesties.

The death penalty unnecessarily infringes on this executive power by killing the inmate. The inmate’s punishment can no longer be reprieved (and arguably no legitimate pardon can be issued). Therefore the federal death penalty is unconstitutional, and the Bureau of Prisons has an obligation to attempt to keep prisoners alive so that the President can decide to issue a reprieve of their punishment.

Has this argument or a related one been dealt with in court?

name this song?

fac21 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:22:59 -0800

What is the song dropped at 1:20?

Short readings on integrity for a wedding?

expialidocious — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:59:37 -0800

Can anyone suggest some passages on the theme of integrity and/or justice, to be read aloud at a friend's wedding? They should be no longer than 2 minutes. The ceremony has Jewish and nonreligious aspects. Readings of any persuasion are welcome, but being an atheist myself, it wouldn't feel right to be expounding too much about God. I prefer modern prose and poetry - 1900s onward - but older is OK too.

How can I justify having luxuries while others lack necessities?

espertus — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:05:02 -0800

How can I morally justify spending money on luxuries while others lack necessities? Many reputable charities offer ways to save or vastly improve the lives of people in extreme poverty for small donations. What type of person am I if I spend $10 on a movie ticket, for example, that could be spent on mosquito netting to protect a poor child from malaria or to vaccinate dozens of children against measles? I don't see how giving a fixed percentage of my income, such as tithing, absolves me of further moral responsibility.

Ah, social justice, where are you now?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:50:18 -0800

I am a graphic designer in Quebec and I have a long term client (8 years!) who abruptly fired me last week. They are a government-grant and foundation-funded non profit working in the (*snort*) social justice sector. We had a contract that does not end until August 2009 which includes a list of expected projects and estimated fees. It also has a clause that very clearly states that 30 days written notice must be given for either party to severe the contract. This is not what happened.

What happened was this: I was working under a ridiculous deadline over the holidays to get them the first drafts of three separate booklets at the end of the holidays. I managed to get that done and was then told that I would be receiving a new set of design guidelines to apply to the booklets. Arrgh. This made me very irritated and I got sort of short and snarky with the underling who was calling to inform me of this. (I realized once I got off the phone that it wasn't her fault at all and promptly sent her an apology.) I wasn't mean or threatening, just incredibly annoyed to be receiving this info after having worked over my holiday. Anyway, at the end of the day, I received a phone call from the head of the organization informing me that my services were no longer required.

Now they want all my native, editable design files from the last 8 years, as well as the editable files I was working on. With those files, they can continue to produce work without a designer, taking advantage of my templates, my experience, my "trade secrets". As I though I understood it, those working files were my intellectual property, but a re-reading of my contract states that they are all work-for-hire. However, this is not a traditional work-for-hire situation. I am using my own programs, fonts, computer, etc. and the work itself doesn't all fit under the "9 types" of work-for-hire.

I would be willing to let them have the native files for a fee (half of what it cost to produce each one?) If someone breaks a contract, though, do I still have to live up to my (perhaps) obligations? I am loathe to just give them up. It seems to me that I could also have just lost the files, you know?

For all you lawyers out there, here are the relevant clauses from my contract:

2. Fees & Billing. In consideration of the Services to be provided by Designer, and subject to the termination rights in this Agreement, Company agrees to pay ---- for services...Work for hire pursuant to clause 6 of this Agreement shall remain the intellectual property of --- up until such time as all invoices are paid in full.

5. Termination. Either party may end this Agreement by a written notice given by hand, by registered or certiﬁed mail, or by other commercially reasonable means, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date of termination, for any reason or for no reason.

6. Work for Hire. To the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, and subject to clause 2 of this Agreement, all information or materials or results Designer prepares or works on for the Corporation pursuant to this Agreement (if any) shall be deemed works made for hire, and owned exclusively by Corporation, free and clear from all claims of any nature relating to contributions and other efforts of ---, Designer and/or any agents or assistants to Designer. --- will hold the Corporation harmless against infringement with respect to any materials prepared.

