Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht Pardoned (bbc.com) 256
Slashdot readers jkister and databasecowgirl share the news of President Donald Trump issuing a pardon to Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht. An anonymous reader shares a report from the BBC: US President Donald Trump says he has signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold. Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 in New York in a narcotics and money laundering conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he had called Ulbricht's mother to inform her that he had granted a pardon to her son. Silk Road, which was shut down in 2013 after police arrested Ulbricht, sold illegal drugs using Bitcoin, as well as hacking equipment and stolen passports.
"The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me," Trump said in his post online on Tuesday evening. "He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!" Ulbricht was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. During his trial, prosecutors said Ulbricht's website, hosted on the hidden "dark web", sold more than $200 million worth of drugs anonymously.
"The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me," Trump said in his post online on Tuesday evening. "He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!" Ulbricht was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. During his trial, prosecutors said Ulbricht's website, hosted on the hidden "dark web", sold more than $200 million worth of drugs anonymously.
Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts? (Score:5, Interesting)
Ross Ulbricht was on trial for one of the attempted contract killings at the time he was sent to jail, but having just been put away for a very long time on other charges, that case was dropped, probably under the assumption that nothing crazy would happen like a reality TV star President attempting to please a bunch of loony cryptobros by issuing a pardon to a drug kingpin who attempted multiple contract killings.
Could he be retried on the same case again or perhaps one of the other well-documented attempted contract killings where the hitman was actually a scammer rather than an undercover fed?
Trump could of course pardon him a second time for the attempted contract killings specifically. Forcing him to do that is worthwhile, it would be...revealing.
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I'm sure that before issuing the pardon, the Trump team looked at whether those attempted contract killing charges had strong merit, and decided they didn't. That would have been the prudent thing to do ... uh, ok so they didn't.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:4, Interesting)
Could he be retried on the same case again or perhaps one of the other well-documented attempted contract killings where the hitman was actually a scammer rather than an undercover fed?
No. The charges were dismissed with prejudice because the prosecutor never touched them again after dude was sentenced to life in prison.
This shit is almost comical. Dude really let a guy who paid almost a million fucking dollars to have people offed out.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Insightful)
This shit is almost comical. Dude really let a guy who paid almost a million fucking dollars to have people offed out.
It's even better. The convicted felon rants about all the drugs coming into the country by "illegals", yet this guy was enabling tons of drugs to come in without being checked.
Consistency was never the felon's strong point.
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Could [Ulbricht] be retried on the same case again or perhaps one of the other well-documented attempted contract killings where the hitman was actually a scammer rather than an undercover fed?
I don't think he can be re-tried because of the double-jeopardy rule. As for other things he hasn't been tried for yet -- well, I suppose he could.
Trump could of course pardon him a second time for the attempted contract killings specifically. Forcing him to do that is worthwhile, it would be...revealing.
Yes. In fact, Trump could pardon him prophylactically before he has even gone to trial. And yes, that would be revealing.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Funny)
When is trump going to pardon El Chapo, this John Galt of the free pharmaceutical world?
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Funny)
Never, that's a complete apples and oranges difference - El Chapo didn't use cryptocurrency plus he's Mexican!
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Damn, I should have known I'm so wrong!
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Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán maybe gets pardoned tomorrow. Agent Orange must free up space in prisons to make room for Biden, Harris, their families and their supporters.
I noticed Trump signs those executive orders with a very thick felt tip pen. Signing with a crayon might be more suitable for his style.
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Just keep an eye on the presidential shitcoin wallet.
No because none were real (Score:2, Insightful)
Ross Ulbricht was on trial for one of the attempted contract killings
They never had proof of any hit attempts, and one of the guys he supposedly was thinking of hitting, was working to get him out!
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He just released a guy who facilitated gun and drugs smuggling and tried to hire hitmen to eliminate his competition.
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He just released a guy who facilitated gun and drugs smuggling and tried to hire hitmen to eliminate his competition.
