Posted on 07/17/2015 9:50:09 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Three years ago, a group of ambitious and partisan district attorneys convened a special kind of investigation to target and punish conservatives. This week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that investigation was unconstitutional and unmoored from both reason and law. The legal theories underlying the Wisconsin high court’s decision are important, but before we consider them, we must recognize the human cost of this litigation and the politics that animated public officials’ attacks on conservatives for engaging in free speech.
Some district attorneys in Wisconsin were disappointed by the failure of a prior John Doe investigation to derail Wisconsin’s union reform law, incensed by the unsuccessful recall election of union-busting Gov. Scott Walker, and cognizant that Walker’s next election campaign was about to start.
Unlike the normal criminal investigative process, however, these district attorneys employed Wisconsin’s so-called John Doe law, which grants extreme power to a special investigator to compel evidence and—more importantly—keep his investigation secret from targets and from the public. Their legal theory in this case was that Walker and other candidates had illegally coordinated their campaigns with outside issue-advocacy groups.
Like so many villains, the John Doe II investigators went about their dirty business under cover of darkness. Nighttime raids by SWAT-equipped police squads turned homes and lives upside down. Computers and cellphones and all the personal documents and private information contained therein were seized and thereafter withheld from their proper owners. From the outside groups, investigators demanded membership lists and financial information. For all the targeted victims, the raids and subpoenas came with a sharp, horrifying warning: tell no one.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
OK.
Now, what recourse do these illegally targeted individuals and groups have?
The Federalist write a good article on the John Doe investtigation.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this wisconsin interest ping list.
“Now, what recourse do these illegally targeted individuals and groups have?”
I was thinking something along the lines of tar and feathers.
Like so many villains, the John Doe II investigators went about their dirty business under cover of darkness. Nighttime raids by SWAT-equipped police squads turned homes and lives upside down. Computers and cellphones and all the personal documents and private information contained therein were seized and thereafter withheld from their proper owners. From the outside groups, investigators demanded membership lists and financial information. For all the targeted victims, the raids and subpoenas came with a sharp, horrifying warning: tell no one.
It’s like a rapist telling his victim,’Tell no one!’ with the obvious implication that if you do they will come back and make you ‘pay’.
And this is a face of the American Justice system?
BLOAT
“That STILL doesn’t mean Scott Walker isn’t Hitler and isn’t EVIL!” ~ Unhinged Leftists in Our State
Meanwhile, I’ll keep doing my Happy Dance! :)
Lawsuits are already filed with more to come. It’s gonna be a bloodbath. :)
Cindy Archer has filed, I’ll look for others:
By Cindy Archer
June 30, 2015 6:58 p.m. ET
After much soul-searching, I am filing a civil-rights lawsuit on Wednesday against Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. I fear his retaliation, given what I know of his methods, but the Chisholm campaign against me that began at dawn on Sept. 14, 2011, requires a legal response to discourage the prosecutor’s continued abuse of his office.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-im-filing-a-civil-rights-lawsuit-1435694608
“What had prompted the raid? My guess: As an adviser to Gov. Walker, I had played a lead role in drafting and implementing public-employee labor reforms that would propel him to the national stage.” ~ Cindy Archer
OMG! The Left is having KITTENS!
Five Things to Know About the Scott Walker John Doe Ruling
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/07/12887/five-things-know-about-scott-walker-john-doe-ruling
5) Justices jumped right into the right-wing echo chamber
Bwaa-Haa-Haa! Not stated in this article, that rails against Conservative judges? Ann Walsh Bradley (Rat, WI), one of WI’s SC Justices had to RECUSE herself from this case BECAUSE HER SON WAS ONE OF THE LAWYERS DOING THIS DIRTY WORK!!
So, as you can see, this is a GREAT victory for Free Speech, Free Association and The Rule of Law.
Stick it, Liberals! Stick. It.
I suddenly remembered that the Saiga 12 gauge comes in a full auto version, too.
Will we be seeing the corrupt criminal DA and his union thug wife doing the perp walk any time soon? If Walker demands it, and acts toward the arrests, then he gets my vote. If not, he’s just another GW Bush.
WOW - were these folks working with the DOJ, FBI or IRS in targeting innocent conservative citizens...
One really nice benefit to electing Walker is he can smell a totalitarian creep at 40 paces.... If we elect him he'll go after all of 'em.
I hope they sue the sh*t out of those responsible. If failure to bake a cake for a same sex couple is worth $135,000 guess how much these people are due!
I’d like to see Governor Walker come out and strongly advocate a recall effort against the two Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices who formed the two-member minority, Abrahamson and Crooks.
If nothing else, that would draw national attention to the way conservatives were treated under the John Doe investigation. And who knows, maybe it would even happen. It would be a glorious day to finally see a liberal justice recalled for putting politics ahead of the law.
bkmk
I did not know that! That is really rich.
Matt Kittle, Wisconsin Reporter dug up THAT little gem. She’s also the one that was in the kerfluffle with Justice Prosser!
The Liberals in this state are absolutely INSANE. Those currently in power need to be kicked to the curb! Liberalism IS a Mental Disorder.
Here’s the scoop:
http://watchdog.org/133794/recusal-john-doe-case-raises-questions-fairness-purpose/
How about the idiot voters in this state that returned her to another TEN year year term on the WISS?
Aha! I missed that because I was out in CA at my dying, 101 yr. old mother’s bedside.
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