Supreme Court overturns 'Bridgegate' convictions

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday tossed the federal government’s case in the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal, clearing the convictions of two allies of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

In the unanimous ruling, which further chips away at the nation’s public corruption case law, the justices concluded that the two defendants — Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni — did not defraud the government of its “property” by closing off two local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge over three days in September 2013.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/07/supreme-court-bridgegate-decision-242344

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Needs to be lots of legislation when Biden wins the Senate (w help from Democrats nationwide). . nt

[PoliticAverse]

2. "Because the scheme here did not aim to obtain money or property,

Baroni and Kelly could not have violated the federal-program fraud or wire fraud laws."

From the (unanimous) decision: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-1059_e2p3.pdf

[CaptYossarian]

3. As a former diabetic who also spent years on diuretics,

I wish I could have testified in support of those trapped taxpaying citizens.

[denem]

4. Unanimous decision

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-1059_e2p3.pdf

[elleng]

5. Thanks

[TomVilmer]

6. It is not the Supreme Courts fault...

... if the wrong law was chosen for a rightful punishment.

[thesquanderer]

8. I wonder what the right law would have been, It sounds like...

...the prosecutors used this property thing because it was the closest they could come to an actual illegal act. There may indeed be no law against a governmental office doing things to make life difficult for people as a means of political retribution. Which I could understand... when writing laws, who would ever envision that something like this would happen? I hope this is used as impetus for such laws to be created... but it can be hard to get people in government to enact laws that reduce their power.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Courses on Lying and Legality sure to follow - Prevarication 211

Science is dead. Truth is comatose. Money is free. Logic has been wobbly for awhile. These are the pillars of civilization, justice, and everyday discourse.

The Enlightenment is going down. Prepare for the Dark Ages in Plain Sight.

[czarjak]

9. "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying"?

[sakabatou]

10. Ugh....

[Steelrolled]

11. Always happy to see a unanimous ruling

Seems especially fitting that both sides of the court agreed on this case