Monday, June 12, 2006
Human smuggling update...
A while back, an enterprising prosecutor charged a number of illegal immigrants with conspiracy to commit human smuggling - the humans to be smuggled being the immigrants themselves.
Round 1 to the state - or as the prosecutor put it, "Arizona taxpayers 1, Mexican government nothing." (The Mexican government is assisting the defense.)
As with any novel application of the law, a trial court ruling is only the first step (and, of course, doesn't even address the question of whether any defendant even did the act in question - it just held that the law could be applied to the conduct alleged). Appeals to follow.
Round 1 to the state - or as the prosecutor put it, "Arizona taxpayers 1, Mexican government nothing." (The Mexican government is assisting the defense.)
As with any novel application of the law, a trial court ruling is only the first step (and, of course, doesn't even address the question of whether any defendant even did the act in question - it just held that the law could be applied to the conduct alleged). Appeals to follow.