Juvenile probation/parol officers...what can you tell me about your profession?

pdx87 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:54:41 -0800

Juvenile probation/parol officers...what can you tell me about your profession? Any juvenile (or adult) probation/parole officers out there? Why did you get into your line of work and how to you generally feel about the offenders that you work with? What are your day to day tasks? I'd love to know anything about the profession. I'm especially interested in the juvenile justice system. Anything helps!

Do I really have to wear a powdered wig, your honor?

Keter — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:44:36 -0800

(Law)BookListFilter: I would like recommendations for books accessible to a relatively well-informed (but not legally educated) American reader interested in learning about how legal systems function around the globe. Note that I am not interested in reading about "international law," but rather about different types of legal traditions & procedures, and how law is integrated into and affects its particular society. This was sparked by a rather dour conversation with a friend concerning the "inequities of the adversarial justice system" in the United States, whereupon I realized that my (legal) imagination was so stunted that I really couldn't imagine the law working any other way. I guess the years upon years of adherence to the rigid [but ceaselessly pragmatic] dogma of the Holy Church of our Father Jack McCoy hasn't helped my fixedness much, either. (Too bad there aren't more international versions of Law & Order to fill my head with more legal misconceptions.)

Why don't criminal charges in Japan ever seem to actually go to trial? Why does the Napoleonic Code still matter? Why can you get executed for carrying too much marijuana in Singapore? (Yes, I know about this page, but I'd like for a coherent organization of thoughts to guide me along the path to understanding. I guess, though, comprehensive articles related to comparative law might also be interesting to read.) Help me learn about the world, Hivemind!

Top social justice issues and organizations

roaring beast — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:07:02 -0800

What are the most important social justice issues in the world today (such as AIDS, poverty, clean water, human trafficking, slavery, etc.) and what is one organization that is working in that field to make a difference? I am giving a presentation on this topic, and specifically looking for organizations where "normal" people could learn about the issue and get involved to help change the biggest problems in the world.

How to get justice for victim of assault in UK?

nihotaniwha — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:00:48 -0800

What can I do to help a friend, victim of a vicious assault at the hands of her husband, get some justice from the UK legal system? [Apologies in advance that this is quite long.]

A close friend of my mine here in London, let's call her Anna, was the victim of a vicious assault by her then-husband, which left her in hospital for a month. The police prosecution against him was ended on its first day in court and we're struggling to understand why, and what we can do next to get some sort of justice.

Anna is Russian and although her English is good, she's not quite up to following proceedings in a British court.

The background. About nine months ago she and her husband started arguing outside their flat. She ended up with a smashed shin, lying on the ground and screaming for help - which only came twenty minutes later when a neighbour responded as she was losing consciousness. She then spent a month in hospital and now has a titanium rod in her leg for life.

He claims the injury was caused by her falling over a step, a claim which seems patently ridiculous. The step in question is the size of a street-side curb, and she's so small that she'd hardly be able to break her shin under her own force. Furthermore, if she had fallen, why would he have left her to be eventually rescued by a neighbour and not have done something himself?

There were no direct witnesses, although three of his friends sitting inside the house (about 15 metres away) , in a room without an outside window, support his story.

From what I gather, the police brought a prosecution for grievous bodily harm. On the first morning of the case the judge brought the case to an end. Because of the language difficulties, Anna's not completely sure of why this happened, but thinks it might have been because one of her statements to police said she had been kicked and pushed, whereas a subsequent statement mentions only kicking. It seems absurd that that could really be the reason though.

However, the policeman in charge of the case has since been impossible to get hold of, leaving Anna at a loss to get clarity over why the case failed and what options are left now. This lack of communication and support has been a persistent and exasperating feature of Anna's experience with the police.

What now? Quite understandably, Anna wants this creep to face justice.

(1) First of all, she'd like to find out how she can request a proper explanation of what happened in court.

(2) Next, she'd like to be able to get someone who can clearly explain what options remain (appeal? private case?), ideally with me there to help her understand.

(3) Also, and quite urgently, we also need to find if there's a way she can get temporary leave to remain in the country while we pursue this. She did have a spousal visa but now they're divorced we suppose it's just a matter of time until her visa is withdrawn and she has to leave the country. At that point we can see the chances of this case being taken seriously by anyone vanishing altogether.

