The Boston bomber's constitutional rights

[LuckyTheDog]

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1775

Let’s take a step back from our anger, our fear, and our thirst for blood following last week’s bombing marathon, and ask ourselves how much power we actually want to give the government in the wake of this horror.

History tells us that when we are at our emotional worst, we are most likely to give away our – and especially others’ – constitutional protections. Unfortunately, after the trial ends and the defendant’s punished, those rights will remain in the hands of the government.

In order to question bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev without reading him his rights, the Department of Justice is invoking the so-called “Quarles” exception.

More here: http://blogs.detroitnews.com/politics/2013/04/22/the-boston-bombers-constitutional-rights/

[Trajan]

1. They read him his rights ...

done deal

[Tx4obama]

2. The Judge read him his rights at bedside in hospital today.

He has agreed to voluntary detention - no bail.

He has been appointed an attorney.

[Xipe Totec]

3. It's done. Can we move on?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-court-session-20130422,0,1035696.story

[LuckyTheDog]

4. Just sharing some commentary...

... that I found interesting.

Sheesh.

[alarimer]

5. All day long I've been hearing they should throw him in Gitmo

Apparently most people do not realize that criminal procedures protect anyone who is arrested, whether or not they are found guilty later.

Many of my fellow citizens want summary justice and execution, or deportation at least. And many are assuming this is some Jihadist act, which is by no means clear to me. But that's why we have trials.

Gitmo is deeply problematic for a number of reasons, but not the least that it seems to create double-standard. We treat perpetrators or certain crimes or people who have certain backgrounds in an extra-legal way, which only serves to encourage it elsewhere.