Two Utah sisters, Marcia and Jan Brady posted a message on Facebook in support of anti-globalization and anti-genetically organism (GMO) activists against McDonalds restaurants, who had incited riots in Europe. The sister’s message, sent to over 500 “friends”, asking them to join the sisters in two days at 10 p.m. at a McDonalds near the sister’s apartment for a “night of riot, pillage, and fun”. A secondary message was sent out asking the participants to bring items that could be used as weapons or cause property damage. However, one of the “friends” that the message was sent to, turned the postings over to the Salt Lake Police Department. SLCPD officers set up an operation with six undercover officers at the scheduled place and time the sister’s has posted. Unfortunately for the officers nobody decided to show for the event, not even the sisters. Nevertheless, SLCPD arrested the sisters for incitement to mayhem, which was prosecuted by the District Attorney. The Brady sisters defense is based on the fact that nobody showed up for the event and this was nothing more than a harmless posting to show their support. Their argument is based on the grounds that the arrest was an unconstitutional suppression of the First Amendment Free Speech Rights. The prosecution argument sees that the very nature of the message undermines any lightheartedness, with a possible outcome that could have reached completely different result. Issue Whether the messages sent by the Brady sisters were used in such a circumstance and are of such a nature as to incite imminent lawless action? Conclusions The messages posted by the Brady sisters was used in such a way that the threat if imminent lawless action can be established. The United States ... ... middle of paper ... ...o be read and passed along, with the possibly of attracting even those who the messages were not sent to. The threat of violence was serious enough for the SLCPD to take essential steps to arrest or detain any individual associated the agenda of the Brady’s. The arrest and convictions of the sisters is not an unconstitutional suppression of their First Amendment Free Speech. The Brady’s sent a clear message that had in imminent threat of violence, linked to a known terrorist organizations, with the intentions to further that organizations goals. The conviction of the Brady’s should be upheld. Works Cited Epstein, Lee, and Thomas Walker. Institutional Powers and Constraints. 8. Thousand Oaks: CQ Press, 2013. Print. Epstein, Lee, and Thomas Walker. "Power Archive." Constitutional Law for a Changing America Resource Center. CQ Press, n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2013.
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Since the First Amendment protects chiefly speech on public issues, depending on the case, there could be special protection for the defendant. It is not necessarily clear what defines a public issue, but it can generally be considered if it is “relating to any matter of political, social, or other concern to the community.” (Snyder v. Phelps) It is unimportant if the statement is inappropriate or controversial. Since the matter of Westboro’s signs relate completely to public matters, it cannot be directly assumed that phrases were meant to directly attack Snyder or his family. Also, while the statements made by Phelps and Westboro as a whole might be outrageous and crude, they are views of public concern. (Snyder v.
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...he courtroom, it would have been much more confusing for the reader and audience. In spite of Drummond and Brady’s complicated history, neither become unprofessional and bring up the matter in the courtroom or let it interfere much with the play.
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My homicide case began when the Shreveport Police Department (SPD) received a call from a male caller via 911 reporting he found a body of a black male found in a park near a cul-de-sac in a residential area. I was dispatched and responded to the scene. Upon arrival, I began steps documenting the crime scene. I initiated a rough sketch of the scene and initiated my field notes. A cordon was initiated as I began identifying possible evidence and identifying witnesses and suspects. I canvassed the area and found four 9mm shell casings near the body.
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On the evening of May 5, 1993, three boys from West Memphis, Arkansas, were last seen riding their bikes together. In the early evening, Chris Byers' stepfather, John Mark Byers, reported that his stepson had not come home and he was becoming worried. The police were also notified of two other boys who had been with Chris and were considered missing, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch. The police and the parents of the missing children searched the neighborhood unsuccessfully until 3AM the next morning. The bodies of the three eight year old boys were discovered in a wooded area in Robin Hood Hills the next day at 1:30 PM. The boys had been hog-tied and severely beaten. Their naked bodies were located in a shallow creek in an isolated patch of woods behind the Blue Beacon truck wash. However, the question that remains until this day is whether justice was served in this case. Perhaps you are not familiar with the West Memphis Three, otherwise known as the Robin Hood Hill Murders. Most people would not of heard of this case unless they were citizens of the small town; however, HBO produced a documentary, "Paradise Lost," which graphically showed this case in a different light. This Peabody Award winning documentary brought the story of this crime and its aftermath into the national spotlight in 1996. The implication it left was that satanic panic, public hysteria and media sensationalism was responsible for the convictions in the case, not solid evidence. This is a shattering account of what a fundamentalist community in the south can accomplish toward the blatant destruction of American justice.