6th circle of hell
The American legal system prides itself on having the ability to give a fair chance to everyone who has been accused of doing something unacceptable to talk it out. A large portion of JDs will want to fight you if you say that people don’t get a fair shot at redeeming themselves in the American courts. This, however, is not the case at the Guantanamo Bay. Earlier as I sipped a fiercely caffeinated brew, my RSS feed sported the headline Judge Opens First Habeus Corpus Hearing on Guantanamo Detainees.
Holy Schnikes! In light of the recent election, has the time come when people start respecting each other? When the gluttonous deciders begin to value the lives of people?
Pfff. Yea right.
I can see it now: Judge Leon dangles the 6th amendment in front of the prisoners and journalists like he was Cesar Millan. Establishing the order his position forces him to depict he addresses the court: “Hey guys. Today’s the day you get to find out why we’re really keeping you here. I know, I know, it’s been years. Where does the time go, right? Today’s the day!”
He had that dream about John Bunyan and the gargantuan faceless paper monster teaming up to smother him in his chambers again last night. Going to have to talk to Johnny Walker about that one. He looks down at his prisoner status report. Leon’s eyes widen and glaze over. Channeling his inner Blanche DuBois, Leon’s neck cocks at an unnatural angle, popping his neck. Scrawled in Gregory G. Katsas’ tight, slanty penmanship the mostly blank sheet of paper reads, “You don’t need to know.”
Leon looks up and barks, “Hold on a second. I’m not going to be able to tell you guys the nature and cause of your accusation. You journalists aren’t supposed to be here. You lawyers aren’t supposed to be speaking with your clients. Nope. Sally must have sent out the wrong memo. Nope. Nope. I still don’t have jurisdiction. Ooh. I have 40 minutes to tee off. Leon out.”
Seriously though, the courts need to cease deflecting jurisdiction and deal with the serious flaws in the legal system that have deprived people of their right to believe whatever gets them through their day.
