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I decided to send a letter to 60 minutes in response to the Jay Cohen story. As you noticed they always print letters on both sides around 3 weeks after the show airs and they say something like "but most letters were like this...". I think if most letters are in favor of Jay it could help for his appeal.
FWIW, I am printing the letter I wrote here:
______
Throughout American history, the United States has recognized the right of sovereignty for free nations. This includes the right to pass and enforce its own laws provided that the laws do not infringe on basic human rights. In fact the United States has sent in troops to smaller nations to help fight conflictswhen it is clear that a larger, more aggressive country is threatening the smaller country’s sovereignty. This included South Korea, South Vietnam and most recently Kuwait. But the United States now finds itself as the larger aggressor in its attempts to bully the tiny Island of Antigua.
Antigua has determined that setting up a tax free zone for gambling is a good way to raise necessary funding for its relatively poor island. And be sure that gambling is not an activity condemned by many countries and especially not the United States. In fact, gambling is not only accepted but is encouraged by the U.S. government in the forms of casinos, lotteries and horse racing. But when Jay Cohen and others at World Sports Exchange decided to move to Antigua and set
up a legal sportsbook (according to the laws of Antigua), they were prosecuted
by the U.S. government.
When Jay Cohen left the United States and set up shop in Antigua he should have fallen under the laws of Antigua, not the United States. And according to Antiguan law, Jay Cohen acted properly. The Wire Act or any other U.S. legislation is irrelevant because Jay Cohen was not located in the United States when he was taking bets. Can U.S. citizens be arrested when returning to the
United States for violating U.S. laws (even if it is legal in the country in which
they travelled), upon returning home? Of course not. If they could then American
citizens should be arrested upon returning home if they smoked marijuana while
in Amsterdam, or if they attended a sex show (an activity illegal in the U.S.) in Holland. But most American citizens are intelligent enough to understand that the United States has no jurisdiction over other countries unless they are conducting activities which conflict with the human rights code set up by the United Nations (regardless of whether the activities are legal in that country or
not). By this we are talking about activities such as child pornography, child
prostitution, murder and rape – activities which are so heinous that any moral person would find them reprehensible. Taking a bet on a football game does not fall into this category as Las Vegas casinos do this every week.
The bottom line is this, Jay Cohen did not break the laws of Antigua when he set up shop there and U.S. legislation is irrelevant because Jay Cohen did not have his bookmaking operation set up in the United States. When located in a different country the person is expected to abide by the laws of the country in which he is located at the time and citizenship is irrelevant. Every sovereign
country has the right to conduct business and pass laws which they deem appropriate and should not have to answer to any bully that is threatening their sovereignty including Uncle Sam. Jay Cohen’s case should be thrown out of court and he should be free to pursue his dreams so long as he acts properly in
accordance with the laws in the country which he is residing – a right that should be afforded to a citizen of any democracy.
FWIW, I am printing the letter I wrote here:
______
Throughout American history, the United States has recognized the right of sovereignty for free nations. This includes the right to pass and enforce its own laws provided that the laws do not infringe on basic human rights. In fact the United States has sent in troops to smaller nations to help fight conflictswhen it is clear that a larger, more aggressive country is threatening the smaller country’s sovereignty. This included South Korea, South Vietnam and most recently Kuwait. But the United States now finds itself as the larger aggressor in its attempts to bully the tiny Island of Antigua.
Antigua has determined that setting up a tax free zone for gambling is a good way to raise necessary funding for its relatively poor island. And be sure that gambling is not an activity condemned by many countries and especially not the United States. In fact, gambling is not only accepted but is encouraged by the U.S. government in the forms of casinos, lotteries and horse racing. But when Jay Cohen and others at World Sports Exchange decided to move to Antigua and set
up a legal sportsbook (according to the laws of Antigua), they were prosecuted
by the U.S. government.
When Jay Cohen left the United States and set up shop in Antigua he should have fallen under the laws of Antigua, not the United States. And according to Antiguan law, Jay Cohen acted properly. The Wire Act or any other U.S. legislation is irrelevant because Jay Cohen was not located in the United States when he was taking bets. Can U.S. citizens be arrested when returning to the
United States for violating U.S. laws (even if it is legal in the country in which
they travelled), upon returning home? Of course not. If they could then American
citizens should be arrested upon returning home if they smoked marijuana while
in Amsterdam, or if they attended a sex show (an activity illegal in the U.S.) in Holland. But most American citizens are intelligent enough to understand that the United States has no jurisdiction over other countries unless they are conducting activities which conflict with the human rights code set up by the United Nations (regardless of whether the activities are legal in that country or
not). By this we are talking about activities such as child pornography, child
prostitution, murder and rape – activities which are so heinous that any moral person would find them reprehensible. Taking a bet on a football game does not fall into this category as Las Vegas casinos do this every week.
The bottom line is this, Jay Cohen did not break the laws of Antigua when he set up shop there and U.S. legislation is irrelevant because Jay Cohen did not have his bookmaking operation set up in the United States. When located in a different country the person is expected to abide by the laws of the country in which he is located at the time and citizenship is irrelevant. Every sovereign
country has the right to conduct business and pass laws which they deem appropriate and should not have to answer to any bully that is threatening their sovereignty including Uncle Sam. Jay Cohen’s case should be thrown out of court and he should be free to pursue his dreams so long as he acts properly in
accordance with the laws in the country which he is residing – a right that should be afforded to a citizen of any democracy.
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