Silk Road prosecutors want to ban Ross Ulbricht's libertarian politics in court

Silk Road prosecutors want to ban Ross Ulbricht's libertarian politics in court

Prosecutors in the case against alleged Silk Road mastermind Ross Ulbricht want the court to prohibit Ulbricht from saying almost anything political at all, according to a motion filed last week by the government.

They're worried that the jury might end up sympathizing with Ulbricht's politics.

U.S. attorney Preet Bharara believes that Ulbricht's defense team wants to bring up his "views concerning the propriety of U.S. or international drug laws or the propriety of government regulation of individual conduct or commerce on the Internet" in order to convince the jury to excuse his alleged criminal behavior.

Ulbricht's political views are "plainly not relevant," prosecutors say, adding that they would "serve only to invite jury nullification and should therefore be excluded" and they "cannot form the basis for a legal defense."

Actually, they can.

Read more.


Comments


[44 Points] None:

[removed]


[29 Points] snoodsispro:

Because they don't want anybody to find out how they illegally obtained their information


[20 Points] ShulginsCat:

I actually didn't know that jurors can ignore the law when judging if a crime was committed or not. That makes a lot of sense.

Nullification has been credited with helping to end alcohol prohibition and laws that criminalized gay sex. Last year, Montana prosecutors were forced to offer a defendant in a marijuana case a favorable plea bargain after so many potential jurors said they would nullify that the judge didn’t think he could find enough jurors to hear the case.

However, I very much doubt that they'll be able to find more than a handful of jurors who will view DPRs charges and not call it a crime. For two years ran a clearinghouse for any kind of illegal drug known to man, netting millions of dollars.... dunno, sounds legit to me!


[11 Points] bizude:

Jury Nullification is probably his best shot of getting out of this, which is probably why they want him silent on the subject.


[6 Points] ibit420:

We're living in Iran now are we?


[6 Points] None:

When I read that title I was like "What the fuck is that even supposed to mean


[6 Points] MrHhhiiiooo:

Considering he posted all the time about that type of thing I feel like it's just as relevent as anything else.


[3 Points] None:

[deleted]


[4 Points] None:

How is this not violating his right to free speech? Last I checked we were allowed to follow any political ideologies we liked and were judged by our peers.


[3 Points] None:

This is how America works. I'm moving to Baja Mexico and riding waves fuck this bullshit system.


[3 Points] Deafcunt:

Pole smokers


[3 Points] AintNoFortunateSon:

Can someone explain how the defendant's political views have any relevance to the facts of this case?


[2 Points] None:

it sucks but really doesn't matter they'll play dirty and do anything to make an example of him....h ereally made the world a safer place even if it was on a small scale but how many people didn't get robbed,jumped or shot by not having to go into bad area to get a product? I bet that wont be allowed either. Whether or not Ross was DPR or not a revolution started that hasn't stopped and cannot be or never will,if there is a demand the free market will provide.If "they"try to ban it, the demand doesn't die it just evolves . Darknet annonymous maret places are a dream come true for most and a nucience for few because of Privacy


[2 Points] JiggleBones:

The justice system needs a new and updated checks and balance system from feet up dealing with beat cops all the way to the judges and representives that are so called for the people we should have a all out democratic vote on important issues no matter what creed or discrepency that revokes your inherant vote as a citizen to vote. Felons are making up a decent percentage of America know isn't it time for someone to stand up for there rights and beliefs, isn't it time to seperate crimes in severity, non violent and viloent and put money towards treatment and recovery. We shouldn't fear our neightbor we should embrace them, trust and understand not punish, segergrate, and terrorize. Empathy to your fellow human no matter what upbringing or beliefts rationality in conversations not stubberness and denial, if everyone lived by the golden rule and looked past there ideologies, race, or opinion we could progress as a race and trival lines in geography would not be needed. (sorry drunk)


[2 Points] JiggleBones:

Ross is the scapegoat for the problem, just like Pablo was the trophy for the.war on cocaine yet it is still continueing and thriving leary was the fall for LSD and marc forgot is canaidian last name that sold all the seeds. From Canada and served years in isolation and on computer terms like Kevin mitnick the populace needs a face to label the problem too and we get temporialy blinded by this simplistic and mundane method , look what happens when. We stop feeding into the bullshit , reality tv programs are finally.in a decline and plot.and scripted programs with structure and meanings are on the rise


[2 Points] sisko7:

If there is a political motive for the actions of Ross Ulbricht, then of course it is relevant in court. Wtf is wrong with these prosecutors?


[2 Points] shitterplug:

I agree with them. His politics have nothing to do with the court. The same could be said about religion. It's just not relevant.


[1 Points] None:

They can't ban people from saying things in court, can they? Isn't that a violation of the first amendment?

Also it says

They’re worried that the jury might end up sympathizing with Ulbricht’s politics

I thought the point of court is a fair trial?