This just in: the floor is not a weapon!

[Becca]

I looked but didn't see this article posted yet. If it was, my apologies.

Wash Supreme Court: Casino floor not a weapon

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington Supreme Court agrees with a martial artist who says he didn't use a casino floor as a weapon.

The court Thursday reversed the assault conviction of James Michael Marohl, who was accused of forcing a drunken man onto the floor of the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, causing minor injuries and breaking the man's prosthetic arm.

At his trial, the prosecutor argued that an arm lock and taking the man to the floor met the law's requirement of using objects likely to produce bodily harm.

But the unanimous high court ruling says that definition doesn't include a bare arm or a floor - unless a victim is repeatedly slammed against it - and that didn't happen in this case.

---

The case is State of Washington v. James Michael Marohl, docket number 83570-5.

Here's the direct story

[EarthDragon]

this is ridciulous but i have a true story thats similar
I put a guy's head into his own car door once and when I was in hand cuffs, the cops tried to tell me I could be sued for using a weapon... I was like what weapon? he said I used the car as a weapon to cause unneccesary bodily harm. I said they guy broke into my car and stole my radio and I chased him to his car put him in a headlock adn ran his head into it. The cop looked underneath the guys car and there was my alpine,

I was arrested and brought to the police station and when the guy came too, he didnt press charges and was then arrested for burgulary and I was let go. Sometijes he law is really pushing the limits of reality

[David Jamieson]

Perhaps it's not so much the law as it is the constabulary taking free range with interpretation of the laws where perhaps they shouldn't be doing that.

Police are given not enough education and too many powers these days and it has led to a landslide of dubious police behaviours.

For instance, up my way they literally pretended to be enforcing a law that didn't actually exist. During the G20 in my city, about 1000 people were arrested under teh pretend law that the police were led to believe was real by the chief and by politicians! Ridiculous right!

Here's what's even more ridiculous and has everything to do with police having poor interpretation of law skills. Of those 1000 arrests, not a single charge stuck.

Millions were wasted, lives were put on hold and in some cases ruined by zealot police. they even had an incidence where about 100 cops removed their identity badges. This is in direct contravention of the law as it is without any interpretation required.

The same thing has occured in almost every major city on the planet that has held one of these summits.

It is indicative of social decay if you ask me. It is division within the ciitizenry and it is encouraged by those who hold the seats of power and exposes their own corruption and lack of ethical ability.

Be aware of the changes in the world I guessSpeak up when you see injustice and don't be afraid of the people you pay.

[jdhowland]

May no one be hit by a floor tonight.

jd

[Becca]

May no one be hit by a floor tonight.

jd

Amen to that, jd!

[unyma]

The floor may not be a weapon but it certainly is the enemy!

[Scott R. Brown]

Peace Officers and the D.A. interpret the law one of two ways: according to the letter of the law, and according to the spirit of the law. When one goes through the Peace Officer training these two perspectives are made clear. Unfortunately, there are too many a-hole cops who choose the letter of the law.

Not like back in the '50's and 60's when cops were more mature and knew what was a real crime, what was necessary force and what was just adolescent high jinx.

[KC Elbows]

Does this mean my floor form is not the real shaolin?

[SoCo KungFu]

Peace Officers and the D.A. interpret the law one of two ways: according to the letter of the law, and according to the spirit of the law. When one goes through the Peace Officer training these two perspectives are made clear. Unfortunately, there are too many a-hole cops who choose the letter of the law.

Not like back in the '50's and 60's when cops were more mature and knew what was a real crime, what was necessary force and what was just adolescent high jinx.

Not saying that you're wrong, I wasn't alive in those days. But you can't put all the blame on the police. The laws are so much more convoluted now than they were in those days. And law enforcement is a lot like medicine in that you pretty much have to walk on egg shells cuz one screw up can cost you an otherwise good standing career.

[dimethylsea]

The laws are so much more convoluted now than they were in those days. And law enforcement is a lot like medicine in that you pretty much have to walk on egg shells cuz one screw up can cost you an otherwise good standing career.

When you turn society's guardians into revenue agents and anti-plant thugs, their morale will go down, and the amount of sympathy they are given by the populace will drop like a rock.

[SoCo KungFu]

When you turn society's guardians into revenue agents and anti-plant thugs, their morale will go down, and the amount of sympathy they are given by the populace will drop like a rock.

Especially when society is full of idiots. Please, your friend got caught doing something he knew was against the law, but did it anyways. Do I think weed should be legal? Yes. But its not. The problem is people like you who wanna ***** because you did something that was wrong and got caught. So now its their fault? Personal responsibility. Your friend had a choice, he made a stupid one. Grow the **** up.

Cops can be ****s. Some even go so far as to blatantly abuse their power. That's human. But I have less sympathy for idiots that screw up then ***** about it after the fact.

[Becca]

Bah! I post a silly article and you guys have to turn it into a political ****ing match. Lighten up already!

[Becca]

To get this thread back on track debate this, instead:

A) have you ever thought about having to use an arm lock on a guy/gal with a prosthetic arm?

B) would it not have been smarter to arm-lock the arm that wasn't detachable?

[KC Elbows]

I think it would be really strange of me to dwell too long on how I would defend against a guy with a prosthetic arm.

That said, it is something to think about.

[Lucas]

i used to know this guy who had a hook hand. you did NOT want to fight that guy if you could avoid it. Ive also seen him take his hook of and just flat out punch someone in the forhead as hard as he can with this wrist bone lol. funniest **** ever.