7 RETIRED JUDGES CALL MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

[kpete]

Retired judges call detainee law unconstitutional
Posted 11/2/2006

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seven retired federal judges from both political parties have joined dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees in urging an appeals court to declare key parts of President Bush's new anti-terrorism law unconstitutional.

The judges, in a rare court filing Wednesday, said stripping courts of the right to question how the military handles terrorism suspects "challenges the integrity of our judicial system" and effectively sanctions the use of torture.

Bush signed a law this month allowing the military to arrest people overseas and detain them indefinitely without allowing them to use the U.S. courts to contest their detention. Bush hailed the law, which established a system of military trials, as a crucial tool in the war on terrorism and said it would allow prosecution of several high-level terror suspects.

For detainees challenging their imprisonment, the law locks them out of the civilian court system. Dozens of detainees argued Wednesday that the law is unconstitutional, and the retired judges echoed that in their own papers filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

"We believe that compelling this court to sanction executive detentions based on evidence that has been condemned in the American legal system since our nation's founding erodes the vital role of the judiciary in safeguarding the rule of law," the judges wrote.

more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-11-02-guantanamo-detainees_x.htm?csp=34

[rurallib]

1. To which the Bushies say "so what?"

[babylonsister]

2. Great to hear, but not a word on the mediawhorechannels.

There have been stories breaking, but this is enormous. K&R

[SlipperySlope]

3. That - and it isn't even law because it was pocket vetoed!

[hootinholler]

6. Um, it was signed,

In time. It was presented late, the clock starts when presented to POTUS.

-Hoot

[SlipperySlope]

12. Oh, poop.

go ahead and crush our hope

[derby378]

4. Send this to Keith Olbermann NOW!!

[e-mail]

[Mr_Spock]

5. Hope this is overturned after the election

Let's hope it doesn't help them get any votes andis overturned afterwards.

[berni_mccoy]

7. HOW ABOUT AN ACTIVE JUDGE SPEAK UP FOR GOODNESS SAKE?!?!

[kpete]

8. I believe

with leaders - more will follow...

[berni_mccoy]

11. I believe too...

But it's a shame that we always hear about retired generals or judges speaking out first.

[Land Shark]

9. Unconstitutional? More like anti-constitutional.

How to find words strong enough, since many far less grave things have been "unconstitutional"

[kpete]

10. Strong words

and even stronger feelings...

[BelgianMadCow]

13. They can go sit in the corner with the retired generals

heh

heh heh

(Jon Stewart Bush* impersonation)

Maybe they read the American Bar Association opinion of Bush*co.

[jazzjunkysue]

14. More librul activist judges. They hate our freedom. You're either with us...

or you're waking up.