Gosh. That almost sounds as bad as trading a shitty WNBA pothead for the Merchant of Death.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Informative)
He only knew the person by the username "altoid," but his real name was Curtis Green, one of his own employees. He paid $80,000 for Curtis to be tortured and then murdered, and was given staged photos of his supposedly tortured and then dead body to confirm that this was done.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/scienc... [www.cbc.ca]
https://www.forbes.com/sites/r... [forbes.com]
Any other questions?
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Informative)
Correction: Ross knew Curtis only by the username "chronicpain," "altoid" was one of Ross' own pseudonyms.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Informative)
The "victim" Curtis Greene himself does not believe Ross ordered the hit and has said so many times. That should tell you something.
The two dirty FBI agents (later convicted and jailed) had full control of silk-road website by then, including DPR's account. There so much fruit of the poison tree it may as well be hemlock. That's why the prosecution dropped that aspect of the case, it could never be proven. But they spread so much smoke, uninformed people keep repeating the unprovable inuendo.
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The two dirty FBI agents (later convicted and jailed) had full control of silk-road website by then, including DPR's account. There so much fruit of the poison tree it may as well be hemlock.
That reminds me of a certain laptop
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So you think the crooked agents faked all of the hit attempts? And Ross didn't notice nearly 4% of his cryptocurrency disappearing to pay for the hits? I assume this would mean that taking over the site also gave them total control over at least some of Ross' bitcoin? Odd wallet setup there...
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The phrase we use today is: Parallel Construction
Law Enforcement is full of bad apples. We see examples of this from time to time when
the videos go public.
Re: Could he be retried for one of the hit attempt (Score:3)
Parallel construction is like a neighbor saying they heard screaming next door, and an officer changes that to I heard screaming next door, to protect the identity of the neighbor for example.
You're implying the facts are all true, but they were obtained in a different manner. So you think he tried to buy someone's murder is what I'm getting from this. Why does he deserve a pardon.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:4, Insightful)
Had they only charged them with that and not running an internet site where people can truly communicate freely this wouldn't have been a problem, you dumb fascist.
Had he only created an Internet site where people could communicate freely and not intentionally created a black market e-commerce system, it wouldn't have been a problem, you straw man builder.
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Insightful)
Being a decent human being isn't only promoted by religion. Some people just try to do the right thing, because we WANT a society where people actually help each other or at the least, don't look to harm others.
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I think his point is that leadership is a top down hierarchy.
Have you ever experienced a toxic work environment? Chances are very good that the toxicity starts at the top and trickles down.
Values are not innate, they are learned.
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Re:Could he be retried for one of the hit attempts (Score:5, Interesting)
It's not even a belief. For the next two years, at least, he will have a friendly Congress that, even if some Republican lawmakers privately despair, will, out of political necessity, go along with him at least publicly (the Senate may have slightly more backbone, but I doubt that much). The Supreme Court has already tilted heavily towards the President's powers, and it's likely that Trump will have a chance to lurch the court rightward even more during his term.
He's not the first President to do that. The Imperial Presidency has been around since the Civil War, though at least Lincoln's expansion of Executive power and willingness to undermine or ignore his opponents in the other two branches was for a righteous cause. But Trump is the inevitable consequence of Congress deferring to the President, granting the office sweeping powers because Congress is so mired in gridlock and partisan bitching that they can barely be relied upon to get budgets through, even when one party controls both houses.
The great British constitutionalist Walter Bagehot, when comparing the Westminster and US systems in the mid-19th century, did a fairly good job of critiquing the US system, noting that what made it work was the "American genius for politics". But that genius has faded, and what you're left with was the vulnerability at the core of the system, that the Framers of the US Constitution, as brilliant as they were, lacking the kind of vision that was happening almost by accident back in Britain of an executive far more accountable to the legislative branch than the Presidency would ultimately be. Making the President an elected King was an error.
