|
"A
fair and accessible judicial system is essential to the functioning
democracy -- both for redress of criminal allegations and for the
resolution of civil disputes." -Justice Thurgood Marshall
"I have wrote you the want we have of two, or three
honest attorneys, if any such thing exist in nature." -Bostonian Edward Randolph
in a letter to the Crown (1689) - Massachusetts Historical Society "If in any town, there
is but a single lawyer, he is a pauper, if there are two, they are wealthy."
-Ye Olde Truisms - Massachusetts Historical Society
Bill of
Rights: Amendment VII
"In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed
twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a
jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to
the rules of the common law."
Federalist Paper No. 83
"The strongest argument in its (a civil jury) favor is, that it
is a security against corruption. As there is always more time and better
opportunity to tamper with a standing body of magistrates than with a jury
summoned for the occasion, there is room to suppose that a corrupt influence
would more easily find its way to the former than to the latter. The force
of this consideration is, however, diminished by others. The sheriff, who is
the summoner of ordinary juries, and the clerks of courts, who have the
nomination of special juries, are themselves standing officers, and, acting
individually, may be supposed more accessible to the touch of corruption
than the judges, who are a collective body. It is not difficult to see, that
it would be in the power of those officers to select jurors who would serve
the purpose of the party as well as a corrupted bench. In the next place, it
may fairly be supposed, that there would be less difficulty in gaining some
of the jurors promiscuously taken from the public mass, than in gaining men
who had been chosen by the government for their probity and good character.
But making every deduction for these considerations, the trial by jury must
still be a valuable check upon corruption." Alexander Hamilton, 1787
|
OF CONCERN TO ALL CITIZENS
USURY &
LOAN-SHARKING AS BANKING
Since 1641 and the 'Massachusetts Body of Liberties",
criminal usury and 'predatory lending' over 8% per year has been prohibited
in the strongest of terms. Its scope, then as now, not only
included the Biblical prohibitions for essential health, food, clothing and
shelter, but all loans envolving individuals. For 350 years, almost
without exception, these ancient standards held force. With this in
mind we must ask ourselves, what power corrupted our long-held ethical
standards so radically that we barely blink with a majority of our fellow
Americans are brutalized by 'penalty rates' of over 25%. How did we
become a society of sleazy theives, usurers, con men, and loan sharks,
almost overnight.
LEGISLATION NEWS
Since February 22, 2010, the Credit Card Accountability Act of
2009 gives consumers a host of new causes of action against universal
default, unwarranted interest rate increases, and harassment.
Attorney General Lori Swanson ends NAF Arbitration Scam July, 2009
Senate Passes the Credit Card Fairness Act of 2009 on
May 22, 2009
The
bill prohibits card companies from raising interest rates on existing
balances unless a borrower is at least 60 days late. If the cardholder pays
on time for the following six months, the company would have to restore the
original rate.
On
cards with more than one interest rate, issuers will have to apply payments
first to the debts with the highest rates, which would help borrowers pay
off their cards more quickly.
But isn't it time to re-empower the Usury Laws of 5%
above Prime that served our Country well from 1641 to 1996 (US Supreme
Court Citibank Decision)& Restitution and Disgorgement of all unlawful
profits from 2005
-------------------------
SHAYS
RESURRECTION (1786-2010)
It is being reported that on July 4, 2010,
the RESURRECTION ARMY will begin its clandestine operations against all the
predatory lending institutions, their officers and board of directors, the
attorney and judges that enable their thievery and their thugs roaming the
streets and phones. Normally we would abhor such actions, but when one
sees one's parents, siblings, neighbors, and fellow citizens committing
suicide, destroying their marriages, uable to help their children, or
resorting to local criminal activities; all to corruptly enrich a
trough of greedy executives, lawyers, judges and thugs - it is easy to
understand why to many, the RESURRECTION ARMY appears as the lawfully
required course under the Declaration of Independence and the Preample tothe
Constitution.
SHAYS REBELLION (1786-7) Decorated
Revolutionary War veterans from western Massachusetts Rise Up Against Usurious
Bankers
Massachusetts Body of Liberties (1641) ::
Sets Criminal Usury at 8%
"23. No man shall be adjudged to pay for detaining any debt from any
Creditor above eight pounds in the hundred for one year, And not above that
rate proportionable for all somes what so ever, neither shall this be a
colour or countenance to allow any usury amongst us contrary to the law of
god."
In the National Bank Act of 1864, the rate was set at 7% or 1% above the
Federal rate, an exception made for the wild undeveloped territories.
Yet, as you will discover in Harvard Professor Warren's program, this Civil
War law became the basis in 1978 to eviscerate the many protections our
State Laws provided.
By all historical standards, the fact that
the Court have condoned an interest of over 5% ABOVE the Federal Rate is
testament to a corrosive corruption of our society's most basic values.
CREDIT CARD USURY - By any historical
standard, the present credit practices - enabled by the U.S. Supreme Court
rulings in 1978 & 1996 - would be criminal. Under existing laws,
they are predatory, monopolistic and usurious; but so far a de facto
conspiracy by bankers, lawyers and the courts have prevented a serious legal
challenge while providing below market rates for privileged customers.
Professor Elizabeth Warren of Harvard Law School explored the evolution of
these unconscionable practices in her PBS FrontLine Series -
The
Secret History of the Credit Card
Our
FAIRNESS IN CREDIT (under
construction) pages
brings you advice and up-to-date information on the current Federal & State
legislation addressing this serious problem.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OF CONCERN TO ALL CITIZENS & SMALL BUSINESS
OUR SECURITY COMPROMISED, OUR SOLDIERS
ENDANGERED
Ages v Raytheon,
USDC, Corrupt Practices By Raytheon
Protecting Our Security - Federal Whistle Blower Links
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OF INTEREST TO FRIENDS
HoloDecktm Trademark
Conspiracies
Solomon v USC (U of Southern California), Michael Macedonia, Evans &
Sutherland
USDC 07-1811 EGS -- Trademarks & Trade Secrets
========================================================================
CitizensLaw.Org is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to
providing the tools and information on issues of Law and the Courts
for all persons regardless of status, position, or financial resources. Please advise us of cases, resources and information you feel would be helpful to include.
If you find this on-line library and resource useful, we accept donations,
volunteer
assistance, and other aid to help defray the operating costs. For more
information, contact us citizens@citizenslaw.org.
|
|