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A comment on Feds Threatened to Fine Yahoo $250K Daily for Not Complying with NSA's PRISM. Parent comment

Re:Feds Threatened to Fine Yahoo $250K Daily for Not Complyi... by jacquesm on Friday September 12, 2014 @03:59AM (#8306990)
If you're only going after Al Capone because you can't get him for other crimes and other tax evaders go free that's still selective enforcement.
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Re:Feds Threatened to Fine Yahoo $250K Daily for Not Complyi... by tptacek on Friday September 12, 2014 @05:03PM (#8310454)
Whether something is evil "selective enforcement" or good "prosecutorial discretion" really does seem to depend on the optics of the case, doesn't it?
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Re:Feds Threatened to Fine Yahoo $250K Daily for Not Complyi... by jacquesm on Saturday September 13, 2014 @05:24PM (#8313645)
Definitely, there is no such thing as an objective truth when it comes to things such as these. But it is possible to reduce the chances of abuse of selective enforcement and prosecutorial discretion by passing laws that are as transparent as possible and by having little to no career effects as a result of such selective enforcement if and when they take place.

Otherwise you make a law for Al Capone and you end up prosecuting Aaron Swartz.

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