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To: servo1969
From Wikipedia:
During the jury instructions, Judge Morley did not charge the jury with the exemptions to the New Jersey law despite arguments by the defense that Aitken met one of the exemptions and was therefore innocent of the charges. The jury returned three times requesting to be made aware of the laws that provide exemptions for lawful possession; however, all three requests were denied by the judge.

One of the jury requests read:

"Why did you make us aware at the start of the trial that the law allows a person to carry a weapon if the person is moving or going to a shooting range, and during the trial both the defense and prosecution presented testimony as to whether or not the defendant was in the process of moving, and then in your charge for us to deliberate we are not permitted to take into consideration whether or not we believe the defendant was moving?"

In an interview with ABC News, Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, stated:

"The defendant's attorneys presented evidence that his house was for sale and that at the time of arrest he was travelling from one residence in New Jersey to another."

Roughly a week after Aitken's trial the presiding judge, James Morley, became one of only two sitting judges not reappointed to their life-term by Governor Chris Christie.

Morley insists he was kicked off the bench unfairly after he acquitted a Moorestown, NJ police officer of animal cruelty charges after the officer molested several calves.

That police officer, Robert Melia, was later convicted of 22 unrelated charges including sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct.

I would think this judge could be brought up on charges of misconduct. If not, why not. We should demand that judges be held accountable.

6 posted on 10/20/2014 7:23:28 AM PDT by Robert DeLong (u)
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To: Robert DeLong
The Jury should have returned a Not Guilty verdict — if the presumption of innocence is to be upheld, then to deny them access to the actual law is to deny them access to the item by which they are to measure the prosecution's argument. (IOW, with no law, there is no guilt.)
12 posted on 10/20/2014 11:44:09 AM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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