And if I'm accused of axe-murdering my neighbor's chickens, is it a
matter for RBP, simply because I'm a paddler?

Again, I think you guys are going too far. I think you really know
this, deep down, because you use an example that says "chickens"
and not "children".

Think about it.



Well, I don't think anyone is saying that the charges aren't serious; they
certainly are. But (at least to me), the question is whether or not it is
appropriate to introduce them *here*. I know I would be upset if any legal
issues I might have were aired on RBP simply because I'm a boater; wouldn't
you?

For the reasons you mentioned in another post, people generally assume that
if charged, the individual *must* be guilty because the prosecutor *must*
have had solid evidence and the paper *must* have checked all the facts.
Forwarding that story amounts to a defacto conviction in the court of public
opinion.

For the reasons you mentioned in another post, people generally
assume that if charged, the individual *must* be guilty because the
prosecutor *must* have had solid evidence and the paper *must* have
checked all the facts. Forwarding that story amounts to a defacto
conviction in the court of public opinion.

You are going too far again. Let's take it out of the whole realm of
boats and of this newsgroup. Let's say that this was we read in the
daily paper (or *any* random newsgroup) that a local broker was being
charged with fraud. We might mind our civic principles and consider
that broker innocent until proven guilty ... but at the same time, we
probably wouldn't open a new account there the next day.

Certainly that kind of caution will cause the broker's business to slow,
but to be honest that's what it's supposed to do. It is supposed to
give us time to see if the pesumption of innocence is upheld by the court.

A charge is not a guarantee of guilt, but certainly neither is it a
guarantee of innocence.


You're still missing my main point: guilty or innocent, what good purpose is
served by posting this information to RBP? What benefit is there to
spreading the word about *anyone's* legal troubles on this forum?? Should
someone start digging into *your* life and post details about any skeletons
you may have in your closet here? Or mine? Or anyone's??? I don't think
this is the place for it.

You're still missing my main point: guilty or innocent, what good
purpose is served by posting this information to RBP? What benefit
is there to spreading the word about *anyone's* legal troubles on
this forum?? Should someone start digging into *your* life and post
details about any skeletons you may have in your closet here? Or
mine? Or anyone's??? I don't think this is the place for it.

It's easy to speak with some distance, but since you ask (instead,
again, of leaving the thread to die):


And yet you continue it yourself....

If I am ever charged with a violent crime, then I'll expect people who
might encounter me in the course of my business or recreation to want
to know about it.


Maybe ACA should mandate that anyone accused of a crime should wear a little
sign around their neck when they're paddling, saying what crime their
accused of? Or maybe we could just require felonious boaters to stitch a
scarlet "A" (or whatever; apologies to Hawthorne) on their drytops, just to
protect all the other boaters out there.

I will expect them to exercise some caution until I am found innocent.


Yeah, you never know when some boater accused of a crime will try to attack
you in an eddy or something....

After that point, I hope they will understand how damaging the whole
process has been, and I hope they will take what steps they can to help
me get my life back on track.


Just for fun, take a look at the track record for communities having a
convicted child molester living in them. See if you can find any that are
willing to let them stick around and help them "get their lives back on
track". Let us know what you find out.

And yet you continue it yourself....

I made an effort to add distance, and switch the subject to brokers
and their accounts. You should have stuck with that. Also note
that I didn't ask you any questions to prolong the thread, as you
did to me. Basically, if you don't want an answer, don't ask
questions.


Switched the subject to brokers and their accounts? What difference does
that make? Whoops, I guess that was a question. Let me try that again. It
doesn't make any difference. A+ for trying to tidy things up, though.


Just for fun, take a look at the track record for communities having a
convicted child molester living in them. See if you can find any
that are willing to let them stick around and help them "get their
lives back on track". Let us know what you find out.

I said "found innocent" and for some reason you've switched to "convicted
child molester".


OK, lets make it "accused child molester". I can see communities all over
America heaving a gigantic sigh of relief: "Thank God, only an "accused"
child molester- come on in!" And if you think that being found innocent
will make it all go away, I'd say you're a little naive. Accusations of
that nature tend to follow people around.