Rep. Doyle Heffley sent me his most recent newsletter, and I find myself agreeing with him on two issues. One article, entitled “Castle Doctrine Now Law,” discussed recently passed legislation to allow the use of deadly force to protect one’s home or car. I’m ok with that.
In 1926 Clarence Darrow, hired by the NAACP, defended Ossian Sweet, a black man accused of shooting a white man who was part of a mob attacking his house. Darrow referred to one’s home being one’s castle, and, after two trials, was successful in winning the case. I agree with Darrow (and Heffley) on this one.
It seems to me that if a some miscreant is breaking into my house, I have a right to defend myself. I would presume his intentions are not altruistic. I have no problem with the so-called “Castle Doctrine.”
Secondly, the “Fair Share Act” says that defendants in civil suits are only liable for the damages for which they are responsible. In the past, let’s say a jury found a driver 95% at fault and a borough 5% at fault for a wreck at an intersection. If the driver had no insurance, the borough would then be held accountable for the entire amount.
This legislation is sometimes seen as a way to punish trial lawyers, who are one of the main sources of funding for the Democratic Party. So what. Democrats should not depend on being funded by a system that is patently unfair. That is not what we stand for.
Rep Heffley is a reasonable guy and carries himself as an everyday guy. He acts on issues as you or I would do. One thing that I see is that he is not always following the party line on issues. So far I give him a positive score on performance. If he and others prove successful on Property tax he will be my hero for life.
ReplyDeleteI am not that concerned with Political party at the State level. They really become Polarized on the Federal level.
You can follow the House roll call votes on their website. Since the beginning of this session, Heffley has been a reliable vote for Majority Leader Turzai. According to my count, Heffley has voted the way Turzai wanted 642 out of 651 times. 98.6%. Not exactly an independent voice. He's taking his marching orders from Republican bosses in the state House.
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