Jose Padilla Illegally Imprisoned for 3 Years and 15 days-No Charges

[chlamor]

Release Jose Padilla 

by Mike Whitney 

05/22/05 "ICH" - - May 8 marked the third anniversary of the illegal imprisonment of Jose Padilla. Padilla was apprehended at O' Hare Airport in 2002 by Federal officers under the shaky "material witness" provision and trundled off to prison. In a conspicuous effort to poison public opinion, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced on national TV that Padilla was conspiring to set off a "dirty bomb" (radioactive device) within the United Sates. To date, the government has never produced a scintilla of evidence to corroborate their spurious claims. Simply put, Padilla is innocent of all charges. 

Jose Padilla represents the crowning achievement in the war on terror. As the situation in Haiti and Afghanistan steadily deteriorates, and as America's 8 divisions continue to bog-down in the Iraqi quagmire; the one unassailable accomplishment of the current conflict is the death-blow it has delivered to the Bill of Rights. American citizen, Padilla, now faces his 4th year of captivity without any formal charges filed against him and without any reasonable expectation of defending himself in a court of law. 

Happy anniversary, Jose. 

The government defends its detention of Padilla by labeling him an "enemy combatant"; a term that originated in a right-wing think-tank to dispatch potential enemies of the state. It has no legal meaning, but its application assumes that the president has the authority to conduct the war on terror however he sees fit; using "all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided terrorist attacks".or, in order, to "prevent future acts of international terrorism." (Congress; Joint Resolution Sept 18, 2001) The Bush administration believes that this empowers the president to strip citizens of their constitutional rights and detain them without charges. So far, the courts have failed to stop this clear overreach of executive power. 

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8925.htm

[killbotfactory]

1. Have we actually arrested anyone actually plotting to attack the US?

Seems like all the cases to date have been based on ridiculous bullshit.

[Disturbed]

2. I wonder why the Attorneys and Judges of Amerika have not

protested this obvious breach of the Constitution of the USA?

[Scout1071]

3. Good question. Why aren't the lawyers of America standing up?

Where the hell is Jose Padilla and what, if any, are the charges against him? He's an American for crying out loud.

[chlamor]

4. Imprisoned without trial or charges

Where is he? Good question.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

10. He is in a military prison in Charleston SC

The govt appealed the latest decision so Jose is still in the brig. Full details on the case can be found here...


http://www.wiggin.com/pubs/news_template.asp?ID=16336322005


(my employer's website!)

Freiman will be part of a discussion this week for our employees on terror and the law post 9-11.

Many of the staff "just don't get it" when they hear that we are representing him.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ulysses]

5. recommended.

This continues to be a travesty.

[sweetheart]

6. Its because the constitution is not for people with names like "padilla"

The truth is he is a imprisoned because the administration believes
him to be part of a substandard race, and they want his genes out of
the breeding stock.

Lower race people are not afforded any constitutional rights. This
is the administration's message to all hispanic persons, that they
will be imprisoned indefinitely without charge on the whim of the
white master race in government for getting uppity.

The racists have taken over america, and they won't ever tell you its
about race until the secret documents on the master race are released
from the bush archives in 50 years time.

[Disturbed]

7. I call Bullshit on that.

His name could be Smith or Jones and he would still be in prison for being a suspected terrorist without any actual charges.

His case did get to the SC but they dodged it saying that the wrong location was on the writ or whatever it is called. He was moved since the paper work had been accepted by the court and now his Attorney had to refile.

This case is one of the most important in Amerika.

Do you know why I state that it is so?

[sweetheart]

8. Why so?

Actually, his skin colour combined with his religion makes him
easier to disenfranchise by the white racists.

I believe as well, that it is a critical case, as it is core, *VERY CORE*
to the constitution that american born citizens be given the right
to a trial by jury, and all that good stuff... and this chappie
is the first precedent of the total erasure of the bill of rights;
charged for internment on executive whim.

[leesa]

9. I disagree. All of our home-grown white terrorists are dealt with very

promptly. They are let off if possible and their names are kept out of the papers and certainly they are NEVER called terrorists.

[Inland]

13. Fact is, we don't know WHY Padilla is being held.

The concept that an non-hispanic white or a non-muslim would be detained for the same reasons presumes we know why he is being held, for real. I don't think we do.

It might be an aside to speculate he is being held is racial instead of some other bad reason; I would rather concentrate on the fact there is no cause to hold him.

[spanone]

11. Democracy U.S. style.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Thank you for this reminder...

This is one of the cases that has made me the most nuts. Holding people without charges and/or access to the courts is beyond the pale, and what I expect of tyrants and third world justice systems.

CHARGE PADILLA OR LET HIM GO!

The government should put forth its case against the man and let a jury decide on its merit. Anything less is anti-constitutional and anti-American.

[thecai]

14. Free The Innocent and Wrongfully Convicted, AND Jose Padilla

They've already served more than enough time. Next, overhaul the "justice system". It is corrupt.

[thecai]

16. Release Everyone Who Has Been Denied Due Process

from the past three decades in America.
The Jubilee is not over yet...