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From: jc@mit-athena.UUCP (John Chambers)
Newsgroups: net.jokes,net.legal
Subject: Re: comparative European legal systems
Message-ID: <126@mit-athena.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-Mar-85 09:16:26 EST
Article-I.D.: mit-athe.126
Posted: Tue Mar 19 09:16:26 1985
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Xref: watmath net.jokes:11452 net.legal:1504

How about the State of Mississippi, which has a special 10% sales
tax on all items that are illegal to sell in the state!?  There was
even a Supreme Court test of the tax's legality a few years back,
reported gleefully by much of the media.  It seemed someone tried
getting out of paying the tax (on some illegal drug sales) by
arguing "double jeopardy"--if they paid the tax, it would constitute
prima facie evidence of the commission of a crime.  The courts 
held that, since the state couldn't prosecuted them if they paid
the tax, this defense wasn't valid, and they had to pay.

Of course, this wouldn't prevent the feds from prosecuting them, 
using the state tax records as evidence.  

Italy and the USSR have nothing on good ol' American legal know-how!
-- 

			John Chambers [...!decvax!mit-athena]

If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the precipitate.