This is a purely educational website. Nothing here is legal advice or creates or implies an attorney-client relationship. If you have a specific legal issue, PLEASE talk to a lawyer who practices where you live—laws vary from place to place, and how they're applied varies from courthouse to courthouse. Your local county bar association can probably refer someone.
By using this site, you agree that you are awesome. Use of this site also constitutes acceptance of its
Terms of Service and Privacy Policies, which are known to medical science as a cure for insomnia.
It's best to keep all discussions in the comments. But if you really need to reach Nathan privately, go ahead and email him at n.e.burney@gmail.com. He won't mind.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO LAW and the PEEKING JUSTICE logo are pretty damn cool trademarks and should probably be registered one of these days.
© Nathaniel Burney. All rights reserved, though they really open up once you get to know them.
“Bad mens rea”? Mens rea mala? Is that even a thing? What would be “good mens rea”?
I think the point is that Dennis is referring to mens rea as a measurement of guilt, not as a measurement of intent. He’s thinking of mens rea such as Intent as being ‘bad’, and mens rea such as Accidental and Reckless as being ‘good’.
The answer to her question is pretty obvious: The federal government cares more about animals than people. Neither of them has hurt anyone, she didn’t even hurt the animals in question, but they’re both going to jail anyway.
What’s going on here is simple. The idiot citizens of this idiot country have repeatedly voted in favor of granting the state more and more power and now we’re all reaping what they sowed.
“Did you really think we want those laws observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them to be broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against… We’re after power and we mean it… There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Reardon, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.” – Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged