From Wikipedia:
"Individuals found in possession of small quantities of drugs are issued summons. The drugs are confiscated, and the suspect is interviewed by a dissuasion commission including a civil servant, a psychiatrist, and an attorney. Based on the patterns of drug use, the individual may be subject to fines, therapy, or probation. Drug trafficking remains illegal and is prosecuted."

Anyone else think the decrease in usage is simply due to real drug treatment programs being FAR more effective at reducing recidivism than simple imprisonment? It's not that the Portuguese authorities have grown more permissive of hard drug users. It's that they've moved on to "correctional facilities" that actually have a chance of correcting people.

Also, somehow getting your shit confiscated, being arrested, fined and kicked out of the country doesn't sound like an awesome drug vacation. I don't know how they thought it might increase tourism.

No, that's not at all what I'm saying. First off, when I said I'd like to hear a realistic and better system proposed, I wasn't being snarky; I really would be interested in hearing ideas of that sort. Your implication that I think the system is perfect and cops should be free to do as they see fit is way out of line.

What I am saying is don't dig your hole deeper by assaulting the officer who is trying to arrest you (or someone else). You're not accomplishing anything. If you were innocent of the crime you were being arrested for, you've damaged your character and committed a crime that you're practically guaranteed to be convicted of. If you were guilty of the first crime, now you're guilty of two. These girls just went from paying a piddly fine to (probably) extended probation and maybe some jail time.

Being suspected of something doesn't make a bit of difference. I could say I suspect you're a meth-head based on your inability to communicate in complete sentences. Does it mean anything without substantiating evidence? No. Have your rights been violated? No.

The police are there to protect our collective interests. Perhaps certain individuals aren't but, collectively, that is the purpose for their existence. If you think the law should be changed then work to change it. Violent retaliation against the police only weakens your position, whether you're right or wrong.

Personally, I'd love to see all drugs legalized and I'd also love to see some reform in and around traffic tickets/court. These don't involve restructuring the system, however. Claiming that you are "guilty until proven innocent" in a system intended to be the exact opposite implies something along the lines of starting with a clean slate, IMO.

>> ^GenjiKilpatrick:

So because you personally can't think of sensible reforms to law-making and enforcement.. that makes it okay for anyone who's willing to complete police academy to misuse the law to arrest anyone for any reason and abuse/assault them as much as the feel the need to?
http://videosift.com/video/Dont-Talk-to-Cops @min 5:22
Being arrested means you're "suspected" of being guilty of violating a law.
Since the law is written so that any actions you take can be construed or later be found to be a violation of the law..
You are in effect. Guilty until the State can't or doesn't feel like prosecuting you.
Stop acting like police are there to protect your interest.
Police only exist to protect business and political interests of the power elite.
Arrest quotas & the "war on drugs" only exist as excuses to keep police in business.

*nsfw ... i think submitter should be put on probation for leaving the nsfw off...

Probation != jail time >.>

Looks like he will be doing jail time.

The plea agreement states that Simmons would have been sentenced to six months in jail for the criminal impersonation charge, but was instead given a suspended sentence. He would have also had to serve two 11-month-29-day jail terms for unlawful photography, but that sentence was also suspended.
Any infraction while he is on probation could result in Simmons’ being forced to serve those terms.

Simmons entered the plea in circuit court in lieu of a trial.

He will be on probation for two years because the two counts of illegal photography would have ran concurrently with the criminal impersonation charge.

You know why the lawyer is crying; because the judge doesn't give a shit. The whole tone of that court is bullshit.

Now I'm going to use ad homimen against the quoted person below. Do you dislike the constitution; your comment would seem to put you in that category. This case is clear cut, the Judicial Branch in Nevada does not have the power to call that law what it is; bullshit. The balance of powers is not working, and it is clear in the judge’s tone of voice; "I wash my hands of this."

Read the 8th amendment.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Somehow I get the feeling that you would think the ultimatum imposed on Alan Turing was correct and immaculately moral. Read the following excerpt from Wikipedia. Turing’s ultimatum was chemical castration or imprisonment. Bear it in mind that this is the same era where Oppenheimer was persecuted for, what some would say, the same carelessness as Turing.

In January 1952 Turing picked up 19-year-old Arnold Murray outside a cinema in Manchester. After a lunch date, Turing invited Murray to spend the weekend with him at his house, an invitation which Murray accepted although he did not show up. The pair met again in Manchester the following Monday, when Murray agreed to accompany Turing to the latter's house. A few weeks later Murray visited Turing's house again, and apparently spent the night there.[38]

After Murray helped an accomplice to break into his house, Turing reported the crime to the police. During the investigation, Turing acknowledged a sexual relationship with Murray. Homosexual acts were illegal in the United Kingdom at that time,[6] and so both were charged with gross indecency under Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, the same crime that Oscar Wilde had been convicted of more than fifty years earlier.[39]

Turing was given a choice between imprisonment and probation conditional on his agreement to undergo hormonal treatment designed to reduce libido. He accepted chemical castration via oestrogen hormone injections.[40] A side effect of the treatment caused him to grow breasts.

