May, 04 2010, 05:33pm EDT
ACLU Calls On Administration And Congress To Follow The Rule Of Law In Terrorism Cases
In
the wake of the recent attempted Times Square bombing, there have been
misguided calls from within and outside of Congress to circumvent our
criminal justice system, including proposals that would deny due
process, abandon our federal court system and even strip citizenship
from suspects who have not been convicted of any crime.
the wake of the recent attempted Times Square bombing, there have been
misguided calls from within and outside of Congress to circumvent our
criminal justice system, including proposals that would deny due
process, abandon our federal court system and even strip citizenship
from suspects who have not been convicted of any crime.
The
following can be attributed to Laura W.
following can be attributed to Laura W.
WASHINGTON
In
the wake of the recent attempted Times Square bombing, there have been
misguided calls from within and outside of Congress to circumvent our
criminal justice system, including proposals that would deny due
process, abandon our federal court system and even strip citizenship
from suspects who have not been convicted of any crime.
the wake of the recent attempted Times Square bombing, there have been
misguided calls from within and outside of Congress to circumvent our
criminal justice system, including proposals that would deny due
process, abandon our federal court system and even strip citizenship
from suspects who have not been convicted of any crime.
The
following can be attributed to Laura W. Murphy, Director of the
American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office:
following can be attributed to Laura W. Murphy, Director of the
American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office:
"The
Obama administration should reject all calls to circumvent the criminal
justice system when handling terrorism suspects. Obeying the
Constitution is not optional, and we don't decide whether to apply it
on a case by case basis.
Obama administration should reject all calls to circumvent the criminal
justice system when handling terrorism suspects. Obeying the
Constitution is not optional, and we don't decide whether to apply it
on a case by case basis.
"The
Obama administration made the correct and obvious decision to place
Faisal Shahzad in our criminal justice system. U.S. citizens accused of
terrorism, like all criminal suspects, should be handled by our
criminal justice system and tried in our federal criminal courts. The
whole idea of having constitutional protections is that they be applied
across the board equally when people stand accused by our government.
That is the only way for us to rely on our justice system and its
results.
Obama administration made the correct and obvious decision to place
Faisal Shahzad in our criminal justice system. U.S. citizens accused of
terrorism, like all criminal suspects, should be handled by our
criminal justice system and tried in our federal criminal courts. The
whole idea of having constitutional protections is that they be applied
across the board equally when people stand accused by our government.
That is the only way for us to rely on our justice system and its
results.
"Our
criminal justice system is fully capable of protecting security
interests while also upholding our values. If we have learned nothing
else over the last decade, it's that circumventing the rule of law
leads to tragic consequences. To abandon due process in terrorism cases
turns the rule of law on its head and flies in the face of the values
that we are fighting to protect."
criminal justice system is fully capable of protecting security
interests while also upholding our values. If we have learned nothing
else over the last decade, it's that circumventing the rule of law
leads to tragic consequences. To abandon due process in terrorism cases
turns the rule of law on its head and flies in the face of the values
that we are fighting to protect."
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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