Ignorance Of The Law Is No Excuse

The court of appeals got so fed up with the endless shakedowns that they finally ruled that ignorance of the law was an excuse and that a warning had to to willfully ignored before a suit could go forward.
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So the law corrected the law. :)

WildsoundsoktomeAlaska ™
 
Is the fact that you have to ask permission from the County Court an imposition?
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The very act of asking permission implies that it could be denied.

I can't cite case law, but I looked into the issue of laws being copyrighted a while ago, and I recall that it had been struck down in (federal?) court. Is this wrong? :confused:

I also take issue with the idea that ignorance is no excuse. For one thing, ignorance of the law does not stop police from arresting people when the police are ignorant and no law is being broken... see recent discussions in the calguns.net legal forum for examples.

With the vast number of laws and regulations in our society, it is ridiculous to assert that ignorance is no excuse. After all, you can't expect everyone to consult a lawyer every ten minutes. Though I think the problem is mitigated whenmens rea must be shown.
 
Federal copyright law generally does not protect official federal documents or other types of documents which were prepared by U.S. government employees in the course and scope of their employment.

But, there is no exemption for state documents or works by state employees in the Federal copyright code.

... I had always assumed that there were similar state laws in effect to exclude state documents from copyright law. But, I guess that's not necessarilly the case (e.g., Oregon).

Edit: An additional note: I, too, don't think that an effort by a state to prohibit copying of their statutes will ultimately prevail on appeal. It just seems ... wrong ... to deny a person the right to make a copy of the laws governing their behavior.
 
The law is, in theory, available.
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Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy said:
"But Mr. Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months."

"Oh yes, well, as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything."

"But the plans were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a flashlight."

"Ah, well, the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice, didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying, 'Beware of the Leopard.'"
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There is a huge difference between theoretically available and practically available.

pax

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.
 
There is a huge difference between theoretically available and practically available.
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I submit there is no difference in most jurisdictions.

If your local Court requires permission to use the law library or its not open to the public, I suggest that letter writing commences :) Other steps should follow

WildoopsijustlitteredAlaska™
 
The old laws on the books are used to hurhang people and legally avoid false arrest suits.All laws should have a 10 year sunset on them. When the law expires either re pas the law or let it die like the "assult weapon ban".
 
So the law corrected the law.
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The law stands on the books, the court of appeals just defanged it a bit after thousands of small business people had already been shaken down to the tune of millions.

A man in a chair comes in your store. His experienced arm detects a 1/2lb too much weight on the door (he's done this 100s of times). He can't get down one isle as freely as he likes and while you help another customer he measures... 1/2" too narrow. The counter is an inch too high. He asks to use the rest room. There's a mop in the way... the mirror is an inch too high.... he measured. Two days later some one else wheels in. A couple of days later a third. You now face five $6,000 violations times 3 parties or $18,000. You can settle for $9000 or spend $10,000 fighting a case you may lose. Remember ignorance is no excuse. ;)

The old laws on the books are used to hurhang people and legally avoid false arrest suits.All laws should have a 10 year sunset on them. When the law expires either re pas the law or let it die like the "assult weapon ban".
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I agree fully. If it's a good law then it will be renewed. Meanwhile the law requiring you to have a man with a lamp walk 10 paces ahead of your horseless carriage can sunset.

http://monster-island.org/tinashumor/humor/laws.html

In Ottumwa, Iowa, "It is unlawful for any male person, within the corporate limits of the (city), to wink at any female person with whom he is unacquainted."

In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time.

In Zion, Ill., it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals kept as pets.

In Carmel, N.Y., a man can't go outside while wearing a jacket and pants that do not match. << Note: this law isn't silly. Write your legislators today and get this PASSED in your area now!!>>

In St. Louis, it's illegal to sit on the curb of any city street and drink beer from a bucket.

In Hartford, Conn., you aren't allowed to cross a street while walking on your hands.

In Baltimore, it's illegal to throw bales of hay from a second-story window within the city limits. It's also illegal to take a lion to the movies.

In Oxford, Ohio, it's illegal for a woman to strip off her clothing while standing in front of a man's picture.

In Carrizozo, N.M., it's forbidden for a female to appear unshaven in public (includes legs and face).

In Pennsylvania it is illegal to have over 16 women live in a house together because that constitutes a brothel...however up to 120 men can live together, without breaking the law.

In Michigan, a woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission.
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The list goes on...
http://www.eldar.org/~ben/funny/html/180.html
http://www.idiotlaws.com/
 
So the law corrected the law.
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Justice delayed is justice denied. "The law" ultimately corrects bad law, whether that action is by a superior court overruling a lower court, a legislature revising or repealing a law, or a new government adopting laws different from it predecessor's. Without prompt correction, a bad law's existence perpetuates injustice.
 
The law has been turned into a mockery,because it has been misused and abused by people tring to cover every possiblity. The others mis use the legal system as jackpot, instead of buying a lottery ticket they find a law suit to file. People who don't like you or something you do file complaint after complaint tring to change what they don't like when it none of thier business.
Example a Home owners Assoc. did not like my shooting range in my yard. I was not part of thier group nor did I live within a 1,000 yards of the devolopment but they filed noise complaints 6 to be exact, when those failed they tried on air pollution complaints, again they failed but the B.S. I had to put up with only got me to shoot louder rifles and shotguns.
 
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