Including ...Lessons from the Case of Kyle Rittenhouse • A New Voice: Introducing Art Joslin, J.D. • President’s Message • Attorney Question • Book Review • Editor's Notebook • About this Journal
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Lessons from the Case of Kyle Rittenhouse - Part 1
by Dr. Art Joslin, J.D.
Kyle Rittenhouse. A name that many Americans, and most in the self-defense world will recognize, has been the subject of discussions, blog posts, articles, news, and videos around the country and around the world. On August 25, 2020, during a Kenosha, Wisconsin protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse killed two men and wounded a third. Many in the media have called Rittenhouse a vigilante and immediately accused him of setting out to wantonly kill anyone in his path. This two-part series will attempt to parse the facts of what happened that night, and perhaps bring some clarity to a confusing situation. Opinions vary and this one is mine.
Ultimately, my opinion, and the opinions of scores of writers and columnists, does not matter. The final verdict (the trial is set to begin November 1st) will be determined by a group of citizens called the trier of fact, otherwise known as the jury.
A New Voice: Introducing Art Joslin, J.D.
This month’s journal marks a turning point for Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network and its online members’ journal. Our lead article, the first in a two-part series exploring the lessons we can learn from Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial, is researched and written by our newest Network team member, Art Joslin, J.D.
President’s Message
by Marty Hayes, J.D.
Let’s talk about the Alec Baldwin incident, okay? As I write this, five days have passed, and new details of the incident are coming out every day. With that said, my commentary this month will be based upon what I have read up until now. If new details emerge that would substantively change my thoughts here, I will let you know next month.
Attorney Question of the Month
As our Network President Marty Hayes indicated in his September column, we often turn to our Affiliated Attorneys for a broader understanding of how various principles of law are applied across the nation. Looking more deeply into one of the issues the Washington Office of Insurance Commissioner originally raised but later dropped, we asked our affiliated attorneys to share their knowledge and experience with innocent clients who plead guilty when given an attractive plea offer. We asked--
Why might an innocent person choose to plead guilty to a crime they did not commit? Have you seen this occur first-hand?
Book Review
Beyond OODA:
Developing the Orientation for Deception, Conflict and Violence
By Varg Freeborn
ISBN-13 978-0578250373
$9.99 eBook; $17.99 Paperback; 184 pages
https://vargfreeborn.com/2021/08/beyond-ooda-is-available-on-amazon-kindle
Reviewed by Gila Hayes
This month I read a book about mental preparation for self defense that differed considerably from self-defense training focused on weapons and skills. Beyond OODA explores a single element from U.S. Air Force Col. John Boyd’s Observe, Orient, Decide, Act conceptualization. “Orientation is what you bring to the fight, the source of all of the criteria that you use to make every decision,” writes author Varg Freeborn.
Editor's Notebook
by Gila Hayes
The latest Varg Freeborn book, reviewed in the foregoing pages, was as thought-provoking as his first. What he has written is so important as to merit risking repetition. In Violence of Mind and now in Beyond OODA, Freeborn urges readers to search their souls to make sure the ideals they embrace when preparing for self defense are congruent with 1) their actual skills and abilities 2) legal and ethical allowances accorded to the private citizen; and 3) the abilities of the criminal predator. Without congruence, a fatal hesitation, punishment for committing crimes, or simply being overcome by a more willing and deadly opponent are all very real risks.
About this Journal
The eJournal of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, Inc. is published monthly on the Network’s website at http://armedcitizensnetwork.org/our-journal. Content is copyrighted by the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, Inc.
Do not mistake information presented in this online publication for legal advice; it is not. The Network strives to assure that information published in this journal is both accurate and useful. Reader, it is your responsibility to consult your own attorney to receive professional assurance that this information and your interpretation or understanding of it is accurate, complete and appropriate with respect to your particular situation.