4 ms·

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

by barbecue_sauce 6y ago

thayne 6y ago
Probably everyone is a criminal, because no one knows what all of the laws are.
- shiftpgdn 6y ago
  That's the point. The government can compel you as they please under threat of harsh criminal punishment. For example, did you know it's illegal to lie to an FBI agent? Think of how many things could easily be misconstrued as lies in a normal conversation. Introduce yourself to an FBI field agent as a "Jim" when your given name is actually "James"? You've just committed a crime punishable by up to a year in prison.
  - schoen 6y ago
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001 It has to be "knowingly and willfully", "in any matter within the jurisdiction" of the government. While this is much broader than most people might realize or expect, it probably doesn't extend to using a nickname in a conversation when the agent hasn't asked you your legal name as part of an investigation! (But the breadth of this kind of rule is definitely a reason that people are discouraged from consenting to an interview with law enforcement without a lawyer present.)
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- chooseaname 6y ago
  That and there are laws that never go away, like not spitting on the sidewalk or not chewing gum on a Sunday.
  - stevespang 6y ago
    In my small Texas town there is the list of "ordinances" at over 11 pages long, over 1,600 different violations with fines ranging from $200 all the way to almost $600. This is just a way to screw people out of their hard earned money. Some Choice Examples: NO MUD FLAPS - $142 NO HOUSE NUMBERS AFFIXED TO FRONT OF HOME - Hearing Required in Court LIT CHARCOAL OR WOOD IN A CITY PARK - $571 CUTTING ACROSS PARKING LOT - $271 USING BBQ GRILL/PIT AT APARTMENT COMPLEX - $500 PUBLIC INTOXICATION ‐ ALCOHOL, OR OTHER SUBSTANCE - $571 GAMING ‐ DOMINOES $275.00 GAMING ‐ CARDS $275.00 GAMING ‐ DICE $275.00 DISCHARGE SLINGSHOT IN CITY LIMITS - $225 HUNTING,FISHING AND CAMPING IN CITY PARKS:GATHERING FIREWOOD - $180 USE OF LASER POINTER - $271 (Does not state how used, as in presentation) RIDING BICYCLE ON DOWNTOWN STREET - $100 ANIMALS: NOT STERILIZED - $130 BEGGING OR SOLICITING - $271 BEE KEEPING: VIOLATE REQUIRED DISTANCE FROM PROPERTY LINE - $321
  - effingwewt 6y ago
    Reply below is dead but is spot-on especially for Texas. I believe it's still illegal to wear socks or a tie on South Padre Island. Sure enough, it is. Found the link[1] [1] http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,139525,00.html http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,139525,...
    - jdmichal 6y ago
      Some of these seem perfectly reasonable to me. > HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. No roosters Roosters are assholes and AFAIK they're banned in most non-agricultural zoning. > JONESBORO, GA. No profanity in front of children under 14 A bit moralistic but I could see it happening in a smaller town where people might be more aligned on such things. And looks like the population of Jonesboro is sub-5k. > JUPITER, FLA. No roadside billboards I wish this was true everywhere. > STATE OF TEXAS No walking in the streets if there is a sidewalk Only complaint I have on this one is that it's cementing car culture worship. --- I suspect others are probably over-reactions to single adverse events.
- kube-system 6y ago
  Relevant: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229 https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp...
- throwaway744678 6y ago
  You're not required to know all the laws; but you can't just say "I did not know" when breaking one.
  - ridgeguy 6y ago
    You're not required to know them, but you're presumed to know them.
Glyptodon 6y ago
That's what the alien overlords will say when they put humanity on trial.
- sremani 6y ago
  Well, that is very optimistic view, first we have to survive the AI overlords' trail of humanity.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

thayne 6y ago

Probably everyone is a criminal, because no one knows what all of the laws are.

shiftpgdn 6y ago
That's the point. The government can compel you as they please under threat of harsh criminal punishment. For example, did you know it's illegal to lie to an FBI agent? Think of how many things could easily be misconstrued as lies in a normal conversation. Introduce yourself to an FBI field agent as a "Jim" when your given name is actually "James"? You've just committed a crime punishable by up to a year in prison.
- schoen 6y ago
  https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001 It has to be "knowingly and willfully", "in any matter within the jurisdiction" of the government. While this is much broader than most people might realize or expect, it probably doesn't extend to using a nickname in a conversation when the agent hasn't asked you your legal name as part of an investigation! (But the breadth of this kind of rule is definitely a reason that people are discouraged from consenting to an interview with law enforcement without a lawyer present.)
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
chooseaname 6y ago
That and there are laws that never go away, like not spitting on the sidewalk or not chewing gum on a Sunday.
- stevespang 6y ago
  In my small Texas town there is the list of "ordinances" at over 11 pages long, over 1,600 different violations with fines ranging from $200 all the way to almost $600. This is just a way to screw people out of their hard earned money. Some Choice Examples: NO MUD FLAPS - $142 NO HOUSE NUMBERS AFFIXED TO FRONT OF HOME - Hearing Required in Court LIT CHARCOAL OR WOOD IN A CITY PARK - $571 CUTTING ACROSS PARKING LOT - $271 USING BBQ GRILL/PIT AT APARTMENT COMPLEX - $500 PUBLIC INTOXICATION ‐ ALCOHOL, OR OTHER SUBSTANCE - $571 GAMING ‐ DOMINOES $275.00 GAMING ‐ CARDS $275.00 GAMING ‐ DICE $275.00 DISCHARGE SLINGSHOT IN CITY LIMITS - $225 HUNTING,FISHING AND CAMPING IN CITY PARKS:GATHERING FIREWOOD - $180 USE OF LASER POINTER - $271 (Does not state how used, as in presentation) RIDING BICYCLE ON DOWNTOWN STREET - $100 ANIMALS: NOT STERILIZED - $130 BEGGING OR SOLICITING - $271 BEE KEEPING: VIOLATE REQUIRED DISTANCE FROM PROPERTY LINE - $321
- effingwewt 6y ago
  Reply below is dead but is spot-on especially for Texas. I believe it's still illegal to wear socks or a tie on South Padre Island. Sure enough, it is. Found the link[1] [1] http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,139525,00.html http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,139525,...
  - jdmichal 6y ago
    Some of these seem perfectly reasonable to me. > HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. No roosters Roosters are assholes and AFAIK they're banned in most non-agricultural zoning. > JONESBORO, GA. No profanity in front of children under 14 A bit moralistic but I could see it happening in a smaller town where people might be more aligned on such things. And looks like the population of Jonesboro is sub-5k. > JUPITER, FLA. No roadside billboards I wish this was true everywhere. > STATE OF TEXAS No walking in the streets if there is a sidewalk Only complaint I have on this one is that it's cementing car culture worship. --- I suspect others are probably over-reactions to single adverse events.
kube-system 6y ago
Relevant: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229 https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp...
throwaway744678 6y ago
You're not required to know all the laws; but you can't just say "I did not know" when breaking one.
- ridgeguy 6y ago
  You're not required to know them, but you're presumed to know them.

Glyptodon 6y ago

That's what the alien overlords will say when they put humanity on trial.

sremani 6y ago
Well, that is very optimistic view, first we have to survive the AI overlords' trail of humanity.