[News] 2013 News (NO POLITICS)

[arkiel]

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130819/10231324232/nypd-chief-ray-kelly-claims-ending-stop-frisk-will-hurt-minorities-result-surge-criminal-activity.shtml
^in which a little bitch admits that promoting a facially unconstitutional stop and frisk policy to the exclusion of any legal method of crime prevention will lead to minorities being endangered and a crimewave.

/slowclap Ray Kelly.

[Ornette]

Mom punches skater.

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

Parents need to keep a closer watch over their children. I know that you can't keep track of your child 24/7; that's impossible. However, I would expect one to watch over their child in an environment such as a skate park.

[riffraff11235]

Apparently that was just a regular park, not a skate park. Still, the mother overreacted when the guy was clearly being apologetic. Thankfully he had the foresight to just walk away instead of retaliating.

[Bagheera]

Apparently that was just a regular park, not a skate park. Still, the mother overreacted when the guy was clearly being apologetic. Thankfully he had the foresight to just walk away instead of retaliating.

Wait, it was a regular park? I was sympathetic when I thought it was a skate park, since it seemed he was taking reasonable precautions and all, but if it was a regular park fuck 'im. Yeah, the mom overreacted, but "Oh gee, I was focusing on my trick!" doesn't cut it when you're in a public park and there are kids around.

Kind of appalling that she doesn't seem to spare a thought for her kid, though.

[CJD]

Hacker who exposed Facebook bug to get reward from unexpected source

When I first heard about this two days ago (three?) I was angry, "No good deed goes unpunished." It seems some justice is being done, though, and the guys getting an even bigger reward than he could have hoped for.

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

Mother of Hikaru Utada falls 13 stories in possible suicide.

[Squigsquasher]

Mother of Hikaru Utada falls 13 stories in possible suicide.

Oh, that's just sad. My feelings for poor Hikaru.

[arkiel]

Wait, it was a regular park? I was sympathetic when I thought it was a skate park, since it seemed he was taking reasonable precautions and all, but if it was a regular park fuck 'im. Yeah, the mom overreacted, but "Oh gee, I was focusing on my trick!" doesn't cut it when you're in a public park and there are kids around.

Kind of appalling that she doesn't seem to spare a thought for her kid, though.

To be clear, that man on the skateboard assaulted that kid. Reckless behavior is sufficient. Anything that followed could be put down as (or sold to a jury as) a reasonable response to that assault. :/

[Ænimal]

some drain bamage i actually wouldn't mind

[Justacrazyguy]

some drain bamage i actually wouldn't mind

It must be lovely to be unable to feel sadness in ANY situation.

[Catamari]

It must be lovely to be unable to feel sadness in ANY situation.

That would kick so much ass, but it would make funerals a bit awkward.

[Justacrazyguy]

That would kick so much ass, but it would make funerals a bit awkward.

"My wife/son/daughter/brother died? Fantastic!"

I feel sad for him... because he can´t feel sadness. This world is just full of surprises.

[Bagheera]

To be clear, that man on the skateboard assaulted that kid. Reckless behavior is sufficient. Anything that followed could be put down as (or sold to a jury as) a reasonable response to that assault. :/

Good point. I'm not quite sold on the latter point, but I can't argue with the rest. The fact the article seems to be firmly in the skater's camp is somewhat disturbing.

[arkiel]

Good point. I'm not quite sold on the latter point, but I can't argue with the rest. The fact the article seems to be firmly in the skater's camp is somewhat disturbing.

If charges were brought against the mother for assault, she could claim insanity or self-defense. That seems like a pretty easy sell. As probable as it is that the skater would be charged, it seems improbable that the mother would be. The law doesn't allow retaliation, but if a lawyer could sell that the mother interpreted the hit as an attack, having the attacker even in proximity to the child could be sold as an ongoing conflict that the mother responded to and did not escalate.

I don't see a civil action going much better (and not very likely because, you know, skater), as the mother is sympathetic and a criminal charge may only succeed out of sheer technicality (if the state had a duty to retreat, if the judge decided that the chronology of the incident was too spread out to support insanity or a response to an ongoing altercation).

[riffraff11235]

@arkiel How would the evidence caught on tape play into this, if at all?

[Tribblepoo]

If charges were brought against the mother for assault, she could claim insanity or self-defense. That seems like a pretty easy sell. As probable as it is that the skater would be charged, it seems improbable that the mother would be. The law doesn't allow retaliation, but if a lawyer could sell that the mother interpreted the hit as an attack, having the attacker even in proximity to the child could be sold as an ongoing conflict that the mother responded to and did not escalate.

I don't see a civil action going much better (and not very likely because, you know, skater), as the mother is sympathetic and a criminal charge may only succeed out of sheer technicality (if the state had a duty to retreat, if the judge decided that the chronology of the incident was too spread out to support insanity or a response to an ongoing altercation).

Actually, no, to all of this.

The skater, while apparently somewhat reckless, did the responsible thing after the accident. He stayed to make sure the kid was alright. Even during the accident you can see that he deliberately fell in order to avoid as much injury to the child as possible. When the mother came to the scene, she was aggressive the entire time. The skater was defensive the entire time. Self-defense is out, period. Temporary insanity is very shaky at best.

The entire incident on tape (which unless the judge is clearly biased will be shown in court if charges are pressed) shows the skater in a defensive posture. He tried to avoid a hit, apologized for hitting the kid and had his hand up defensively and was backing away from a very aggressive mother. Self-defense in this case would actually favor the skater, not the mother, in this case.

[Bagheera]

Yeah, I think you could get the skater for reckless disregard (doing tricks in a normal park with kids around is just a bad idea), and I doubt anyone would press for charges against the mother. They could, though; she was clearly the aggressor there and the prior incident was long since over by the time she advanced on him and punched him. Even so, no way the skater wasn't at fault for the initial incident.

[Tribblepoo]

Even so, no way the skater wasn't at fault for the initial incident.

Not only is there not enough information given to make that assertion, but it also implies that the skater is at fault for the mother punching him (if he wasn't there, he wouldn't have gotten punched). That is wrong-headed.

[Catamari]

Not only is there not enough information given to make that assertion, but it also implies that the skater is at fault for the mother punching him (if he wasn't there, he wouldn't have gotten punched). That is wrong-headed.

I'll have to side with Tribble, here. We don't have enough evidence to really lay any sort of claim. The first job of a skeptic is to analyze the claims made and the evidence. I would say that the mother acted irrationally and escalated the situation. Based on the skater's actions, I don't think he's necessarily the aggressor in this situation, perhaps careless, but not malicious.

Had I been in that situation, that woman would have a bloody nose after decking me.