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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs It a Crime to Laugh at a Congressional Hearing? A Jury Decided. edited
* A jury on Wednesday convicted a Virginia woman who was charged with disrupting the confirmation hearing of Jeff Sessions as attorney general after she laughed during the proceeding.
The woman, Desiree A. Fairooz, an activist with the group Code Pink, was found guilty of the two charges she faced: disorderly conduct and parading or demonstrating on Capitol grounds.
A jury returned a verdict shortly after noon on Wednesday. A two-day trial in United States Superior Court in Washington ended on Tuesday.
Ms. Fairooz, 61, of Bluemont, Va., said she was really disappointed. She said her lawyer, Samuel A. Bogash, would file post-trial motions seeking to set the verdict aside. She said it was too early to discuss an appeal.
Well face that music when we get to that, said Ms. Fairooz, who faces up to 12 months in prison. She added that she was undeterred and would continue to protest.*
**They were acquitted on a count of disorderly conduct but were convicted on two separate charges of parading or demonstrating, Mr. Barry said.**
'The case of a woman who was arrested after laughing during the confirmation hearing of Jeff Sessions as attorney general was in the hands of a jury on Wednesday morning.
A two-day trial in United States Superior Court in Washington ended on Tuesday in the case of the woman, Desiree A. Fairooz, an activist with the group Code Pink.
Ms. Fairooz, 61, of Bluemont, Va., was charged with disorderly conduct and parading or demonstrating on Capitol grounds.
It was early in the Jan. 10 hearing when Senator Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama, said that Mr. Sessionss record of treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented, Ariel Gold, the campaign director of Code Pink, said on Wednesday. . .
Ms. Gold, who was at the hearing, described the noise Ms. Fairooz made as a reflexive gasp that was no more loud than a cough. I would barely call it a laugh, she said.
Ms. Fairooz said the noise was not intended to disrupt the hearing, which had formally been called to order.
None of us planned to get arrested, said Ms. Fairooz, who attended the hearing dressed in pink as Lady Liberty and carrying a sign. We just wanted to be a visible symbol of dissent.'>>>
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/us/code-pink-sessions-laughter-trial.html?
Nwgirl503
(406 posts)Kill a black kid...nothing to see here.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)2naSalit
(86,039 posts)DinahMoeHum
(21,737 posts). . .to kick a duck in the ass.
Fuckingly ludicrous.
louis-t
(23,199 posts)As we get closer and closer to dictatorship, it then becomes a crime to disagree with stupid fuck drumpf.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)fescuerescue
(4,448 posts)I was sure they would acquit her.
elleng
(130,126 posts)Note (2d edit, **) they did partly acquit.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,146 posts)were partly acquitted:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/activist-faces-jail-time-laughing-during-sessions-hearing-n754326
Ohioblue22
(1,430 posts)GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)I hope she appeals it.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)but laughing is.
This entire administration is felonious. Time to convict.
MindPilot
(12,693 posts)twelve people too stupid to get out of jury duty.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)...
Several jurors who spoke with HuffPost after the verdict emphasized that they were focused on Fairoozs actions after a rookie Capitol Police officer approached Fairooz when she laughed at Sen. Richard Shelbys (R-Ala.) claim that Sessions had a clear, well-documented and extensive record of treating all Americans equally under the law. A group of jurors spoke to HuffPost on the condition of anonymity.
She did not get convicted for laughing. It was her actions as she was being asked to leave, the jury foreperson said.
...
The jurors indicated they felt they had to convict Fairooz because of the way the laws are written, with yet another juror describing them as so broad.
At least three jurors said it was fair to say they felt forced into convicting her. Theres almost no way that you can find them not guilty, one said.
Read the whole article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeff-sessions-laugh-congressional-hearing_us_590929bbe4b05c39768420ef
elleng
(130,126 posts)I too served on a DC (Federal case) jury some years ago. Different from here, we wanted to convict (a con guy, re: 9/11 behavior,) an unsavory character, but due to the law and failure of the (inexperienced) prosecutor to prove her case, we did a 'not guilty.' Here, sounds like conscientious jury did what it should have done. The big issue: Why the heck did the government prosecute? Should NOT have done so, imo.