People vs. OPEC

I’m sure that all across corporate America in the executive offices of the CEO’s of all the big oil companies could be heard one phrase today.

“Ut Ohhhhh!”

Congress today passed legislation allowing the creation of banks of lawyers to sue the pants off of OPEC members and investigate price gouging by any company. Of course the Commander in Chief is against this kind of legislation. Who’d of thought that? Over at the New York Times they have this on the subject…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices, but the White House threatened to veto the measure.

The bill would subject OPEC oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, to the same antitrust laws that U.S. companies must follow.

The measure passed in a 324-84 vote, a big enough margin to override a presidential veto.
The legislation also creates a Justice Department task force to aggressively investigate gasoline price gouging and energy market manipulation.

"This bill guarantees that oil prices will reflect supply and demand economic rules -- instead of wildly speculative and perhaps illegal activities," said Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, who sponsored the legislation. - New York Times

When it comes to the scales of justice here in the States it is basically a foregone conclusion that big oil interest have heavily tipped the scales against consumers. It looks to me like we finally will get a break and the powers that be on the exchange markets that set the market price for oil should start investing in shredders.

I’d be willing to pick up a few document threshers if they would be willing to drop the price of oil down to around fifty or sixty bucks a barrel. If they loan me a hundred bucks to fill my tank then I’ll even deliver the shredders.

Papamoka

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Jury Duty Part II

Well I did my jury duty. I happened to have the chance to read my latest paperback but then again they have a television in the jury room so that was a bonus. Nobody was talking to anyone other than pleasantries and it felt more like a wake then a public service adventure.

All of the folks that were called for jury duty were placed in a room that was somewhat devoid of any artwork other than a Walmart special clock that just failed to tick off the minutes. Then the court officer came in and declared war on smokers and anyone with an inkling of needing to leave the room we were somewhat incarcerated in. If any one person left the room, we would be there till after four in the afternoon due to procedures in place to keep the jury pool out of ear shot of any lawyers discussing cases in the halls. Sort of a time out for all of us kids on the jury pool because one of us just might sneak out for a butt. When he asked for a show of hands amongst us only one person raised their hand and he was put to task. "I will be watching you!" The court officer stated as fact.

Just as the morning television talk shows were in full game they killed the television on us to watch one of those Charlie Brown videos of judges discussing the process, what the duty of the jury is and how it all works. I'm sure the woman sleeping at the table heard the teacher from Charlie Brown, Wha, wha wha wha, wha wha wha wha wha....

I forgot to mention the screening process, no cell phones, no electronic devices, and all the rest of logical things like weapons of mass destruction are not aloud in the court house. I emptied my pockets and feared that my bic lighter would be seen as a terrorist weopon but is was not once we were locked down. My wallet and pictures of my kids were rifled through as well as my car keys. Key to key were looked over. I was pissed off when one of the jury members whipped out her lap top and started typing away once we were in the sealed room. Had I known those were okay I would have brought mine.

One of the judges from the court came into the jury room in full robes and thanked us all for attending and serving not just our state but our nations legal system and that impressed me. It was probably the same speech he gives five days a week but it was the first time I have heard it and it made sense. Thank you Judge whatever the hell you said your name was. I so much wanted to ask him while he was thanking me so much for being there where the vending machines were for a soda, a snack, something? I didn't.

End result of my jury service was that I did not get to be on a jury. Damn lawyers scewed me over and settled all of the cases today or had continuences without the need for a jury. From what I now understand this is the case many times in our courts. All of my anxiety for serving on a jury were dealt with by a couple of lawyers making a deal in the halls of justice. Am I wrong to think that our justice system is screwed up? Yes, lawyers are there for their clients but if they are spitting out odds like a Las Vegas gambling house then why am I being called for jury duty?

Have people taken lawyers opinions as judges as a fact they have to face without a trial? Even a trial by a jury is feared by the lawyer? I see a real problem with this and frankly you should too! This is a serious dilemma. Judges in a court of law are lawyers but any lawyer in a court is not a judge. Something isn't right here. How do these lawyers know what any jury would think given any case? What if I had one problem with any given statement in any trial as a jury member? What if I had a problem with the police procedures used in any given trial?

Trusting a lawyer when your interests are at stake is up to you as an individual to say yes or no. Lawyers should be advisors to their clients and not deal makers in the courts of our justice system.

Papamoka

Jury Duty…

I’ve been called to appear for jury duty and unlike many people I am looking forward to it. Many friends and family have told me what I should say to get out of it but that isn’t me. I’d like to be on a jury and see how it really works. It would be an interesting experience and a learning one at that.

So would you lie to get out of jury duty? I promise not to tell anyone what you say but you have to swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Feel free to comment either way… Post anonymous though to protect your identity if you would lie.

What I would love to see from a juror point of view is the lawyers giving their arguments pro and con on the innocence or guilt of the person on trial. Granted I could kill a vacation day and do that any day of the week and sit in the back of the court but being on the jury is different. Two lawyers or if the accused chooses to defend themselves then they have to convince me if the law was broken or if there is reasonable doubt. That is the deliberation that I would have to face if picked as a member of the jury.

I’m wondering if I would be the one person with the question in my mind if the person is guilty or not while the rest of the jury is in the opposing opinion? How do you discuss or argue the points while deciding the fate of another person if you believe one way or the other? This isn’t television where the star points out the obvious. This is real life, real people. Somebody could go to jail or be free. That has me thinking.

I guess I will find out tomorrow.

Papamoka