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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSheriff Claims He Didn't Know Anti-Sodomy Laws Weren't Valid Anymore
To understand the whole story, read this thread first, http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023361110The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated anti-sodomy laws in 2003 but this sheriff says he didn't get the memo.
The East Baton Rouge sheriff who used Louisiana's defunct anti-sodomy law to arrest a dozen gay men since 2011 now says he didn't know the law was invalidated by the Supreme Court.
"To our knowledge, the Sheriffs office was never contacted or told that the law was not enforceable or prosecutable," a statement from the Sheriff's Office claims. It was issued Sunday after The Advocate newspaper in Louisiana exposed the illegal undercover sting operation.
That explanation doesn't appear to satisfy Metro Councilman John Delgado.
Does he know that slavery is no longer around? an outraged Delgado told The Advocate newspaper in Louisiana. Does he know that we have cars and no longer horse and buggies?
The newspaper now reports that Delgado is demanding apologies be issued to the 12 men who were arrested, one as recent as this month.
As many judges will say and I'm sure you yourself have used "ignorance is no excuse for the law". You are either really fucking stupid or a liar, but I'll just assume your both.
niyad
(113,333 posts)CreekDog
(46,192 posts)clearly should be in a line of work he's qualified for. "Sheriff" clearly isn't one.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)or reads anything other than the bible and the Jackboot Thug Instruction Manual his employers gave him.
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)William769
(55,147 posts)Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)I can't remember what.
cecilfirefox
(784 posts)William769
(55,147 posts)Dr. Strange
(25,921 posts)Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)and I'm pretty sure there was real criminal activity that was missed, set aside, or deliberately ignored while taking the time to implement his pet project.
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)Because if he had said otherwise he could be sued for false arrest.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)"Ignorance of the law is no excuse" applies to him too.
And with the DA refusing to prosecute, it looks extremely unlikely that he really didn't know.
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)But we can still hope there might be some form of repercussions in this case.
Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)Gothmog
(145,293 posts)Ignorance of the law is no defense when you are the sheriff
Gothmog
(145,293 posts)The idiot sheriff had to apologize http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/us/after-arrests-on-charges-of-sodomy-an-apology.html?_r=2&
A Louisiana sheriff has apologized for the arrests of as many as a dozen or more men in recent years on charges that they violated an anti-sodomy statute that has been ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. ...
On Monday, Sheriff Sid J. Gautreaux III issued a statement apologizing to anyone that was unintentionally harmed or offended by the actions of our investigations. The sheriff said that he had instructed his employees to no longer use this unconstitutional law, and that he was conducting a comprehensive evaluation of undercover operations made by our deputies and will make changes to ensure better supervision, training and guidance.
This is a weak apology
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)Because the Sheriff isn't out personally doing the arrests.
Yeah, he just got busted and is trying to weasel out of it. I could see an elected sheriff not keeping up, but not all his deputies too- plus the prosecutors.
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)Especially in this particular context. It wasn't just a random traffic stop gone horribly wrong, it was an elaborate sting operation, presumably involving multiple officers, planning, and departmental approval.
Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)Using laws struck down by the Supreme Court to persecute a select group of citizens is the definition of Civil Rights Violations. 12 incidents means that the criminal activity is systemic, and that calls for a Justice Department Investigation in big thirty foot tall glowing letters of neon.