John Edwards, Roger Clemens, and Federal Witch Hunts

Here's another example of why I don't trust my government, and why I want it to do less.

The prosecutions of John Edwards and Roger Clemens were a disgrace.

They wasted our tax dollars.

They cost years of life and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees for these men.

The "not guilty" verdicts of both men was the only redeeming aspect their trials.

They should never have been prosecuted in the first place. The "laws" under which they were prosecuted had no moral or constitutional legitimacy.

Consider the Edwards case: Campaign finance regulations are an assault on freedom of conscience and the First Amendment. If I support a candidate, I have the human right to support him any way I want, directly or indirectly. My free press rights allow me to express myself, even if (especially if) it's about elections!

(In fact, campaign laws make it HARDER for the "little guy" to organize, whereas the wealthy can afford to pay lawyers and accountants to jump through regulatory hoops.)

The Clemens case was equally disgraceful. Is it okay to lie to someone who asks you about something that's none of their business? I think it is.

Drug prohibition, including steroid prohibition, is not authorized by any provision in the Constitution, and it violates the Ninth and Tenth Amendments. Congressional hearings on steroids in baseball was a grandstanding, affront to the rule of law and called into question who should've gone on trial. (Hint: They probably have Chairman in front of their name.)

Moreover, Edwards and Clemens _had no victims_. They neither initiated violence nor engaged in theft. Therefore, their alleged actions weren't crimes.

I hope that Congress and the Justice Department's witch hunters - oops, District Attorneys - learn valuable lessons from these disgraces.

For the Edwards and Clemens juries sent a powerful message: agree or disagree with their ethics and actions, but these men do not belong in prison.

Regrettably, it may have been only due to their fame and pricey legal teams that Edwards and Clemens got off. Poor defendants often don't have a chance against overzealous prosecutors.

That's why you must repeal all federal victimless crime laws and end silly crusades such as "campaign finance reform" and the War on Drugs. I agree with DownSizeDC.org on this issue and the post.