Turing's conviction led to the removal of his security clearance, and barred him from continuing with his cryptographic consultancy for GCHQ. At the time, there was acute public anxiety about spies and homosexual entrapment by Soviet agents,[41] because of the recent exposure of the first two members of the Cambridge Five, Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, as KGB double agents. Turing was never accused of espionage but, as with all who had worked at Bletchley Park, was prevented from discussing his war work.[42]

Your way of thinking is outdated, outmaneuvered and better suited for the middle ages; also misogyny doesn't suit you.

>> ^fjules:

She got sentenced for life because she refused to have her name on the sex offenders list. Basically, it's her own fault.
"wtf with the crying lawyer?"
Good reason why women can't be lawyers.

What do you mean "clearly violated the site rules"? You pointed a finger at me once about what you thought was my sockpuppet account. That was obviously dealt with, and if I wasn't banned then that should answer your question as to whether or not I was guilty. Also there was some question as to whether or not I abused a Sift power, which if I did there again dag or lucky would've punished me appropriately. Not everything is a public, communal affair.

I may push boundaries, and I've been punished with hobbles if you've forgotten, but I never purposely violate site rules so far as I can remember.

Don't compare what happened to choggie with what I've done in the past. Choggie was on probation and dag banned him. That has nothing to do with me. I didn't ban him or petition to have him banned. Please, leave me out of it. Cheers. No hard feelings.

I've been reading thru these different discussions about Choggie and I really think there's overreacting from both Pro and Anti Choggie supporters. =]

Choggie broke an agreement with Dag not to be a constant prick. - One point green team.

Choggie's comment wasn't inherently racist. (even tho overall, he does seem racially focused & prejudice) - One point blue team.

Yay!Looks like we have a tie!

Which makes all this back & forth (including this comment) amount to lot of pissing in the wind and hoping the other team get some in their face.


In sum:

It's great that chogster had the sensibility to sift a good video but i don't think that's an excuse for being a surly ball-busting instigator.

If the sift seems boring and stagnant, promote more probies.

I bet we have a number of probational members that could adequately fill Sir Choggie's sifting and color commentary gauntlets. (With less vulgarity. That way, we all can have our jabs ..and eat them too =])

I really don't see the big fuse here.

Re-ban his handle. (done) He'll make a new one and be less of prick for a while. Then ban that one when he crosses the line again. And so the cycle of life continues, no?

>> ^dag:

Choggie- as we've previously discussed, your return to VideoSift was predicated on the condition that you would adhere to the rules of the community. Over the past few weeks I've noticed a degeneration towards the old pre-ban Choggie with increased racial slurs and personal attacks.
You've been on Sift probation during this period and unfortunately, I don't think it's working out.
You are hereby suspended from VideoSift.
In reply to this comment by choggie:
BT??...Downvote comments but respond in a fashion more fitting a mouth-breather....You have come down from the trees??...I mean, yer people have...Right???


thats gay

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Choggie- as we've previously discussed, your return to VideoSift was predicated on the condition that you would adhere to the rules of the community. Over the past few weeks I've noticed a degeneration towards the old pre-ban Choggie with increased racial slurs and personal attacks.

You've been on Sift probation during this period and unfortunately, I don't think it's working out.

You are hereby suspended from VideoSift.

In reply to this comment by choggie:
BT??...Downvote comments but respond in a fashion more fitting a mouth-breather....You have come down from the trees??...I mean, yer people have...Right???

science behind tight ass stinks man.... next time i see it DOWNVOTE

this from a probational member. unfunny like a bigoted joke but so nice
http://videosift.com/video/Rucka-Rucka-Ali-Me-No-Rikey-YouTube-Part-2-No-More-DJ-Nic

Only one possible solution to this. DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION!!!

I HATE this song and I hate pitbull. He is an insult to the breed of dog. I've never been more motivated to get out of probation so I could downvote this GARBAGE.

When i was arrested at 16 for vandalism... i was sentenced to 40 hrs Community Service, $230 fine, 6 month probation. Though it was originally a 2nd degree felony they call Malicious Mischief. Though since it was my first offense and possibly my age it went down to misdemeanor. This legal sentence passed on Perez is absolutely bullshit it is extreme and uncalled for.... i lived in Germany for 5 yrs...they don't throw people in jail for graffiti you are given fines which i am sure continue to increase....in regards to that prick doing a mural how do you think you get to the level you don't just wake up one day and do murals..... you start with tags then move your way up...oh and most graffiti artists aren't fucking gangsters....



>> ^syncron:
Kid? He's 18, that's when you get trialed as an adult... And he isn't even black. Good riddance IMO, graffiti is not art, it is vandalism. The prick should have gone to paint a mural or something. This guy and his sentence should serve as a strong example of legal consequence to all prospective gangsters out there.

that judge seems like a very unhappy woman. he should have got community service, a year of probation and a fine.