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Home Front Economy
Criminals could be banned from downtown Eugene
2008-07-22
From pits to the homeless to failing businesses - it seems the problems in Downtown Eugene never end. But Monday, the city council took a step toward working on at least one issue: criminals.

The topic: an ordinance that would ban anyone convicted of a crime like robbery or assault from downtown Eugene for 90 days. Supporters say it would be an effort to clean up downtown and discourage criminal activity and vandalism.

Right now, if a person is arrested of certain crimes they have to go through a trial process before any other action is taken. With this new ordinance, if the judge thinks there's enough evidence, anyone even charged with a crime would immediately be banned from the downtown area for 90 days. If they are found guilty, they would be banned for a year.
Likely unconstitutional. You can't ban accused (still presumed innocent) people from public places unless there is a danger, in which case, they shouldn't be out on bail. And guilty people who have served their time likewise can't be banned from public places unless they constitute a danger.
This proposal drew plenty of comments from downtown business owners. "We have customers being threatened," says Betty Snowden. "We have customers being cursed out and being hit. And we want to brag about our downtown core? We should be ashamed of ourselves."

The council voted to wait and hold a public workshop before making a decision on this ordinance.

We also heard from the other side. One man said if he was banned from downtown, he wouldn't have access to the bus station, couldn't use the library, or attend his church which happens to be in the downtown area.
This has never been permitted by the courts as law, but has been permitted on an individual or group basis as injunction, which makes it almost unique as exclusively judicial law.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#9  Hope this ordinance doesn't catch on. Atlanta would be a ghost town.
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-07-22 16:59  

#8  Judges were, and sometimes still are, lawyers. All the lawyers and judges in the courtroom usually know each other and often hang out together. Judges get a major case of the red-ass when you try to cop out and use a public defender. Its like you are failing to properly play the game, and it will cost you big in terms of fairness. They take care of their own before they think about superfluous things like fairness or justice. Believe me, I learned the dynamics of the process real quick when I was younger.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2008-07-22 12:51  

#7  bigjim - excellent summary of our legal system.

The only thing I would add is that if you are accused you can kiss your money goodbye. Public defenders aren't paid to win.
Posted by: flash91   2008-07-22 12:22  

#6  Until you are convicted you are innocent.
When you have served your sentence you are square with the man.
These are elitist assholes trying to homogenize Eugene to their definition of "the right kind of people".
Raise the cost of living to outlandish levels if you must, but don't try to pass laws against poor people, cause that's what this really is. If you steal $5,000,000 from your investors you are presumed innocent found guilty. If you drink 7 beers and drive home you are a goddamned criminal unworthy of due process.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2008-07-22 12:13  

#5  It's kind of a daycare for disabled with Berkley disease lol! Too funny.

I don't think we should ignore them though. They have always been such idiots that no one every took them seriously. Then one day we woke up, looked around and realized their mess was now our mess. Ingoring them is like ignoring an outbreak of syphillis.
Posted by: Percy Spumble4268   2008-07-22 12:06  

#4  Do they have facial recognition cameras or something? Or are they relying on people to rat each other out?
Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats   2008-07-22 12:05  

#3  Eugene is known amongst us as Berkley North. There aren't many in downtown Eugene that I've seen that look like they can make it on the outside. It's kind of a daycare for disabled with Berkley disease. I say let them be - less trouble for everyone if they stay there.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon   2008-07-22 10:14  

#2  Betty Snowden
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2008-07-22 10:11  

#1  Wow! Very frightening. The left touts itself as the big defenders of liberty and then when they realize they "ideals" have led to a society of criminals out of control, they resort to facist tactics such as this.

National guard in Chicago, road blocks in DC. Here's an idea: enforce the law, actually put away the lawbreakers, allow citizens and business owners to defend themselves and demand legal immigration, as these scofflaws are responsible for a large percentage of crime. What a mess these people have made.
Posted by: Percy Spumble4268   2008-07-22 09:36  

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