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Great White North
Religious-freedom advocates back 'John Does', CAIR round two
2007-08-02
WASHINGTON -- A religious-freedom advocacy group yesterday asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit against airline passengers who reported suspicious behavior of a group of Muslim imams that resulted in their removal from a US Airways flight.

The amicus brief by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota was filed on behalf of "John Doe" passengers who are included in a lawsuit against the airline and the Minneapolis Metropolitan Airports Commission. "The case against the John Does should be dismissed because no law could or should be construed to punish them for reporting a possible terrorist attack to airline authorities," the Becket Fund, a nonprofit legal organization that litigates religious-liberty cases, said in the court filing.
Yet the Democrats and the terror-apologists at CAIR think otherwise.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), said he "does not think this legislation would prevent that lawsuit because there is a good faith provision in the legislation."

"And to determine whether the reports are made in good faith, you might still have to ask them in a court of law," Mr. Hooper said on MSNBC.
Unfortunately he's pro'ly right: points of law can be handled without getting to court, but points of fact -- e.g., did this person make the call in good faith -- can't be decided by a judge beforehand.
Posted by:Icerigger

#8  While I often cite the proverbial "busload of laywers on a lake bottom" as being a "good start": There ARE good laywers. They've helped me prevail in nearly every case I've brought or defended myself in.

As others here noted, lawyers also have a proclivity for making legal nomenclature completely unreadable to the general public. I present for your consideration, the American tax code. This is "legalese" at its worst.

Similarly, we have successful lawsuits filed by criminals attempting to break into establishments who have stumbled through skylights and won lawsuits against the building's owners. The crotch coffee incidents only go towards further proof of insanely stupid lawsuits.

There are good lawyers. Sadly, like our politicians, most seem totally unperturbed at furthering a system that promotes unreadability of common law and entrenchment of professional interpretation of that which should be put in plain speech. Those are the ones that Shakespeare referred to with his immortal line in Henry the VI; "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers".
Posted by: Zenster   2007-08-02 21:32  

#7  Ice, thanks for the kind words. Like others (and probably Bigjim), I have been snookered by a shyster lawyer, but that was before I 'grew my own' so to speak. The shyster got all from me ( or more accurately the water district I was a board officer on) he ever will. Knowing that there were two members who had sons that were attorneys, there was a motion passed that directed the board (me) to use a lawyer that specialized in real estate law. (to cut either one out) and it basically was only to find out what 'is' meant.
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2007-08-02 17:21  

#6  
Money quote.

"These citizens attempted to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their fellow passengers. For this, they are dragged into federal court and threatened with humiliation, expense, and liability," the papers said. "This harassment is nothing less than legal terrorism — an attempt to change public behavior by threatening to impoverish and destroy at random the lives of those whom plaintiffs see as their enemies. These claims should not be entertained."
Posted by: JohnQC   2007-08-02 16:15  

#5  USN feel free. Your rants are always enlighting.

I'm guessing that Nolting is already looking at anti-CAIR discovery motions. We can only hope this goes to trial.
Posted by: Icerigger   2007-08-02 16:10  

#4  bigjim, that was me and I stand by what I said. I am truly sorry if you have been brainwashed or otherwise negatively affected by the activities of one or several slippery lawyers. I would offer the following: if a judge were to dismiss a frivolous lawsuit for what it is ( think hot McCoffee spilled in the crotch, twice) rather than go through with the drill the world would be a better place. You cannot legislate stupid, yet people with alledged grievances can and will find a shyster to take up their plight and sue 'somebody' for their own stupidity. Of course coffee is hot you moron ( referring to the Mccoffee bitch).
I could really get wound up over this but out of consideration for the more rational 'Burgers, I won't.
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2007-08-02 14:41  

#3  Yes, but remember for every clown wrecking it all with a slanderous, viscious, meritless lawsuit, there is some defender of freedom fighting for the innocent victim of said suit.

My daughter, for example, has been defending asbestos manufacturers for six months, weeding out the real victims from the wannabees. Not that she plans to continue in that field.... But I AM depending on her for my retirement!
Posted by: Bobby   2007-08-02 12:32  

#2  Leave it to a f*cking lawer to still find a way to sue somebody after congress passes a law to specifically try to sheild them.

Who was on here the other day talking up the meritorious virtues of lawers? You need to think about it a little more. The rotten shit they do more than outweighs the few pro-bono cases and property rights judgements that they have time for when they're not screwing people.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-08-02 11:29  

#1  At this point, I almost hope the judge does NOT throw it out. The "John Does" are being rep'd fairly well (pro-bono, at that) and discovery could be a VERY interesting thing for CAIR. "Bring it on, punk!"
Posted by: BA   2007-08-02 10:57  

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