Juries in America: Myths and Facts
Law and justice often collide. Jury trials are the foundation of the American legal system. For more than 200 years, we have expected them to hear testimony, evaluate evidence, and deliver justice. Once again, our schools have failed us. That’s not their job. The U.S. Constitution refers to juries four times: Article III, Section 2, Clause 3 requires that “The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall…
Iraq Executes 21 Men in One Day
Iraq’s Ministry of Justice reported Tuesday that the country hanged 21 men after they were convicted of terrorism, the latest in a series of mass executions that have drawn international condemnation. The death penalty was suspended after the 2003 invasion but was quickly restored by the first Iraqi government by 2005. Since then, at least 447 prisoners have been executed, including Saddam Hussein, and his associates. According to Amnesty International, Iraq is now one of the world’s leading executioners with hundreds of prisoners waiting on death row and continuous hangings. Iraq’s executions have sparked concern from the United Nations, as…
Socrates, Standing and Same Sex Marriage
While baseball begins in about a week, and the Standard & Poor’s is tipping an all-time high, millions of eyes, gay and straight, devoted, detached and disgusted, are peering instead at the United States Supreme Court, that institution representing the first among equals in our three-branch Republic. As we can’t expect rulings on the marriage equality cases before the Court this week until sometime shortly before the All-Star break, the following will optimistically serve to gently prognosticate and bring some order to what gives in the Court. Here Comes Old Socrates Socrates haunts every courtroom, law school and kitchen table…
Where is the Justice?
On January 17, 2013 Parrish Bennette, Jr. accepted a plea deal of 18 years for manslaughter in the death of 14 year old Yashanee Vaughn. Originally charged with murder, Bennette who was 16 at the time of the crime, faced a sentence of 25 years if convicted. In the twists and turns of the case, the location of the victim’s body was not revealed for 4 months; the assumption was that the defendant was not revealing this information. This situation further highlighted the anguish of both families. One family waiting for word on the location of their daughter’s body, pleading…
Armed Teachers in School…Killers, All
Although you may spend your life killing, You will not exhaust all your foes. But if you quell your own anger, your real enemy will be slain. ~Nagarjuna~ The NRA is a lobby, arguably one of the most powerful, and no longer an organization of hunters, conservationists, and marksmen. I’m sure there are members who are appalled at the direction the NRA has gone; from education and responsibility to high drama and creating armed camps out of our schools. This is a strategy completely in line with their single minded focus on gun control and historical reaction of creating fear of…’bad guys with guns‘,…
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