Also;
He was not taken to either an INS center or the appropriate place for custody hearings.
He was taken by gov jet to an Air Force base. Now Reno had no juridiction over anything military.
Only Clinton could have orderd that.
This was way out of proper channels.
Clinton ordered the anti-judidial abduction through violent means.
It does seem to me that Clinton would need more than a legal opinion and some mid-level judge's opinion regarding the final disposition of Elian, before ordering what amounted to kidnapping at gunpoint. A Congress with some spine might have had something to say about this.
Clinton counted on people not wanting to take a stand on this case. It worked for him.
Too bad.