Fifth Day

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Here’s where the document gets really, really good. Look at all the things the State cannot do, but private individuals can. The concept of Civil proceedings infuriates me. They make me see red.

I think O.J. did it. But he was judged not guilty in a court of law. I think Kobe did it. But the Courts declined to prosecute him, because they could not prove so beyond the shadow of a doubt. Many people beleive these things to be the case.

But they are not guilty, because a judge and jury did not assign blame to them. Kobe wasn’t even indicted; O.J. was acquitted.

But the concept of a civil trial for a capital crime allows the families of Nicole and Ron to take the Juice to the cleaners. Now he can only plan golf twice a day, instead of three times. Even though he is defined as not guilty of their murders, and not guilty of causing their deaths, a group of jurors who are not his peers decided that he was responsible, and should pay their relatives lots and lots of money.

Who does that help? Not O.J., he has to sell his trophies. Not Ron and Nicole, they are dead. Not their Children, they don’t have their mother anymore, and they really don’t have their father either.

Why can we appeal a conviction, but not an acquittal? Be cause the Constitution tells us so. At least, as narrowly defined as it has become. This amendment has been perverted beyond any sense of reason.

By the way, don’t commit a drug crime in this country. Because you are bleeped if you do. You know, A drug crime like…having any within your house, even if you yourself are not using.

Nothing quite like having your front door kicked down in the middle of the night, with your wife screaming, your newly dead dog bleeding all over your rug. There are specific rules against those as well. But nobody reads tehm either, even though we’ve already covered their use.