New Jersey's Bid Rigging Conspiracy!

January 19, 2011 at 12:52 P.M. "Errors" inserted overnight have now been corrected.

January 18, 2011 at 12:17 P.M. Continuing computer crime makes it very difficult to protect or defend my writings. Access to the Internet is a daily war. Efforts at censorship and suppressions of my writings continue every day. I find it sad to think that the U.S. government cannot protect my home computer or my freedom of speech.

Somehow, we hope to protect "freedom" in Afghanistan and Iraq from insurgents and the Taliban. I live in New York. I will feel better about our efforts in the Middle East when the human rights of persons living in Manhattan are safe from New Jersey mobsters.

New Jersey continues to attract attention and horrified commentary from other parts of the country. No American jurisdiction compares with the Garden State for corruption and contamination of the political system together with a judiciary under the control of organized crime. No wonder my computer is under relentless attack from New Jersey's government. I am protesting, publicly, against this sad state of affairs. ("Mafia Influence in New Jersey Law and Politics.")

My security system is disabled on a regular basis. I am prevented from running necessary scans of my home computer. I will write from public computers later today. The authorities are "unable," they claim, to control the situation. How strange? One might almost suspect corruption in New Jersey. ("Law and Ethics in the Soprano State.")

The solution to charges of corruption is to silence the critic, perhaps by using hopelessly tainted legal ethics mechanisms against lawyers who "don't play ball." New Jersey's legal establishment is lacking in legal ethics and hardly in a position to cast the first stone at anyone, ethically or otherwise. ("New Jersey's Politically Connected Lawyers on the Tit" and "Corrupt Law Firms, Senator Bob, and New Jersey Ethics.")

Recent decades have allowed for secret use of techniques of interrogation and "control" developed by U.S. intelligence agencies against individuals who "don't play ball" with the powers that be in New Jersey, often persons who have not committed any crimes. Among these techniques is infliction of economic suffering, slanders aimed at disconfirming social identity through stigmatizing or isolation, also much worse has been suffered by New Jersey whistle blowers and activists, mostly African-American "revolutionaries" -- like Assatta Shakur -- and others struggling for social change. These techniques have been classified as "touchless torture methods." ("Terry Tuchin, Diana Lisa Riccioli, and New Jersey's Agency of Torture" and "New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System" then "New Jersey's Joan Davis Murdered by the Mafia.")

The primary criteria for selection of individuals for these touchless tortures is radical political opinions on the part of victims in what Governor Christie once called "New Jersey's culture of corruption." Thefts take place in the Garden State on a massive scale, cronyism and favoritism is endemic, incompetence is rewarded among judges elevated to appellate courts for their loyalty to bosses as opposed to their legal skills or knowledge. I have known a few such judges. I will be writing more New Jersey judicial profiles soon.

Maryclaire Dale & David Porter, "Judges Question Law That Ensnared Candidates," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. A-3.

"The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the Hobbs Act, aimed at public officials who accept cash in exchange for influence, can apply to candidates for public office. More than half a dozen defendants in New Jersey could be affected by the court's ruling, which is not expected for months." (emphasis added)

This sort of conspiracy case was bound to affect New Jersey's famous Manzo brothers -- who deny all mafia affiliations, like the Tacetta brothers:

" ... the brothers Ronald and Louis Manzo were arrested in 2009 in Operation Bid Rig, a money laundering and public corruption sting that snared more than 40 people in New Jersey and New York."

No doubt all forty persons deny mafia affiliations. The issue before the appellate court is whether the Manzo brothers can be charged or convicted under a statute aimed at controlling corruption among public officials. Mr. Manzo was a former state Assembly member (highly ethical, I am sure) and unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Jersey City. Is Louis Manzo a lawyer serving on the ethics committee in Hudson County? ("New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System.")

The Manzos are described by "associates" as "made members" of New Jersey's "Democrat" "family," like Senator Bob. ("Senator Bob, the Babe, and the Big Bucks" and "Is Senator Memendez a Suspect in Mafia-Political Murder in New Jersey?")

Rather than seeking to imprison those men -- the Manzo brothers -- for "attempting" to bribe or corrupt public officials in New Jersey, which is like bringing coals to Newcastle, it may be necessary for the authorities to wait until they actually do some bribing in the future. It won't take long.

The inchoate "attempt" offense will probably be upheld, nevertheless, as within the rational purview of the statute's language and, certainly, intended to be covered by the legislative drafters of the text. It is doubtful that legislators intended to exclude candidates who take a bribe before they are elected from a law making it criminal to bribe all public officials. Candidates taking bribes shows American politicians' sense of enterprise and appreciation of capitalism. Bribery of politicians is one of the things that made America great.

This case provides one of many instances in which courts must "interpret" legal language in a hermeneutic exercise. It is possible that no one in this case -- including these federal judges -- can define or knows much about hermeneutics. Hermeneutics forms a large part of what lawyers and judges do every day, often much to their surprise. ("What is Law?" and "S.L. Hurley on Beliefs and Reasons for Action.")

The Manzo brothers were quoted by observers, allegedly, to wonder innocently: "What did we do? We didn't do nothing! We wuz going to da Opera."

Expressions of skepticism in response to these assertions were not uncommon among legal observers and court staff.

Sources:

"Judges Allow Layoffs in Orange," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. A-3. (More layoffs and hardships resulting from corruption are coming to New Jersey.)
"Witness Becomes Ill," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. A-3. (Witness who has never heard of Manzos or Tacettas has suffered from a wave of amnesia, perhaps?)
"Legislator Wants Steroid Test for Cops," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. A-3. (How about an organized crime test?)
Erik Schilling, "Charges Tie Bronx Man to Cocaine Ring at Newark International Airport," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. A-4. ("Felix Tinio," 33, "Little Felix," alleged to be affiliated with the Gambino crime family, is believed to have something to do with 125K of cocaine seized in Newark Airport, making state friendships with judges for the suspect irrelevant to his federal troubles.)
Leslie Brody, "Teacher's [sic.] Union Chief Has Full Plate of Issues," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. L-1. (Alleged "friend" of Jennifer Velez, BARBARA KESHISHIAN, is leading the teachers' union against Governor Chris Christie at the service of Democrat interests in the Garden State. I am sure that allegations of corruption at the union are denied. I will be writing more about this matter and these unsavory persons. I wonder whether Ms. Keshishian has visited my sites or participated in computer warfare against my groups or blogs? "Error" insertions? Lulu? Is the FBI investigating this union?)
Zach Patberg, "Paterson Spending Plan Hits Cops Hard," in The Record, January 12, 2011, at p. L-1. (150 people to be laid-off in Paterson as per the mounting costs of years of corruption. Do these unemployed people concern Ms. Keshishian?)