It was announced that a District Court of Appeals had found that the classification of a Uighur held at Guantánamo Bay as an “unlawful combatant” was inappropriate; the Government needed to either revisit his classification or release him. The appellant’s attorney was reported as looking forward to passing along the news…but was unable to do so since his client was being held in isolation, incommunicado.
The New York Times is reporting that the unclassified portion of the opinion has been released. This passage in the story caught my eye: With some derision for the Bush administration’s arguments, a three-judge panel said the government contended that its allegations against a detainee should be accepted as true because they had been repeated in at least three secret documents. The court compared that to the absurd declaration of a Lewis Carroll character: “I have said it thrice: What I tell you three times is true.” “This comes perilously close to suggesting that whatever the government says must be treated as true,” said the panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Matz was nominated for the position by President Clinton last October on the recommendation of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
Unlike many other Clinton nominees, Matz's confirmation process was relatively swift. He faced no opposition at the Senate Judiciary Committee and no votes were cast against him Friday.
Both Boxer and Matz's longtime partner Terry Bird predicted that he would make an outstanding judge.
How wrong could two people be...unless by outstanding they meant outstanding alone in a field, in the dark, in the rain, kicking stray cats and acting like a goblin.
"It's my job. I'm going to make sure you get a fair trial." ~Judge A. Howard Matz. 08.22.2002, Pg 11. Trial of Killercop.com For Speech Crimes.
A Question by Judge A. Howard Matz.
Q. "No. I'm asking if your interpretation of disruptive
conduct is an outburst and definition of an outburst is an
interruption of the court proceedings? What I'm asking is if
Killercop believed he had to interrupt the court proceedings to assert a right, or rights, that his
court-appointed attorney was not asserting for him, in
Killercop's perception, would that -- would that render --
would that change your opinion that he was trying to manipulate
the proceedings for the purpose of delay?
A. Well, I don't know. I couldn't say whether or not, you
know, again -- you know, we didn't talk about why he was doing
that. He gave me -- you know, he essentially said that he just
began speaking for himself because, I think, one, he didn't
acknowledge Mr. Nicolaysen as his attorney and also he believed
that the judge was being unfair and -- Judge Matz that is --
and that he just wanted to present his case.
Q. Okay. So would it be fair, then, based on what you've
told me, that you believe that his outbursts were motivated, at
least in part, by his desire to assert his rights and present
his case --
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Contemptible police tactics - Cops raid the home of a licensed medical marijuana provider in Washington, handcuff the fourteen year old son and put a gun to his head, and search the nineteen year old daughter and take the contents of her mickey-mouse wallet.
How To Survive Traffic Stops in America, Submit, Instantly! - What the cops want is immediate obedience and submission. Many cops are ex-military and view the civilian motorists of America about like they viewed the hapless peasants of Iraq and Afghanistan, that is, with contempt, not as fellow citizens deserving of civility and respect. It is a possibly lethal mistake to do anything other than submit, instantly and obey! Or be ready to shoot first. But aim high.
