In practical effect, this would be a device to transform ICE’s #obstruction into not just a violation of #state #law, but also of a #federal-court order.

#Criminal #liability by its nature comes too late to stop harms from happening. #States such as #Minnesota should also look to #CivilLaw as a basis for stopping baleful & unlawful #ICE tactics. This also requires some creative thinking—taking a legal tool designed for other purposes & fitting it to our new reality.

You don’t get much more official than executing a #judicial #warrant. Concealing #evidence after the fact is a separate offense that also fits what is publicly known about both the #ReneeGood & #AlexPretti cases. The resulting #criminal penalties would attach to anyone who conspired in that concealment. This could reach more senior figures in the #Trump admin who acted to hinder #justice by using #lies & #slander to deflect responsibility &—worse—to score political points from the deaths.

#law

When a #shooting victim then dies, penalties in #Minnesota for failing to aid the injured person can involve up to 2 yrs imprisonment.

In l #AlexPretti’s case, the #obstruction of key #evidence-gathering steps gives #state #prosecutors another potent opening, especially because #ICE agents acted in overt defiance of a #judicial #warrant. Minnesota has a #criminal #ObstructionOfJustice statute that applies to situations in which someone prevents officers from carrying out official duties.

#law

As a result, key forensic #evidence was almost certainly lost. This comes after state officials were excluded from the investigation into #ReneeGood’s death.

#Federal #obstruction of #Minnesota’s #criminal investigation merits more creative pushback from the #state: Leaving investigations in the hands of #DHS alone sends a powerful message to #ICE officers.

#law

Sen. #TammyDuckworth (D-IL)∶ If it's true that we are not at #war with #Venezuela, will you advise the president to rescind his invocation of the wartime #AlienEnemiesAct?

#MarcoRubio∶ That was a mechanism to remove people from our country that present great danger

Duckworth∶ It's a wartime act. Are we currently at war?

Rubio∶ No.

#geopolitics #law #immigration #DueProcess #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #Trump #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw

Sen. #JeanneShaheen (D-NH)∶ It's been reported that the #oil sold for $500 million & $300 million went to the Venezuelan government. What happened to the other $200 million?

#MarcoRubio∶ It's still sitting in the account is my understanding.

Shaheen∶ The account in #Qatar?

Rubio∶ Yes.

#geopolitics #law #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #corruption #Trump #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw

#RandPaul∶ What if a country indicts our president for violating a foreign law, should we extradite him or be okay if they get him by force?

#MarcoRubio∶ We're always going to act in our national interest

Paul∶ What I'm saying is our arguments are empty. It's a ruse. We do what we do because we have the force.

#geopolitics #law #Congress #WarPowers #criminal #Trump #Maduro #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #WarCrimes #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw

#Massie said the oil was "stolen" & that #Trump cannot "legally create a second #Treasury overseas for his own piggy bank."

"Selling stolen #oil & putting billions of dollars in a bank in #Qatar to be spent without Congressional approval is not Constitutional," Massie wrote on X. "Only #Congress can appropriate money."

#geopolitics #law #criminal #Venezuela #sovereignty #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw

Looking into this I find myself shocked to be citing Fox Business, but they were interviewing a Republican who seriously gave the unvarnished & corrupt truth about the situation∶

Rep Thomas #Massie (R-KY) on Tuesday criticized the Trump admin for how it is using the #oil seized from #Venezuela earlier this month, saying #Trump cannot sell the oil for "his own piggy bank."

#geopolitics #law #Congress #Constitution #criminal #sovereignty #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw
foxbusiness.com/politics/massi…

Massie blasts Trump for selling 'stolen' Venezuelan oil 'for his own piggy bank'

Rep. Thomas Massie criticized President Donald Trump's handling of seized Venezuelan oil, arguing the president cannot legally sell it for "his own piggy bank."

^{Landon Mion (Fox Business)}

WTF?

#Venezuela #oil proceeds are going into a private account in #Qatar that #US #Treasury cannot block. This can’t be legal.

Marco Rubio: "The oil proceeds are being deposited into an account that ultimately will become a US Treasury blocked account here in the US. We will say 'this is what this money can be spent on.' They will submit to us a budget request -- 'we want to use the money on these things.!'"

#geopolitics #law #criminal #Trump #sovereignty #theft #piracy #InternationalLaw

“Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential #election, President #Trump engaged in a #criminal scheme to overturn the results & prevent the lawful transfer of power,” #JackSmith wrote in his prepared statement.

#law #Jan6 #SeditiousConspiracy #insurrection #PoliticalViolence #coup #democracy #Constitution #PeacefulTransitionOfPower