Tuesday's column on Monday! Lawyers in space and other matters

Tuesday topics:

(1) While sifting through the bills passed by the Legislature this year I ran across this one: “An act relating to informed consent for spaceflight.”

Yep. From now on, if you’re a space tourist launching from Florida, you’ll first have to sign a statement acknowledging the danger involved.

And if you get hurt or killed because of the “inherent risks of spaceflight,” under Senate Bill 2438 you and your family won’t be able to sue. It’s sort of like the deal you sign when taking a bungee jump.

You might be thinking, “Wait a minute. There’s no such thing as a space tourist.”

Not yet. But everybody figures there will be one day, and Florida wants to be a space-industry-friendly state. After all, nine other states also have “spaceports” and are our potential competitors.

As for you space lawyers out there, don’t despair. There are still grounds for action if someone acts negligently, knowingly or with intent to hurt someone. You’ll always be able to sue the Klingons.

(2) This is a disturbing story about Rachel Hoffman, the Countryside High School and Florida State University graduate who got killed as a Tallahassee police informant.

She got arrested for felony possession of marijuana (20 grams or more, under Florida law) and missed her court date. So the police had her undercover buying ecstasy, cocaine and a gun?

The public reaction is interesting; there’s a certain amount of “tough luck for her, she broke the law.” I am curious as to how many parents think their own son or daughter would deserve to die given similar offenses.

(3) In Indiana, the question is whether to make voters show an ID to vote. In Missouri, the issue is whether to make voters prove their U.S. citizenship to vote. Shouldn’t we make Hillsborough Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson prove something before he gets to run another election?

(4) It still seems amazing that we can send a piece of paper anywhere within the U.S. for 42 cents. No offense, but complaining that it used to cost 41 cents is probably a sign of not having enough to complain about.

(5) Reports are starting to come in from both sides of the stadium fight in St. Petersburg that their yard signs are being stolen. Yes, signs get stolen. No, there is probably not a high-level conspiracy. Yes, the city routinely removes signs from the public easement. This is why political campaigns always print and distribute replacements. Sorry.

(6) Speaking of the stadium, nobody is more skeptical than me of the financial part of the deal. But the Rays are playing great baseball, are in second place in the AL East, and are playing Mr. Steinbrenner’s team this week for four games at home. I have this fantasy that Rays fans shout down the Yanquis. See you there.

(7) In no way do I imply disrespect or ingratitude toward U.S. Rep. Bill Young by questioning the $2.5-million that got put back into the state budget at the last minute for the government institute at St. Petersburg College that might hire him when he retires. The appropriation ought to have gone through the full process, competing for priority against Medicaid cuts, teacher salaries and everything else.

(8) What are you doing at lunchtime today? From noon to 1 p.m. I’ll be taking online comments and questions about any current events you’d like to bring up. The address: http://blogs.tampabay.com/troxler.

Comments

[Chris Jenkins]

Howard, regarding Rachel Hoffman:
Felony Posession of marijuana was only the beginning of her legal issues. As someone who supports the decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, I would also be concerned about this story were that the only foundation. However, she also had pending charges for dealing marijuana and ecstacy. She was not simply a low level marijuana user. She was a dealer of multiple drugs.

I was offended by the TBT cover yesterday, which proclaimed it a "setup", and said police "forced" Rachel to become a CI. The fact is, she had pending felony charges for trafficking drugs, was OFFERED the chance to reduce or eliminate her sentence by acting as a CI, and CHOSE to do so. This is common practice within the state of Florida, and everyone who is selling drugs is most definitely aware of the risks of being an informant against others who are buying or selling drugs.

While I have compassion for the hurt and anger of Rachel's family, and sadness for her death as a fellow human being, this story is being spun in a particularly disturbing way regarding Law Enforcement's role, and portraying Rachel as the victim of manipulative police forces. If everyone reads a little deeper, that is clearly not the case here.

[Larry]

Howard, no one, daughter or son aside, should be put in harms way by the police. I can see the parent's lawsuit coming, and you know what, they're going to win. This will probably make Alan Crotzer's settlement look like chump change. The police were wrong. Dead wrong.

As the end time nears, the ground will shake, the earth will rebel, the waters will rise, and victim will be seen as the criminal and the criminal as the victim… this will signal the beginning of the end.

So it was written, so it will be done.

[Howard Troxler]

Are you quoting Cecil B. DeMille, or a particular passage from scripture?

[Socrates]

No… just a pejorative observation, and taking liberty with prose.

[Kay]

Chris Jenkins, I respectfully disagree.
With a small understanding of the law, and a bit of street smarts, clearly this was a small time young lady used as a big time informer.
"Intent" is a charge that is presumed when a person is found with over 20 grams. It does not necessarily mean that she had "intent" or there was proof of "intent" just that she had enough for that "intent". Above $100 worth. Which really isn't all that much, in my opinion.
They sent her out with what? I read somewhere it was like $12000! We are talking big time, serious, dangerous informant work.
I suspect that she felt really desperate to save herself and made a fatal decision.
The professionals should have known better!
Kay

[curious]

is marijuana really illegal in florida? i see it everywhere. 20 grams isn't even that much.