4 ms·

Have you memorized the entirety of the law? http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/new-york-city_ny/ http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/new-york-city_ny/ In a c

by gohrt 10y ago

Have you memorized the entirety of the law? http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/new-york-city_ny/ http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/new-york-city_ny/ In a city where disagreeing with law enforcement's wrong or illegal activity risks violent reaction or death, it is not solely the citizen's obligation to correct law enforcement's mistakes. Law enforcement tax the citizens to pay professionals to enforce laws. Those professionals have a duty to do their job properly.

thaumasiotes 10y ago
I've always thought it was odd that ignorance of the law is no excuse for civilians breaking it, but is an excuse for police breaking it.
- rhizome 10y ago
  Heien vs. North Carolina
  - triplesec 10y ago
    links are always better than not links for stuff like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heien_v._North_Carolina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heien_v._North_Carolina A terrible decision
greglindahl 10y ago
Did the person you're responding to delete the word "solely" from their comment?
ssalazar 10y ago
> In a city where disagreeing with law enforcement's wrong or illegal activity risks violent reaction or death People challenge infractions in court all the time. Theyre not in much danger. There is a process for this that involves courts and sometimes a lawyer. You're conflating the judicial system with street interactions with the police, where contesting the NYPD is indeed a risky proposition.
- esbranson 10y ago
  > People challenge infractions in court all the time. In New York City, most infractions are not challengeable in court. Unless you consider the city Finance Department a court or consider its commissioner a judge. New York has only one, unified judiciary. The mayor and his commissioners are not part of it. The mayor and his commissioners are not judges.
Spooky23 10y ago
That's a ridiculous statement. Like any other bureaucracy, if you get a ticket or citation, you're free to contest it. This wasn't a systematic abuse of power -- it was a bureaucratic oversight.
esbranson 10y ago
> Have you memorized the entirety of the law? The answer to that question is also the answer to the questions: * Can you checkout the book of laws out of the library? * Can you buy the book of laws on Amazon? Can you even afford to buy the book of laws?
- RadioAndrea 10y ago
  Most law libraries do not let you check out their copies of the legal code. Also most law libraries tend to be in court buildings, and not at public library branches. My public library has lots of hours outside the normal 0900 to 1700, my city's law library is open from 0800 to 1700. Your point about purchasing a paper copy of the legal code is spot on. In my state, I asked my local government workers (clerks, law librarians, etc) where to buy a copy of my state's code. There seems to be only one source and it costs more than 700 USD. For someone who lives on the opposite side of town from the courthouse, or spends more on rent than a potential law book, reading law on paper can be impossible. There are online versions, but somehow I think that most people wouldn't be willing to suffer through the mountains of legal text on their phones. The interfaces I've seen sometimes even break tab navigation by using javascript references to each item, making them a pain to use on a big screen.

by gohrt 10y ago

thaumasiotes 10y ago

I've always thought it was odd that ignorance of the law is no excuse for civilians breaking it, but is an excuse for police breaking it.

rhizome 10y ago
Heien vs. North Carolina
- triplesec 10y ago
  links are always better than not links for stuff like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heien_v._North_Carolina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heien_v._North_Carolina A terrible decision

greglindahl 10y ago

Did the person you're responding to delete the word "solely" from their comment?

ssalazar 10y ago

> In a city where disagreeing with law enforcement's wrong or illegal activity risks violent reaction or death People challenge infractions in court all the time. Theyre not in much danger. There is a process for this that involves courts and sometimes a lawyer. You're conflating the judicial system with street interactions with the police, where contesting the NYPD is indeed a risky proposition.

esbranson 10y ago
> People challenge infractions in court all the time. In New York City, most infractions are not challengeable in court. Unless you consider the city Finance Department a court or consider its commissioner a judge. New York has only one, unified judiciary. The mayor and his commissioners are not part of it. The mayor and his commissioners are not judges.

Spooky23 10y ago

That's a ridiculous statement. Like any other bureaucracy, if you get a ticket or citation, you're free to contest it. This wasn't a systematic abuse of power -- it was a bureaucratic oversight.

esbranson 10y ago

> Have you memorized the entirety of the law? The answer to that question is also the answer to the questions: * Can you checkout the book of laws out of the library? * Can you buy the book of laws on Amazon? Can you even afford to buy the book of laws?

RadioAndrea 10y ago
Most law libraries do not let you check out their copies of the legal code. Also most law libraries tend to be in court buildings, and not at public library branches. My public library has lots of hours outside the normal 0900 to 1700, my city's law library is open from 0800 to 1700. Your point about purchasing a paper copy of the legal code is spot on. In my state, I asked my local government workers (clerks, law librarians, etc) where to buy a copy of my state's code. There seems to be only one source and it costs more than 700 USD. For someone who lives on the opposite side of town from the courthouse, or spends more on rent than a potential law book, reading law on paper can be impossible. There are online versions, but somehow I think that most people wouldn't be willing to suffer through the mountains of legal text on their phones. The interfaces I've seen sometimes even break tab navigation by using javascript references to each item, making them a pain to use on a big screen.