'Irvine 11' jury finds all 10 students guilty, will not serve jail time - LA Times

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

Unbelievable that they were charged with a crime. "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech."

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-irvine11-23-m,0,6796910.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews+%28L.A.+Times+-+Top+News%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Ten Muslim students found guilty of conspiring to disrupt -– and then disrupting –- a speech at UC Irvine by Israel's ambassador were sentenced Friday afternoon to three years informal probation. They will not serve any jail time.

The verdict was an emotional end to the so-called Irvine 11 case, which generated national debate over free speech.

"Absolutely unbelievable. I believe the heart of America has died today," said Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. "This is clearly an indication that Muslims are permanent foreigners, at least in Orange County."

Outside the court, the mother of Khalid Bahgat Akari, one of the 10, said the verdict shocked her. Lina Akari, 45, of Murrieta, said she had trusted the U.S. court system and had raised her son to relish the right to free speech. "I taught him that you can express your mind," she said. "I don't understand what happened. I said here you can have freedom of speech -- and look what happened."

[markpkessinger]

1. I don't think it's quite so simple in this case . ..

. . . There is no question that the students had, and have, a right to express their opinions. But they were attempting to shout down a speaker who also had a right to speak, as well as trying to prevent those assembled from hearing what the speaker had to say. Freedom of speech does not necessarily equate with the right to disrupt an event. There are many ways these students could have exercised their 1st Amendment rights without trampling on someone else's.

[TorchTheWitch]

4. ^^THIS^^

Couldn't have said it better.

[Leopolds Ghost]

9. It's called CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

You support it in the case of Union activists and anti-war activists.

[seabeyond]

5. yet i have watched youtube after youtube of people doing the very same with walker in wisc

no one getting arrested or prosecuted or convicted. and it was certainly imterupting and shouting down so other could not hear and walker could not speak and we.....

applauded

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. A valid verdict

The hecklers veto has no place in a civilized nation

[seabeyond]

6. does that go for walker speeches and protesters shout out... nt

[bluestateguy]

3. Free speech is not shouting down a speaker

I have little doubt that these kids would have screamed bloody murder if a Muslim speaker was shouted down by Jewish students. Under such a scenario I'm sure they would have demanded some kind of politically correct punishment for the hecklers("sensitivity training"; "cultural awareness training", etc.).

The verdict was appropriate. Jail would have been too harsh.

[The Doctor.]

7. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it...

Unless you are Muslim, Gay, Black, Hispanic, Liberal...."

[Drew Richards]

8. Funny I don't remember any teaparty members getting arrested at town halls but Democrats in Fla were

I guess once again IOKIYAR