Monday, November 18, 2013



Prosecutor Asks That She Not Be Called 'the Government' Because the Term Is 'Derogatory'

Last month a Tennessee judge overseeing a burglary case rejected a pretrial motion in which the prosecution requested that it not be referred to as "the Government" because that term is "derogatory."

In the May 22 motion, Assistant District Attorney General Tammy J. Rettig noted with alarm that "it has become commonplace during trials for attorneys for defendants, and especially Mr. [Drew] Justice [the defendant's lawyer], to refer to State's attorneys as 'the Government' repeatedly during trial."

Rettig worried that "such a reference is used in a derogatory way and is meant to make the State's attorneys seem oppressive and to inflame the jury."

She added that "attempts to make the jury dislike the State's attorney have no place in the courtroom." She therefore urged Williamson County Circuit Court Judge Michael Binkley to bar Justice from using the g-word during the trial and instead refer to her as "General Rettig, the Assistant District Attorney General, Mrs. Rettig, or simply the State of Tennessee."

Source

"Government" SHOULD sound derogatory.  It is at best a necessary evil.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, in most all the criminal cases i've been involved in, the DA is referred to as, "the people". Only in federal cases is the prosecutor called, "the govt."

But, with the current Marxist govt. in DC, i can understand her being bothered by the reference.

Anonymous said...

Big sister will do

Anonymous said...

"How soon we forget history... Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is force. And, like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
— George Washington

Of as I say it...

When people are free to do as they wish you get woodstock.

When governments free to do as IT wishes, you get Auschwitz!