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Other than for a few very brief exceptions, I'm not sure there has ever been a point in human history where we should have defined or morality and ethics by the behavior of our leaders. Trump is obviously an extreme example of a clearly corrupt and likely psychologically narcissistic individual, but as the old saying goes, all great men are necessarily bad men.
For myself, I'm just going to keep my head down, try to do the right thing and not make things worse by deciding that 2025-2029 is another bonfire of
Re: Could he be retried for one of the hit attempt (Score:3)
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Re: Could he be retried for one of the hit attempt (Score:3)
because we WANT a society where people actually help each other or at the least, don't look to harm others.
Yes many people want a society like that but that society is now gone and you are never going to get it. You are conducting yourself in a way that is not appropriate for your environment. Trump is using the birthright law to test if he can change the Constitution. If he can do that than say goodbye to democracy. Even if he can't do it, he appears to be well on his way to gaining ownership of most of the money in the US through crypto, so how effective will any other president be after that happens and h
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99% of people still need to follow the law. Never mind the fact that most people commit felonies daily without even knowing it.
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I asked myself this exact question after Biden pardoned his entire family and
several others ( going back to 2014 ) who have neither been convicted of
nor charged with a crime.
The ability for a President to pardon anyone for anything regardless of the
crimes they committed tells us the rules and laws are only meant for the
little people.
Individuals like Luigi Mangione become a thing when people realize the
truth that the American Justice System is far from fair in its application.
So, yes, I'm right there with yo
Trump home shopping network (Score:2)
Re:Trump home shopping network (Score:4, Insightful)
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No. its how you libtard faggots
Why is that the first insult you think of? Are you hoping Trump makes homosexuality illegal in case you accidentally suck a dick?
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slashdot needs to farm clicks just like everbody else. Trump is their superbowl.
let me translate that for you... (Score:5, Insightful)
"The upstanding and honorable legal scholars, zealously pursuing justice, that worked to convict him, were some of the same excellent activist attorneys who were involved in the modern day investigation of into all of my admitted crimes, and i'm whining that they're holding those things against me," Trump said in his post online on Tuesday evening. "He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Only because he provided horribly addictive drugs to children, and other folks who desperately needed help!"
Re:let me translate that for you... (Score:5, Insightful)
What stood out to me was something different. It's ridiculous how, even with something like this, Trump does his best to make it about himself.
He's gotta be one of the most insecure people on this planet.
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One of. Musk too.
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Musk and Trump are really the same, what applies to one applies to the other. Only the circumstances of their lives are different, and that Musk is literate. They both represent the pinnacle of lying and deceit , and are both internally driven by ego, pathological sociopathy, greed and cruelty.
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As well as a number of other people. Perhaps you, even. Your point? You lose the flame war. Godwin.
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Cool. So which laws are important now? (Score:5, Insightful)
I guess Americans will find out through trial and error over the next four years which laws are actually real and which ones are not.
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Don't be silly, nothing will go to trial.
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I guess Americans will find out through trial and error over the next four years which laws are actually real and which ones are not.
As an American, I'm pretty sure it will be more than 4 years. Trump will leave office when he dies and not before. I fully expect in 2027 he will announce that there will be no presidential election in 2028 because the 2020 election was "stolen" from him and thus he is owed another term. The Republicans won't be thrilled because some were hoping to replace him as president but the vast majority will shrug and agree. The Democrats don't have enough support to do anything about it. Once the 2028 pre
Not so Easy (Score:2)
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None of them are real for the wealthy
Which means none of them are real.
The only real law is: The wealthy win, the rest of us suffer
Yay rah capitalism! Which always turns into this sooner or later.
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I'm still waiting on inflation and grocery prices to come down. Wasn't that why he was elected?
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I prefer "Heil Twitler"
Re:Cool. So which laws are important now? (Score:4, Informative)
You have seen the state of the US Congress?
