Supreme Court proves there is still some sanity left in government

[sarettah]

The Supreme Court ruled against states being able to levy excessive fines and unfair seizures.

AND they did it with both sides, conservative and liberal, agreeing.

Good Job!

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/20/69636...apply-to-state

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that the Constitution's ban on excessive fines applies to state and local governments, thus limiting their ability to use fines to raise revenue.

The court's decision, written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was announced by her on her second day back at the court. Ginsburg missed in-person arguments at the court for the first time in her quarter century on the Supreme Court bench after undergoing surgery for lung cancer late last year.

The court's opinion came in the case of Tyson Timbs, whose $42,000 Land Rover was seized by the state of Indiana after he was arrested for selling a small amount of heroin to undercover cops for $400.

An Indiana trial court ruled that the fine was grossly disproportionate punishment on top of other fines and a year of house detention. The state Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution's ban on excessive fines does not apply to the states.

But Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court, open during a snowstorm, disagreed with the Indiana Supreme Court.

"Forfeiture of the Land Rover, the court determined, would be grossly disproportionate to the gravity of Timbs's offense," Ginsburg wrote.

She also noted that the ban on excessive fines was added to the Bill of Rights for the purpose of protecting individual liberty. "Protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history for good reason: Such fines undermine other liberties."

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[Bladewire]

Ironically, it's the poor southern states that have been abusing seizures & searches to pump up their treasuries.

Isn't it odd that the Republican southern states are the police States yet they preach freedom and not having the government "tread on them"?

[JesseQuinn]

I made art a philosophy, and philosophy an art...whatever I touched I made beautiful

these goals are a little lofty for one person to achieve I believe, but collectively? supporting glimpses of decency when they occur and building on progress when it deigns to entertain us with it's presence is worth pursuing

achievements worth celebrating. this is very surprising coming from your country right now, pretty hype.

just look out for people trying to inject food with flour. tricksy folks