Nutty Wingnut Lawyers

I have read over and over on conservative blogs about the ACLU and their "outlandish" arguments. I will agree, some ore over the top. But, I have never heard of anything like the stupidity coming from this oral argument by wingnut lawyers in front of an appeals court.

Attorneys [for the gun lobbyists] said so-called "activist judges" shouldn't interfere with the law as passed by the legislature.

The Judges replied in their written opinion:

"At the oral argument on this case," the judges wrote, "appellant referred, at times, to not wanting 'liberal' or 'activist' judges to overstep the will of the Minnesota legislature. Simply put, the term 'liberal/activist judge' is, in reality, a 'non-term.' Both parties to this debate recognize the truth. What one calls 'a well-reasoned conservative judicial opinion by a son or daughter of the founding fathers' means only that the judge ruled in your favor. When the judge rules against you and in favor of your opponent, on the identical facts and argument, you will now turn to the banal cliché that the judge 'is too activist' for me. The term is meaningless, self-defeating, and, worse, it actually weakens appellant's position."

Now, what the judges said is quite true, but how stupid do you have to be to as a lawyer to 'warn' the judges you are arguing in front of 'activists.' That's like saying, "dad, don't be an asshole while making your decision on whether or not I, your 16 year old son, can go to that unsupervised keg party." Usully dad won't be as nice in saying, "your a freak'n idiot," as the judges were.

Minnesota Appeals Court, Warned By Gun Lobby Allies Not to Be 'Activist,' Deactivate CCW Law That Police Opposed

On a related note, the Tom DeLay minions are coming out of the wood work. The Federal courthouse in Brooklyn had to beef up security because of a slew of death threats targeting Federal judges. Its good to know that DeLay's call for a war on the constitution is being taken to heart.