They can barely agree on what day of the week it is let alone pass any meaningful laws.
Re: Cool. So which laws are important now? (Score:2)
So, if he managed to get a super majority and Congress working together, he actually will have done something good during his presidency?
That might require the raising of a toast from someone so afflicted by TDS as myself to this POS if he did in gratitude.
Re: Cool. So which laws are important now? (Score:4, Insightful)
TDS stands for Trump Devotion Syndrome. . . .
His followers are deranged, to no matter which word one puts in the middle, it describes his followers more than his critics.
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I was conservative in my young years.
I got better.
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Congress created this mess of executive orders having so much authority.M
Nope. That would be the courts. Ever since Washington signed the first EO the courts have said they are legal within a narrow range.
As for Congress, their only option is to create a law denying a president the option for EOs. If they can grant certain powers to a president, they can also remove powers.
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Or ... (Score:2)
Trump said in his post online on Tuesday evening. "He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!" Ulbricht was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking.
If it was just about the sentence, Trump could have commuted it rather than pardoning him.
"The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me," Trump said in his post online on Tuesday evening.
Oh... I get it. I guess those prosecutors can't do anything right... /s
And, some crimes should just be ignored.
the Hell's Angels (Score:2)
The criminal-in-chief pardoning criminals (Score:2, Informative)
You did this. YOU, not US. WE voted for someone who upheld law and order, who prosecuted criminals, who gave a good goddamn about the law of the land.
We're going to shove this down your goddamn throats daily for the next FOUR YEARS, and that's just for starters. You made the wine, now you drink the cup.
And, if this country falls and chaos and anarchy reigns? We'll
There's a place for people like you. (Score:2, Insightful)
But maybe there's hope for you yet. When none of your insanity comes to pass, when you finally stop strawman-ing Republican's views, when you gain an adult's perspective on their positions instead of that of a child, you'll join us moderates in the center and help to make this world and Mars better places.
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Then in the same breath, he pardoned the criminal that ran an illegal website that literally sold them directly to Americans.
With cognitive dissonance that bad, it's no wonder you're lashing out with your insane ramblings and personal attacks. "Moderates in the center" lol! The only way you could be further up Trump's ass is if you told Elon to make some
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By pardoning drug dealers?
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Setting records in illegal crossing is not law and order. Stores shutting down because of rampant, unprosecuted theft is not law and order. Preemptively pardoning your entire administration is not law and order. Lying to the voters about Biden's senility, in the face of evidence, is not law and order. But I understand how you can come to the opposite conclusion, the govt did make sure that social media will protect you from hatefacts if they didn't want "law & order" to descend upon them like a pile of
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Good (Score:4, Interesting)
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This is Trump doing the right thing for the wrong reason. I'll still celebrate it, but can recognize that the reason for the pardon is completely ridiculous.
Remember Aaron (Score:3)
Opposite world (Score:2)
Apologies. I appear to have jumped universes accidentally.
The Cheeto in Chief is going to make the next 4 years... equal parts horrifying and depressing.
Not the sociopath we need but definitely the sociapath we deserve.
Reminds me of a Dylan lyric (Score:2)
“Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed / To live in a land where justice is a game” -- Bob Dylan (Hurricane)
Lol, but why?! (Score:2)
I have the feeling he wants to project himself as the top mafia boss - "swear allegiance to me and I got your back no matter what". A whistleblower on the other hand is useless to him, even dangerous - pardoning one could encourage someone to leak dirt on his administration as well.
Given everything else... (Score:2)
Is Trump selling pardons? Looks like everything else is getting sold off too. The rioters getting pardons looks like building a rent-a-mob for next time he needs them
This is what a fascist takeover looks like, kids (Score:2, Insightful)
Wonder what the rise of the SS was like?
Wonder what you would have done as a normal, decent German in 1933?
Now you know.
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> Wonder how Hitler started?