Just to clarify, we're both complete novices when it comes to legal issues and in no financial position to hire lawyers. But we're both totally incredulous that a vicious attack like this has been dealt with so half-heartedly and insensitively by the police, and that this horrible person has walked away from a crime which has left Anna scarred physically and emotionally for life.

I'm trying to keep as calm and factual as possible as I write this, but you can probably imagine the anger, frustration and disgust we both feel at the moment. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

what song does justice play here?

fac21 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:46:46 -0800

can anyone tell me what song / sample justice plays at the very beginning of this clip? thanks. http://youtube.com/watch?v=krZREGJuDlk

Help me fill my RSS reader

charmston — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:41:38 -0800

I've found myself with a little more time on my hands. I'd like to add a few useful, relevant blogs and podcasts to the ranks of my RSS reader. Any suggestions for me? I very much prefer quality to quantity. I'd much rather read 5 low-volume, high-quality blogs than sift through a single feed with 50 posts/day to find the ones of interest.
Interests include:

Some of my favorites are intelligent blogs without a true theme. Jason Kottke, I'm looking at you.
I'll be going into the Peace Corps in the next year. There are over 4000 blogs about it. Do you have any favorites?
I dig web design stuff, especially in the standards arena. Favorites: A List Apart, Freelance Switch, and Vitamin.
I also love product and packaging design blogs. Favorites: Yanko Design, The Dieline.
After the Peace Corps, I'll be going into graduate school in either justice and peace studies or some derivative of it (international development, conflict resolution, etc.) I read no related blogs. Suggestions?
Personal development blogs are among my favorites, especially Zen Habits, Urban Monk, and Lifehacker.
I love baseball and tend to be the sabermetric type. Baseball Prospectus, Roto Authority...?
Green Daily is the only environmental blog that I read. I'd like a few more.
I recently became a vegetarian. Any favorite veggie blogs?
I love politics but have trouble keeping up with Talking Points Memo and The Huffington Post.

I also welcome podcast recommendations. I currently listen to Boagworld, The Rissington Podcast, and a handful of ESPN podcasts. Any others that you think that I may like?
Thanks in advance everyone!

Identify this sample?

aqhong — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:05:00 -0800

Calling all electro fans: can anyone identify the track sampled at 1:39 in this Justice concert clip?

correct pronunciation of "Pogge"

verisimilitude — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:31:14 -0800

How do I pronounce POGGE? ...as in Thomas Winfried Menko Pogge.

I've heard various versions. Which is correct?

How much time does being a CASA involve?

tristeza — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:49:02 -0800

How much time does being a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for children) really involve? This relates to Seattle/King County. I'm getting some information on volunteering to be a CASA in King County, WA, and seemingly the only thing I can't really put my hands on is how much of a time commitment this realistically is, and if it can be done while working a standard 8-5 job.

If you have any personal experience/anecdotes about the amount of time you devote to your CASA/guardian ad litem duties, I'd love to hear it. It sounds like its own full time job, to me, and I worry that unavailability during the workday is going to be a major hurdle.

Why the drop in incarceration for public order crimes?

painquale — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:43:18 -0800

According to these pages on the U.S. Bureau of Justice site, imprisonment for public order offenses suddenly fell by a third in 2002. Why?

Balancing trust with protecting yourself?

WCityMike — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:01:36 -0800

If you believe that people are inherently good, and you approach the world with trust — if you might accurately be described as dewy-eyed and idealistic — if you believe that justice occurs and evil is punished — how do you preserve these elements of your personality (trust, innocence, belief in justice) in light of the urge to protect yourself from hurt and attack (emotional shielding)? How do you handle the problem of evil (i.e., an all-powerful all-good God wouldn't sit by and let atrocities happen) — and the fact that evil does, repeatedly, go unpunished and oft even is rewarded — in light of this worldview that the world is inherently good and can be trusted?

