CDR: Re: California bars free speech of those cutting deals on votes

[Harmon Seaver]

David Honig wrote:
>
> Actually you can sue a government official (cop, clerk, etc) who
> violates your rights knowingly, and under 'color of authority'.
> The trick is convincing a jury that it was suitably malicious
> and obvious violation.  E.g., false arrest because you look like
> a suspect won't cut it almost always.

     Actually, you can do better than that. There's a fed statute (don't
have the # with me, but do at home if someone needs it) that makes
violation of your civil rights by *any* public official a federal
felony. A judge in Tenn. got 32 years in the slammer on this charge a
few years ago. He took it to the Supremes and lost. 
 

-- 
Harmon Seaver, MLIS	Systems Librarian
Arrowhead Library System	Virginia, MN
(218) 741-3840	hseaver at arrowhead.lib.mn.us 
http://harmon.arrowhead.lib.mn.us