Neo Nazi ordered to cover up swastika in court..

[HipChick]

but why on state funds?..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091208/od_nm/us_usa_nazi

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) – A neo-Nazi gang member went on trial for murder on Monday with his swastika and other tattoos covered by makeup on the order of a Florida judge who thought they could prejudice jurors.
The judge ordered the state to pay for a cosmetologist to apply makeup before trial each day to cover up the tattoos on John Ditullio's face and neck, which include a swastika, barbed wire and an obscene word.
Ditullio, 23, is charged with stabbing to death 17-year-old Kristofer King in 2006 in New Port Richey, north of St. Petersburg.
His lawyer argued in a pretrial motion that the tattoos, which Ditullio acquired after his arrest, could prejudice a jury. The judge agreed but ruled that any tattoos Ditullio had before his arrest should not be covered.
Ditullio could face the death penalty if convicted. (Reporting by Robert Green, editing by Jim Loney and Doina Chiacu)

[mdmc]

1. Required for a fair trial = use of state funds

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. It should be his choice whether to cover them, or not.

It's a pretty easy decision after all.

[Deja Q]

3. Yes, and that is why social civility is a thing of the past.

People don't think of how others might feel.

[Swamp Rat]

4. Ditullio should attend his trial as he is, dressed in plain clothing.

If he was a fat guy who belonged to a fat guy club that hates thin guys, and he had killed a thin guy, would he have to cover up his fat? :shrug:

[Toasterlad]

5. Anyone Stupid Enough To Get Tattooed - Especially Their Face - Should Live With the Repurcussions.

I hope they fry this asshole.

[mitchum]

6. That will certainly piss off his "aryan brothers" when he gets to prison

Good

[951-Riverside]

7. Courts have always trampled on basic rights

You can't wear certain clothing, if a judge feels you're being disruptive you could be thrown in jail and unlike police officers, judges rarely investigate each other for misconduct, racism, corruption, etc.

I could walk up to the President, scream "YOU SUCK!" and walk away but if I do that to a judge I'll be thrown in jail.

BTW, I'm just making a comment on the justice system in general, I'm not defending or siding with that nazi coward.

[onethatcares]

8. he wanted to live the life of a bad ass killer, let the jury see exactly

how he thinks.

I have no pity for this guy, none. In fact I have as much pity for him as I do for willie crane.

[gratuitous]

9. Seems right

I want this fellow to have every chance and every break the justice system can possibly give him. So that, if he's convicted, there are no grounds for appeal, and he goes away for a long, long time. And, if it turns out that he's not guilty and the D.A. fixed on Mr. Ditullio just because he appeared to be an easy conviction, that he walks away free.

Of course, this goes for anyone brought to answer for criminal charges in a court of law. See, when you subscribe to principles, you don't have to change them depending on the accused. A wrongfully-accused little old lady gets the same treatment as the most heinous offender, up to and including someone accused of terrorism. If they justice system is sound, you enhance the probability that justice will be served.

If you tailor your justice system to get the "bad" guys, you wind up with false convictions, wrongful imprisonments, and the gut-churning certainty that an innocent person will be executed. You also get the sorry spectacle of former vice presidents saying stupidities like it being a colossal mistake to subject those accused of terrorist acts to the criminal justice system.

[liberal_at_heart]

10. It's really sad that the nazis hijacked the swastika from the buddhists and Hindus

In Buddhism and Hinduism the swastika is a greeting and a wish for good fortune. Sad that it got hijacked and has such a hateful meaning now.