Without baring my soul too deeply, suffice it to say that my emotional shielding has been too strongly in place for too long, and I'd like to start laying a foundation down on the other side of the tracks. It's also not a question of just needing time to heal from the circumstances described in this previous question, as I've recently realized that the shields were up long before that particular event occurred; that worldview evolved as a result of, well, events from adolescence, college, and adulthood.

Seeing the industrial and political landscape of the southwest

salvia — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:25:55 -0800

I'm taking a road trip through the southwest, and I'd like to see places with an interesting backstory or that show you "behind the scenes." I'm interested in places with political, economic, environmental, or industrial significance. Can you recommend some? Here's the route: Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Moab, Phoenix. I have 11 days. I've done most of this as a tourist before, so I'm interested in seeing some of the more hidden sights.

As I said, I'm interested in the politics, economics, history, environmental, and industrial factors behind the landscape. I'm still modifying the route so I can check out interesting places. Here are the kind of places I'm talking about:

- power infrastructure (Black Mesa, the Glen Canyon Dam)
- water infrastructure (aqueducts, river diversions?)
- the nuclear program (I'm missing the Trinity Test Site visitor day by a week! Should I still go to Alamogordo? Where to go near Los Alamos?)
- mining booms and busts, related pollution (Moab's uranium tailings pile; oil, gas, and coalbed methane development)
- industrial-scale production of anything from cattle to computer chips
- Native American history (the Cochise stronghold)
- prisons, military bases, and other nearly-blank spaces on the map (obviously, I can't enter, but I would like to know they're there)
- anything else related to political, economic, or cultural geographies (I really like Jake Kosek's stuff)
- wildlife protection or environmental restoration areas, current environmental disputes

I'm interested in current or upcoming issues, not just history, and I have just started trying to get up to speed about some of the work going on now. If you have anything interesting you'd like to share but would need kept fairly quiet, my email is in my profile. (I work for an environmental nonprofit, so I understand that certain information is sensitive and needs to stay fairly confidential to keep sites from being defaced or overrun with visitors, or to protect ongoing acquisitions, negotiations, or investigations.) Thank you!

Daytime Courtroom Television: What Gives?

Rykey — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:54:59 -0800

"Real" court case TV shows: what's in it for the parties involved, and the legal system in general? Sorry in advance for the long post:

OK, I am aware that the parties on US daytime court shows (e.g., Judge Joe Brown, People's Court) are offered reimbursement of their court costs (and possibly expenses?) to have their case heard on these shows. I am also aware that these hearings bear little resemblance to real courtroom proceedings (what with the poorly-maintained order and adherence to procedure, moralizing asides and shoddy legal reasoning by the judges, etc.). But the other day I saw an episode that got me thinking.

In one case, the plaintiff disclosed that his son was in prison for possession of child pornography. The defendant disclosed that he himself had been in prison for molesting his own daughter. Neither disclosure had any relevance to the case (but of course were great for sensationalist television); in fact, the judge became very irate when the defendant dragged his feet about answering her question about why he was in prison. Which raises two questions for me:

1) Besides the covering of court costs, why would anyone, especially people who stand to suffer great embarassment and possibly a bad reputation, agree to broadcast their case on national television? Many of the parties in these cases do not appear to be too indigent to pay their own court costs; do they really want their "15 minutes" that badly, or is it safe to assume that someone who, say, molests their own daughter is just that inept at weighing the costs versus the benefits of going on TV?

2) More broadly, why does the legal system tolerate the portrayal of such obvious perversions of courtroom justice as legitimate? I can't imagine that any competent legal counsel in a real case would allow (without objection) a judge to moralize about a defendant's actions / character, extract irrelevant information (that would seem to be covered by the 5th amendment in many cases), or ignore principles like burden of proof / preponderance of evidence, and courtroom decorum / order. For that matter, I can't imagine any competent judge would behave like Judge Judy et al, without realizing that they are just handing the defense ammunition for an appeal. I realize that these are small claims cases that do not involve representation by attorneys, but why are these shows not illegal on the grounds that they don't constitute fair, competent legal proceedings? At the very least, why don't we hear more of an outcry from the legal community? Don't lawyers and judges get sick of having to explain to courtroom parties that "those things only happen on television?"

Help Me Avoid the Long Arm of Texas Justice!

