An appeal to the Supreme Court of an Oxnard, CA excessive force case in which a man who fought with police was shot by police could have wide-ranging impact on our legal system, including a possible rollback of the Miranda requirement. Read the story on Yahoo.com. This basic right of citizens being questioned by police…
Category: Justice
Jury Room Camera Debate
The battle described Monday over the use of cameras in the jury room of a Houston-area murder trial rages on. Reas the Houston Chronicle story. As of this morning’s NPR broadcast, this case is now national news. That is highly unfortunate as this bad idea hardly deserves additional attention. One hopes that at least jurors’…
Cameras Don’t Belong in Jury Room
State District Judge Ted Poe is planning to allow cameras in the deliberation room of a capital murder trial. Read the story in the Houston Chronicle. Judge Poe is known for his unconventional approach to jurisprudence and is very popular in his district and in the greater Houston area. However, in this case, he is…
Court to Veterans: No Promised Medical Care
A federal appeals court agreed with the Defense Department that veterans promised they would get free lifetime health care if they stayed in the service 20 years do not have valid contracts because the assurances were not backed up by law. Read the AP story on Yahoo. What goes through the mind of the bureaucrats…
Prosecutor’s Change of Heart
Marc Shiner used to prosecute murderers; now he defends them. Read about what changed his life in the N.Y. Times. One imagines the difficulties in feeling responsible for incarcerating a 13-year-old for the rest of his life are tremendous. This must be particularly so if you believe the young man can be rehabilitated. Marc Shiner’s…
Crime, Definition and Punishment
Must juries adhere to the letter of the law? A referendum in South Dakota might mean the end of that standard Read the LA Times story. There are many times and places where the literal application of the law creates an injustice. That is undisputable. However, what would become of justice if each jury were…
Cop Killer Gets Life
A convicted cop-killer got a life sentence today in Houston. Read the Houston Chronicle story. One should be glad to get a conviction and long sentence for any murderer. However, a jury unable to come to a decision represents a dereliction of responsibility on the part of its members.
Convicts Voting Rights
Should ex-cons be allowed to vote? On such Floridian thinks so. Read the Washington Post story. Those interested in law and order must necessarily shudder at what and whom this demographic would vote for. But do they have the right to vote? It seems that if they have indeed paid their debt to society, this…
Teen Robber Sentenced
By Marc Moore at 9/24/2002 8:01:54 PM A Houston teenager was sentenced to 35 years in state prison for aggravated robbery of a woman this spring. Read the summary in the Houston Chronicle. There will be those who bemoan this stiff sentence; however, minors who commit violent crimes serves the same punishment as adults. Face…
Judicial Injustice
In what should be an embarassment of the Democratic party, liberal Senators unanimously voted down Priscilla Owen’s nomination to the Federal Appeals Court today. Read the story at MSNBC.com One doubts if Democrats will have the decency to feel shame, however, over their failure to perform their duties in the interests of the country. Shame…