In a major “oopsie,” a sealed plea agreement in a police corruption case was posted publicly. So judges being what judges are (convinced that they have royalty status and don’t really have to follow the constitution), the judge here defied the First Amendment and ordered that the LA Times remove all references to the secret plea agreement. The LA Times complied with the order but is appealing it. I’m somewhat surprised that they didn’t issue the equivalent of “Fuck off, slaver!” and challenge the judge to do something about it. But they caved for the moment.
Of course, the judge either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that the Internet is a forever thing. And we have no scruples about giving that slaver the finger. So here’s the story as it originally ran, complete with the several added details that the judge thinks are FYTW exceptions to the First Amendment.
Here’s an excerpt from a review at The Robing Room, sort of a Yelp for the legal profession.
Aside from the 1A issues, since when can any plea or other resolution of a criminal case be sealed and kept secret? I thought we weren’t supposed to have star chambers or secret courts in this country.
You proles don’t understand.
‘Splain then, what is being censored? I read both and the Censored one seems to have More info
The censored version deleted several references to items that were in the plea agreement.
ahh, screw the Taxpayers and get out of jail free cards for all.
Buried lede:
But of course everyone here could have predicted that.
The linked article at the bottom is also interesting. Once again, city taxpayers get fucked over by BS settlement agreements, because it easier for officials to settle and hand out other peoples’ money.
http://www.latimes.com/tn-gnp-discrimination-lawsuit-dismissed-after-city-reaches-settlement-with-police-officer-20150217-story.html
Cato, ACLU, and the Koch Brothers, among others, are challenging the doctrine of qualified immunity. If they are successful then a good chunk of this garbage should disappear.
“The LA Times complied with the order but is appealing it. I’m somewhat surprised that they didn’t issue the equivalent of ‘Fuck off, slaver!'”
I’m not surprised at all. The press has anointed itself as the Praetorian guard and the very last thing you want to do as the Praetorian guard is defy or offend the rulers. They don’t speak truth to power, they grovel to power to try and curry favor.
The Praetorian Guard deposed Emperors left and right….depending on pay offs and the like. The press is more the court fool thinking he is a wise counselor instead.
Eh, they’re just chickenshits. None of them are willing to spend a couple of nights in the pokey while the judge gets his ass handed to him by the superior courts.
Thank you for posting this. It is important to tell the slavers to fuck off on occasion simply out of principle. But especially when it involves people with the power to throw folks in cages or execute them.
As you might imagine, I have little respect for the vast majority of judges.
What I do have is a website with the biggest, baddest general counsel in the US.
Fuckin’ A!
“According to the plea agreement, Balian accepted $2,000 to help locate someone believed to have broken into his associate’s office and stolen $100,000 worth of property.”
So accessories to murder or attempted murder which I assume was planned for this guy who stole drugs from his buddy.
I presume the Mexican and Armenian mafias would not accept restitution and an apology.
Necessary but not sufficient.
The robing room on Walter is pretty funny.
I particularly like the review by the court staffer, who thinks he sucks across the board, but very punctual.
http://www.therobingroom.com/RatingListing.aspx?ID=74
Christ, what an asshole. Or assholes as it where. In a just world, dirty cops would not get a plea deal ever. Something something wood chipper.
The LA Times is pathetic. They should have ignored the order. This is a form of prior restraint. Remember the Pentagon Papers case? This is it in miniature.
Yeah, I remember the news media caving then… oh wait, no, they didn’t.
That was when they fancied themselves as the fourth estate, holding those in power accountable.
That era was actually the beginning of the end… as a generation followed behind them learned not “follow the story” but “you can bring your enemies down”. So instead of holding power to account, they looked to hold Republican power to account.
This evolved under Reagan and into Clinton, where they apologetically covered “republican allegations”. Their disgust with an inarticulate Bush set them up for the coup de grace, a clean and articulate Democrat who was a master of propaganda. With Obama their conversion was complete. They became the fourth branch rather than the fourth estate, carrying the water for the DNC even when the DNC wasn’t asking. Now that Trump has come along to confirm every bias, they are beyond saving. They are members of the “true state”. A progressive state. They’ll tow that party lion anywhere he needs towing.
It isn’t in the interest of the progressive project for the LAT to make the city of Los Angeles look like fools these days. Perhaps when the politics shift again, and some kind of retrograde deplorables are on the council and in the mayorial manor.