United Way attacked for donation [donors' $ pay for legal aid to terrorists!]

AP via Star-Ledger ^ | 11/8/01 | SHANNON McCAFFREY

[BikerNYC]

If the City didn't pay the Legal Aid Society to represent criminal defendants, the City would have to do it itself, building a criminal defense practice from scratch. It would cost a lot more.

The City pays LAS to do it because they represent people against government accusations very well. The help prevent the government from imprisoning anyone the government feels like it. They are a brake to government power by making the government prove it's case before the government tries to take away our freedom.

Boy, I hope you never need a criminal defense lawyer after some crazy cop, FBI agent or ATF agent decides to charge you (unjustly or not) with a crime. All those criminal defense lawyers who would be helping you against the government's accusations are just left-wingers, hell-bent on destroying society.

Making the government prove its case before they take away a person's freedom is one of the hallmarks of good conservative jurisprudence.

[mbb bill]

Is united way a democratic front??

[gumbo]

Is united way a democratic front??

Do you mean, a front for the Dimocratics?

I don't know, but I sure wouldn't be surprised if some UW money gets diverted to Dims.

[HiTech RedNeck]

This poses a dilemma which has been argued over many times. None of the suspects is a US citizen, and it can be asked why a "we the people" Constitution ought to treat them on the same footing as citizens. If these were US citizens the question would be clearer.

[gumbo]

If the City didn't pay the Legal Aid Society to represent criminal defendants, the City would have to do it itself, building a criminal defense practice from scratch. It would cost a lot more

"the City would have to do it itself"? Haha! Same difference, as we say in New York! The city ALREADY pays TAXPAYER DOLLARS to these leftist swindlers.

The help prevent the government from imprisoning anyone the government feels like it. They are a brake to government power by making the government prove it's case before the government tries to take away our freedom.

What universe are you living in? The Legal Aid Society goes out and grabs people by the collar to drag them INTO lawsuits, so they can have some kind of class-action against the TAXPAYERS.

E.g., the Legal Aid Society goes out and RECRUITS druggies who've been tossed out of federally-subsidized housing, sues the heck out of the government for protecting the law-abiding tenants, and we TAXPAYERS pay damages to the criminals.

If that's your idea of "the government taking away our freedom," you are living in a left-wing universe, Mr. BikerNYC.

You're such a cheerleader for Legal Aid Society, I have to ask: Are you a Legal Aid lawyer/liar?

[Angelique]

Everyone almost forced through their employment to give to UW should demand a refund! First, they started with the Boy Scouts, but to donate to lawyers who will defend those charged with starting war on our shores is unconscienable! I think we should start a huge FReep campaign. Enough!

[BikerNYC]

What universe are you living in? The Legal Aid Society goes out and grabs people by the collar to drag them INTO lawsuits, so they can have some kind of class-action against the TAXPAYERS.

What universe am I living in? Have you even bothered to read the article? We are not talking about lawsuits suing slumlords for rat-infested housing. These are criminal charges. The primary mission of the LAS is to act as defense counsel for people where the government has made allegations against them and wishes to take away a person's freedom.

If you have that much faith in government prosecutors and their ability to correctly and fairly charge people with crimes in each and every case, god bless ya. I'm sure you were quite happy with whatever charges that were handed down in the Waco, Ruby Ridge and other cases, and that those folks were being represented by left-wing radicals intent on destroying civilization as you know it.

Deal with the issue in the article: criminal accusations made by the government in an effort to take away people's freedom. If keeping a check on government power means anything, it means forcing the government to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt as to each and every individual the government seeks to incarcerate.

And, no, I don't work for the Legal Aid Society.

[BikerNYC]

None of the suspects is a US citizen, and it can be asked why a "we the people" Constitution ought to treat them on the same footing as citizens.

Please correct me if I have missed something, but I have never heard of any case anywhere in this country that holds that the government can accuse a non-citizen with a crime, seek to find that non-citizen guilty of that crime, sentence that non-citizen to incarceration, yet not provide that non-citizen with defense counsel to prepare and present a defense to the charges.

[gumbo]

We are not talking about lawsuits suing slumlords for rat-infested housing.

No, when we talk about the Legal Aid Society, we are talking about government-paid lawyers suing the government for chucking druggie criminals out of government-subsidized housing. And the taxpayers pay for it all! Hahahaha!!!

As for the LAS defending criminal defendants from criminal charges -- you know darned well 99.99% of those charged are filthy, murderous low-lives. Sure, those murderous low-lives deserve a defense; but don't tell me they're innocent citizens who were targeted by the "government."

As for Randy Weaver or the Branch Davidians, who were genuine victims of government tyranny -- FUNNY, I don't remember the left-wingers at the Legal Aid Society rushing to their defense.

Randy Weaver was represented by Gerry Spence; David Koresh was represented by Dick DeGuerin.

Those two are NOT Legal Aid Society lawyers.

[Minuteman23]

The United Way has always supported anti-American causes. Most Americans have no idea where their charitable donations go. We are funding our own demise.

[gumbo]

The United Way has always supported anti-American causes. Most Americans have no idea where their charitable donations go. We are funding our own demise.

Well, some of us are still alive and kicking. But I mostly agree with you.

Many have blindly believed in the good faith of big name charities such as the Red Cross, though this latest debacle may have opened their eyes.

But I'm afraid the United Way will continue to rake in the money, using their insidious pressure tactics to extort money from millions of office workers, as several posters have noted.

[editor-surveyor]

NEVER - NEVER - NEVER give to the Red (double)Cross, or United (Marxist)Way.

How can people be so stupid !!!!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Far from wanting foreign suspects to be railroaded, I've felt there should be a principle, that ANYBODY who goes on criminal trial and whose case is so good that he would win it not just by criminal justice standards (reasonable doubt) but also civil justice standards (preponderance of evidence), should be reimbursed for ALL legal and consequential costs of his run-in with the law. This would rein in really egregious prosecutors. It wouldn't apply to people who try to game the system by baiting it into prosecutions, but only those prosecuted against their will.

However I can't see an equal legal degree of niceties for foreigners who pretty clearly do wrong on our soil, as for citizens. Basic representation if indigent, yes. 10 layers of government financed appeals, no.

[goldilucky]

I could care less about the United Way or the Red Cross. Screw them both. I contribute to the Salvation Army. And I'll ring the bell for them anytime.

[Judge Parker]

Totally agree with you, I would never give to UW, or the Red Cross, or many others. Did you know that the Red Cross will not release how many Americans were registered as POWs by the Germans during WWII. Too many didn't come home because of a side trip to the Soviet Union, and it's a political thing.

[packrat01]

I wasn't aware of that. Do you have a reference or cite? If that became general knowledge, it could severly impact donations to the ARC.