I was going to write this as a response in my guestbook, but.. it got too long. So I'm putting it here. My response to Entry 17, who was kind enough not to leave any sort of identification. [I have a sneaking suspicion it might be my ex. He's the only one who reads my diary and gives me a hard time about anything. He has this nice way of making me feel like shit. But.. it could just as possibly be anyone else..]
And my response:
*sigh* Fine. She wasn't "trapped" in such a legal sense of the word. But she was set up. It's not like she wants to sell alcohol to minors or anything.. in fact, she was very good at that. No I.D.? Or your friends don't have I.D.? She had no problem telling you that she can't sell it. But she did, in her rush and under the pressure of a long line of people with no one to help on the other register, overlook a simple number. A simple honest mistake. She had absolutely NO INTENTIONS of doing anything illegal whatsoever. To be human is to make mistakes. Yes, the mistake she made was unacceptable in this society and under the company policy. So the government is not at fault in that. The government IS at fault, however, for passing such a ridiculous and unconstitutional law in the first place. We wouldn't have it if it wasn't for M.A.D.D., and it can be repealed IF there was any group with deeper pockets than M.A.D.D. It's the remnants of Prohibition. Tell me, why the fuck can't we buy alcohol before noon or whatever time certain states/counties/cities happen to pick on Sunday? Is there any reason for it? Of course not. Maybe you can think of a religious reason, but religion is to be disregarded in matters of the state. And if religion does happen to be a factor, then how dare they discriminate against Judaism, whose Sabbath happens to be on Saturday. But, furthermore, it was illegal for the cops to set her up like that. And if it wasn't, then why would a judge, in a case like this, lift the fine given by the police and then reprimand the cops a little and give them a little fine?
All this, that I'm arguing, was brought to my awareness by my Hunnie, who went on and on about this in one of his lit'l rants. And I agree with him completely.
Money makes law around here.
And that's all I've got to say.
Afternote: Reading the lovely legal definition of "entrapment" that I was kindly provided with.. I quote this: "to commit a crime that he had no previous intent to commit" and "if the person was ready, willing and able to commit the crime" My former co-worker had, again, NO PREVIOUS INTENT and was not "ready" and especially not "willing" to commit any crime. So that probably can fall in the grey areas of entrapment.
LJ