Bush Gets Slap From Courts for Civil Liberties Violations
The Bush Administration had a bad day in court yesterday. In separate federal appeals court decisions by three-judge panels, issued only hours apart:
- A New York court ruled that the executive branch did not have the power to detain an American citizen captured on American soil outside of a combat zone as an enemy combatant. This means that Jose Padilla, the “dirty-bomb” suspect arrested in Chicago, must be remanded to civilian authorities after being held in military custody for 18 months with no access to a lawyer or legal recourse.
- A San Francisco court ruled that the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba is under U.S. control, and therefore under the jurisdiction of U.S. civilian courts. The administration’s stance that it could continue to hold over 600 foreign nationals there without trial or access to a lawyer has been based in part on the rather ridiculous assertion that the base is not U.S. territory.
Looks like the system of checks and balances is finally catching up with George W. Bush. God bless America, baby.
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