Is There a Legal Double Standard in the U.S?

(Posted on 06/02/12)

American law enforcement officials are working double time in their efforts of extraditing a young British man, Richard O'Dwyer. But is it worth it? And do simultaneous efforts to keep 19 Americans from standing trial in Egypt show there's a double standard behind the country's legal motives?

Richard O'Dwyer hosted a website that offered free internet TV. His profits came from internet ads. He was breaking no laws in the UK. Still, American officials are dropping major bucks to force this young man to the U.S. to stand trial for copyright infringement. He's being charged with two counts and faces five years in prison on American soil. Keep in mind - he broke no laws in his home country.

Today, Fox News ran as its lead story:

Egypt to prosecute 19 Americans, after raids on rights groups


Turns out, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's son was one of the 19 arrested in Egypt for "receiving foreign funds illegally" and for "being involved in banned activity in Egypt. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with the State Department and no telling how many more federal agencies are throwing political weight around to prevent these 19 Americans from standing trial; the U.S. is demanding they be released and charges dropped. They, too, face five years (just like O'Dwyer faces). Clinton is threatening to withhold "billions in aid" to the country if these folks aren't released.

Ray LaHood is calling the possible prison time "very serious". He's worried about his son, who's in his 40s. Solicitors in the UK are saying Richard O'Dwyer's mom is worried as much for her son as LaHood's father is for his son. The Daily Mail Guardian is reporting O'Dwyer's mother was sobbing outside the courtroom after hearing the court system won't be able to keep her son from being extradited, even though he's done nothing wrong as far as the UK legal system is concerned.

Is this a case of double standards? The U.S. seems to always be thwarting bad publicity, and this time, even though the charges are significantly different, the dynamics are the same. The U.S. believes England should have stricter laws while it also believes Egypt's laws are too strict.

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