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:40:45 -0800

I've ignored Texas justice for 23 years. Is it about to catch up with me? In 1984, on my way home to the Northwest from my college in Florida, I was ticketed for a moving violation (speeding) in central Texas. I left the state, ticket in hand, and never looked back. Many years later, I received a notice that a bench warrant had been issued for my arrest in Texas for failure to pay the fine. This, too, I ignored. I've been back to the state a number of times through the years, and I've been a very cautious driver. Now, however, I'm interviewing for a job not an hour away from the site of the infraction. In fact, I'll be in the state in a week or two for on-site interviews which I'll be driving to.

Am I screwed? Is this going to show up on background checks the employer is likely to do? Where do I even begin to find out about clearing this up? Your thoughtful, non-judgemental advice is very much appreciated!

What can be done now for Julie Amero?

lorimer — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:57:04 -0800

Julie Amero. Are there ANY concrete actions a non-expert stranger could take to decrease the chance she'll do jail time? Julie Amero is the substitute teacher in Connecticut who's currently facing up to 40 years in jail, for having been present in the same room as a malware-infested computer when it displayed popup porn ads in view of students. She's gotten international support from amazed techies (including a full-page ad in her local paper, taken out by 28 concerned computer science professors, saying she did not originate and could not have controlled the popups).

Her sentencing has now been postponed twice (maybe a good sign?) and is currently scheduled for June 6th. Her husband has a small blog with a list of local officials' contact info but it's not clear which of these officials would be important or relevant to contact at this point. Beyond that, is there anything else I or others could do? (Legal, sane and non-assholish please... this is a serious situation, please let's talk about real possibilities if there are any left.) There was a mefi thread about this in January but it has no discussion of actions that could be taken.

I find this a truly frightening case -- sure makes me want to never again be in the same classroom as a child and a computer.

Thou shalt be killed under the right circumstances?

mullingitover — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:10:15 -0800

How many people are/have been executed for apostasy every year? I'd like to find solid numbers describing how many people are killed by their religious institution, both presently and historically, across all religions. Is this available somewhere?

Options for a new RN in the criminal justice field?

houseofdanie — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:35:17 -0800

I'm a former (er, trying to be former, at least) graphic designer and web idiot, now attending school to become a registered nurse. What I'd really like to do, tho, is eventually work somehow in the area of criminal justice, whether it's directly with victims of crime (and that would be preferable) or not. Help? I do not intend to proceed to med school, but I'm not averse to continuing on to law school or to becoming a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. However, I'd really love to know about some options for an RN to find work in the criminal legal system. My research has revealed slim pickin's thus far.

My other aim is to work to help the "working poor," and I've already made volunteer arrangements in the area. If I could incorporate my love of justice in here, somehow, it just might be that all my dreams will come true.

Anyone with more information or experience to share? My many thanks!

How do I help someone achieve justice after he was attacked at gunpoint by the Sheriff's buddy?

univac — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:38:43 -0800

A close relative was attacked, beaten and threatened at gunpoint, and the Sheriff and DA are protecting the attacker. How do we use litigation and/or publicity to force accountability? A close relative was attacked, beaten and threatened at gunpoint in a very rural area. Help was sought from passersby, one of whom turned out to be the attacker's wife (so much for witnesses). When the Sheriff was summoned, he stated that he had known the attacker for ages, and that it was lucky he didn't shoot. The attacker was not arrested. I don't want to give too much detail here, but trust me when I say the attack was unprovoked. Now, the DA refuses to prosecute and Sheriff's department is not inclined to discipline the Sheriff.

I have confirmed that the victim wishes to pursue this, and not let it drop. My family is at a loss as to what to do. There was a meeting with a civil attorney, but he was not interested in the case.

I'd like to know how to make sure that the attacker is prosecuted and that the Sheriff is held accountable. I am interested in pursuing recourse through the legal process, but I am also interested in bringing public attention to the situation in order to pressure the relevant agencies to do the right thing.

Why have crime rates fallen in the U.S.?

davidgmarkham — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 11:42:44 -0800

Why have crime rates in the United States fallen over the last several years?