March 23, 2004
Taxpayer Dollars
Today, in Criminal Justice, we discussed the profoundly troubling case of Jacobson v. United States, 503 U.S. 540. The case concerns government entrapment of Jacobson on child pornography charges. The government spent 2 1/2 years sending fake correspondence to Jacobson, including phony "pen pal" letters, promoting the desirability of child porn and lamenting government censorship of it. The court found for Jacobson and the majority opinion demonstrates the apparent evolution away from a purely subjective test for determining entrapment.
The legal stuff aside, it turns out Professor Crim was clerking for the Court when the case was decided and was able to provide the class with copies of some actual evidence presented in the case. And, the grotesque proclivities of Jacobson aside, this is where the case, and the government's "investigation," truly becomes disturbing...
For example, one of the fake "pen pal" letters says: "I know a guy in Omaha who's [sic] fantasy it was to tie up Scott Baio (Chachi in 'Happy Days'), he had about 100 pics of Scott Baio."
Bizarre. Charles in Charge? Why? I can't help but wonder what was really going on with this investigation...
The legal stuff aside, it turns out Professor Crim was clerking for the Court when the case was decided and was able to provide the class with copies of some actual evidence presented in the case. And, the grotesque proclivities of Jacobson aside, this is where the case, and the government's "investigation," truly becomes disturbing...
For example, one of the fake "pen pal" letters says: "I know a guy in Omaha who's [sic] fantasy it was to tie up Scott Baio (Chachi in 'Happy Days'), he had about 100 pics of Scott Baio."
Bizarre. Charles in Charge? Why? I can't help but wonder what was really going on with this investigation...