Yes, that question has been asked for many times since 1939, and people have debated and discussed it and globally it was thought the German people were misled, or stupid, or beguiled or something.
But now we know.
Worse yet, Hitler "only" hated the jews. The US Hitler, DJT, hates Jews (except his daughter and her husband), Blacks, Mexicans, and Muslims. He also hates anyone who disagrees with him or tries to look into his unlawful actions. Worse yet, he wants to use the powe
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"Worse yet, Hitler "only" hated the jews."
LOL wut? By what measure?
6 million jews were killed in the holocaust, but 12 million were killed overall in the holocaust. Jews were merely the prime example, among many, of undesirables to be eliminated.
Hitler made aryan supremacy a foundation, there was an entire myth constructed about it. Same with Mussolini, it's what fascism is. Trump does it too, that is literally what MAGA means.
Hitler hated blacks and gays every bit as much as Trump, there was quite an in
Re:This is what a fascist takeover looks like, kid (Score:5, Informative)
Wonder how Hitler started?
Wonder what the rise of the SS was like?
Wonder what you would have done as a normal, decent German in 1933?
Now you know.
History time Chiiiiildren.
Hitler's rise to power was a subversion of democracy that required a lot of intimidation. Before 1933 when he was given the role of chancellor and subsequently banned opposing political parties, the SS were mainly concerned with enforcement within the Nazi party itself. Enforcement in public was conducted by a different organisation called the Sturmabteilung (Storm Division) also called the SA or brownshirts. This was headed by a man named Ernst Rohm, this is important but we'll get back to it. Formed in the early 1920s the SA's job was to enforce Nazi ideology amongst the general public, they beat up and killed Bolsheviks, then Jews, then anyone else the party declared an enemy. Blockaded Jewish businesses, ran youth recruitment, stood over voters in election booths and "helped" them vote correctly (sound familiar). General thuggery and enforcement of all things Nazi.
This continued up until the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, which is also known as the Rohm purge. Hitler's agents went around assassinating political rivals, threats, people Hitler didn't like but getting the SA heads was the priority for two reasons. Rohm was a political rival. He was well liked amongst the rank and file Nazis, had a good public image and oh, commanding 10s of 1000s of loyal, casually violent men. Also, Ernst Rohm was a raging homosexual and in Hitlers new regime that was an offence that warranted execution (seriously, the Nazis killed you for being gay... or most sexual deviancies, they were quite big on "traditional values").
Over the next year the SA was disbanded and it's members folded into the German army, partially to keep the SA from organising on it's own but also to ensure there were Nazi loyalists to make sure the Army served Hitler.
The rise of Fascism started long before 1933, in fact if you're at 1933 then it's probably too late to stop. Lets hope that isn't the case.
Other events you may wish to look out for on the Road to Fascism(TM) is a Reichstag fire. A rather public and shocking event concocted to create public outrage which will be used mask the further erosion of civil liberties and freedoms. Beyond that, ballot papers with only one name on them.
Until Next time Chiiiiiildren.
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Bigots gonna bigot but it amuses how close this got to a Douglas Adams quote:
In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.
Re:This is what a fascist takeover looks like, kid (Score:5, Informative)
We elected Trump in a landslide.
Trump was elected by just over a third of the country. More people stayed home than voted for Trump. His victory was narrow and turnout remained shit. There was no landslide and no mandate. This kind of lie is exactly what we expect from you, though.
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"...not even the hard left believes that any more. "
There is no "hard left", it is a useful fiction of Hitler lovers.
"We elected Trump in a landslide."
We did not. Biden received a far greater "landslide" than Trump 2024 yet you morons can't even admit that Biden won.
"And in a win for democracy, he's already doing what we elected him for."
Destroying democracy. Trump literally promised that you only needed to vote for him once, he'd "fix it" so you wouldn't need to vote again.
