Brian Straw

@brianstraw.bsky.social

1144 Followers 346 Following

Oak Park Village Trustee, "boring suburban dad," attorney.

American Constitution Society The Founding Fathers built into the Constitution of the United States a check against overzealous and unwarranted prosecutions: A grand jury of citizens must find probable cause that a crime was committed before the government can charge a person with a serious offense. This bar to would-be kings misusing criminal law to enforce their rule through politically motivated prosecutions nonetheless has its limitations. Government attorneys who serve as prosecutors are the only people allowed to present evidence to grand jurors or instruct the grand jurors on the applicable legal requirements. Further, the evidentiary standard for approving charges is “probable cause,” a much lower threshold than proof beyond a reasonable doubt, as required to convict a person for the crime charged. Consequently, grand juries historically rarely vote against the government’s request to approve a criminal charge.
Constitution of the United States Fifth Amendment No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Article with the headline 'Broadview 6': Straw man is free
$9.26 for the day a federal agent referred to the crowd of protestors he had just driven his three ton SUV into as "some trash in The street."
I am giving 10.23 for the day I was indicted (October 23) for protesting outside the Broadview ICE Detention facility.
Feds Plan to Use Protest Chants to Prosecute Broadview ICE Protestors -- But Balk at Free Speech Defense
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Oak Park Village Trustee Brian Straw holding a sign that reads: This is an ASSEMBLY NOT a CONSPIRACY! "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging . . . the right of the people peaceably to assemble . . ." - The First Amendment to the United States Constitution