Politics: 340 and Counting

Try, try, try again. Jose Padilla was once again granted access to attorneys, over the protestation of the Justice Department. The judge had made the order a few months back, but Padilla continued to be denied due process while the DOJ asked the judge to revisit the ruling. He revisited it, and decided that he was still right.

Now, hopefully, John Ashcroft will understand that he isn't the only person on the planet. Padilla may be guilty of terrible crimes, but neither you nor I nor Mr. Ashcroft know that until some kind of trial happens. And I hate to sound like a broken record, but I believe the Framers said, "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence."

You can bet that Ashcroft wishes they hadn't written that.