"...and declare to the world th
Why now? SBF is next. (Score:3)
Of all the wrongs he wants to right, was this one worthy of day-2 action? Hmmm. I wonder how much crypto changed hands?
What is the over-under betting line on what SBF needs to pay for his pardon? I think 20 million ought to do it.
Ghostbusters (Score:5, Funny)
Hmmm .... (Score:2)
"The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me,"... During his trial, prosecutors said Ulbricht's website, hosted on the hidden "dark web", sold more than $200 million worth of drugs anonymously.
This is the guy who came out swinging in 2016 and ran on a campaign promise to weaponise the government in for the purpose of having the Democratic presidential candidate locked up in jail. Talk about having chip on your shoulder, Trump's chip has to be the size of a barroom table.
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The problem is that if Republicans allow him to do this sort of crap, they will fully melt down once they are out of power, because things WILL swing back in the other direction, with a big push toward actually supporting honoring the intent of the law. Either that, or we need a real life "Star Chamber" to round up all of these criminals that Trump has pardoned and properly punish them for their crimes.
Party of law and order (Score:2)
It is shocking. We now have full criminal enterprise in charge of running the country. First order of business is pardoning violent criminals from an insurrection attempt. Then mint a bunch of crypto coins out of thin air to fleece the gullibles. Then on to other grifts. If you don't bend the knee and kiss the ring, you are the enemy.
I never imagined that I would see this in my lifetime. I guess we have the under educated in the country to thank for this.
Property Return (Score:4, Interesting)
With a full pardon, doesn't this mean he gets all the Silk Road property back? That's a ton of bitcoin that should be his again.
Odd he didn't mention (Score:2)
What happens to the $5B in Bitcoin seized? (Score:2)
Now the bad news (Score:2)
Your coin -- all sold.
Make DC small again (Score:2)
Pardons are a bad idea that only breed corruption and operate as a pressure valve reducing need for legitimate problems in the justice system from being addressed.
Quoting the US constitution "To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the L
Rapist pardons drug lord (Score:2)
is the GOP the Law & Order Party?
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Pretty much. Some of the loonier among them see him as a persecuted figure who did nothing wrong, usually involving plugging their ears and shouting LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU if you mention the well-documented attempted contract killings.
Yes, it is (Score:2, Informative)
Is this a Libertarian thing?
It is. [wikipedia.org]
Additionally, Ross Ulbricht's sentence was well-known as excessive. It was excessive in comparison to many more extreme crimes that resulted in lesser sentances
And note that for the contract killing, prosecutors believe that no murder actually occurred (so it would be attempted murder and not actual murder), and the judge ruled that there was "preponderance of evidence" for the murder, which would not be enough for a conviction. So we say that he is innocent because people are innocent by default.
Als
Re:Yes, it is (Score:4, Insightful)
His sentence wasn't excessive considering the crimes for which he was found guilty.
Many people have been sentenced to decades in prison, even life, for much less.
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Never thought I'd see the day when republicans defend drug dealers.
Do you even hear yourself?
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Ross Ulbricht's sentence was well-known as excessive
Bullshit. Some people within a small community assert it as excessive. Here are the convictions:
* Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Narcotics by Means of the Internet
* Continuing Criminal Enterprise
* Conspiracy to Aid and Abet Computer Hacking
* Conspiracy to Traffic in Fraudulent IDs
* Conspiracy to Launder Money
The dude ran an internet business selling illegal drugs. Just ONE of the bitcoin wallets had over $1B of transactions and the sting showed that the business had nearly 150,000 buyers (who themselve
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Not the first time we've had a President with diminished capacity (Wilson, Reagan).
Trump
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The irony of a comment criticizing pardons directed toward threats of political prosecutions in a thread discussing a pardon of a despicable criminal that occurred literally a day after pardons of 1600 people committing violent crimes against our government ob behalf of our new president.
The game plan never changes, project your crimes on your opposition, dominate discussion with a stream of constant lies while you steal from the people who support you.