 "A system committed to having a death penalty is a system that forces the state to pretend to have attained a standard of perfection and fairness that is absurdly far from the reality of the legal system in America today. Thus, having death in the system freezes everything because, if our system is so good today that it can be just to kill people with it, then it needs no improvement--and, in fact, all improvements in procedure and research into sources of error only call into question the claim to existing perfection, and thus the moral claim for the existing death sentences and past executions. And that means that having death locks us into a terribly flawed system that actively resists evidence of systematic errors and necessary improvements. And it turns what should be a quest for justice into a war to justify the status quo against all evidence of its many failings." -- John Gear, attorney at law
I could give many more reasons, but one of the ones that people least understand is how insanely expensive it is to maintain the machinery of capital punishment. Life without opportunity for parole (but WITH the opportunity to correct a mistake if new evidence is discovered!) is much, much less expensive than the capital punishment system. So while the moral reasons against death penalty laws are compelling, the practical financial reasons are strong too -- we can't afford to maintain the death penalty. That's partly why former Chief Justices Paul DeMuniz and Edwin Peterson (a former death penalty supporter) have come out against it.  This is a very real issue in Oregon, where employees are often persuaded to accept "independent contractor" status, unaware of all the serious ramifications for them down the road.
I have represented several workers whose employers have tried to take advantage of them in this way. Don't let your employer do it to you -- it costs you your social security down the road, your workers compensation, and your ability to obtain unemployment insurance, among other things. The results are in from the 2013 "Empty Bowls" fundraiser held by Willamette Art Center to raise funds for Marion-Polk FoodShare:
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LAWYERLY FINE PRINT:John Gear Law Office LLC and Salem Consumer Law. John Gear Law Office is in Suite 208B of the Security Building in downtown Salem at 161 High St. SE, across from the Elsinore Theater, a half-block south of Marion County Courthouse, just south of State Street. There is abundant, free 3-hour on-street parking throughout downtown Salem, and three multi-story parking ramps that offer free customer parking in downtown Salem too.
Our attorneys are only licensed to practice law in Oregon. This site may be considered advertising under Oregon State Bar rules. There is no legal advice on this site so you should not interpret anything you read here as intended for your particular situation. Besides, we are not representing you and we are not your attorneys unless you have hired us by entering into a representation agreement with me. While we do want you to consider us when you seek an attorney, you should not hire any attorney based on brochures, websites, advertising, or other promotional materials. All original content on this site is Copyright John Gear, 2010-2022. |