Prosecutor in rapper's drug case found dead

CNN ^ | Thursday, December 4, 2003

[Willie Green]

An assistant U.S. attorney in Baltimore, Maryland, Jonathan P. Luna had been trying the case of a local rap artist facing drug conspiracy charges and had been expected in court Thursday morning.

Authorities have not announced a connection between Luna's death and the drug trial.

[dasboot]

First thought: What was his stance on gun control? This ain't yer grand-daddies America. (thanks, Lyndon)

[Devil_Anse]

So we are now like Colombia. A judge finds a drug-runner guilty, the judge is simply killed. A prosecutor dares to take a drug-runner to trial, the prosecutor is simply killed.

Save those guns. You're all going to need them. If what was done to this Ass't. U.S. Attorney is allowed to stand unchallenged, nobody has protection of law any more.

[Devil_Anse]

And calling this small-time f**kface a "rapper" or "rap artist" is about like calling Bill Clinton a father or husband. Puh-leese.

[Mercat]

Maybe because I'm a lawyer, this murder really hit me. Anyone know whether the vic is a husband or father? Prayers for his family. He was a hero.

[ambrose]

People who haven't prosecuted rappers are murdered every day in America. I'm not saying this diminish this man's death, but to point out that these particular rappers aren't necessarily the ones responsible.

[IncPen]

Hmmm. Out of character post for you Willie.

Lemme guess. He's unemployed now? It's Bush's fault?

[Willie Green]

Anyone know whether the vic is a husband or father?

Yeah, the article says that "The 38-year-old prosecutor was married with two young children and had worked for four years in the Baltimore U.S. attorney's office."

I think this story was just breaking when I posted it. So I'm sure that more detailed media coverage is in the works. It's pretty serious when a federal prosecutor is assassinated.

[Willie Green]

Hmmm. Out of character post for you Willie.
Lemme guess. He's unemployed now? It's Bush's fault?

It's not out of character for me at all.
During my 5+ year tenure as a forum participant, I've posted well over 5000 articles on a very wide variety of topics and subjects.
However, I am getting weary of the off-topic snide personal attacks that have no bearing to the article posted.
You've been around long enough to know better.

[IncPen]

However, I am getting weary of the off-topic snide personal attacks that have no bearing to the article posted.

Not snide, not out of character, not personal.

A simple observation that this post doesn't square with your usual doom and gloom about Bush and the economy.

If you're weary, it's not my doing.

Smile, Willie. Life is good.

[Willie Green]

A simple observation that this post doesn't square with your usual doom and gloom about Bush and the economy.

When I originally posted this article, I hadn't anticipated getting into a discussion of the government's failure to curb the flow of illicit drugs through our nation's porous borders, or of the continuation of violent drug-related crime in our urban areas. Yet, one would think that the emphasis on Homeland Security would have curtailed these activities as well.

Smile, Willie. Life is good.

Not for the family of Jonathan P. Luna.
I guess you just don't understand the meaning of the word "inappropriate", do you?

[dasboot]

I've posted well over 5000 articles on a very wide variety of topics and subjects.

Been here three years, lurking longer than five: never remember anything but "Pink-Slip Willie" spam.

Glad you're expanding your offerings!

[Yeti]

If what was done to this Ass't. U.S. Attorney is allowed to stand unchallenged, nobody has protection of law any more.

It almost seems like that is already the case sometimes, DA.

This what happens when you run a corrupt government for a long time, you develop this criminal culture. And from this criminal culture you develop this subculture of ultra-thugs. The kind of folks who, as part of their way of living, stab lawyers to death and leave them to rot in ditches.

Thanks, WG, for posting this.

[dasboot]

Willie, you really should publish that come-uppant message for everybody to see. Ouch, dude!

[dasboot]

Roger that! Apologists for evil recieve no protection from evil's inevitable appetites.

[Catspaw]

Yes, married, with two children. There are more details in the Baltimore Sun article.

http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-attorney1204,0,4701341.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[marktwain]

So we are now like Colombia. A judge finds a drug-runner guilty, the judge is simply killed. A prosecutor dares to take a drug-runner to trial, the prosecutor is simply killed.

The prosecutor's stance on gun control is relevant. Prosecute enough unconstitutional laws long enough, and people believe that there is no justice. The war on drugs has just exacerbated the doubts about the justice system.

As people believe that there is no justice in the system, some will actively fight it.

I don't know what the whole story is here, but I have seen enough cases of blatant injustice in the system to understand that the gun laws and drug laws have undermined much of the faith in the system that existed 40 years ago.

[Old Professer]

You must be a lawyer, you can't read.

[Old Professer]

Lighten up, we could always find nasty things to say about you if we had to.

[Domestic Church]

"This what happens when you run a corrupt government for a long time, you develop this criminal culture."

And it's invasive to the point of dumping bodies in Amish farmland!