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Justice Scalia’s Dissent [Juvenile Killers]
FindLaw ^ | 3-01-05 | Justice Scalia

Posted on 03/01/2005 10:40:45 AM PST by OXENinFLA

  Justice Scalia, with whom The Chief Justice and Justice Thomas join, dissenting.

In urging approval of a constitution that gave life-tenured judges the power to nullify laws enacted by the people's representatives, Alexander Hamilton assured the citizens of New York that there was little risk in this, since "[t]he judiciary ... ha[s] neither FORCE nor WILL but merely judgment." The Federalist No. 78, p. 465 (C. Rossiter ed. 1961). But Hamilton had in mind a traditional judiciary, "bound down by strict rules and precedents which serve to define and point out their duty in every particular case that comes before them." Id., at 471. Bound down, indeed. What a mockery today's opinion makes of Hamilton's expectation, announcing the Court's conclusion that the meaning of our Constitution has changed over the past 15 years--not, mind you, that this Court's decision 15 years ago was wrong, but that the Constitution has changed. The Court reaches this implausible result by purporting to advert, not to the original meaning of the Eighth Amendment, but to "the evolving standards of decency," ante, at 6 (internal quotation marks omitted), of our national society. It then finds, on the flimsiest of grounds, that a national consensus which could not be perceived in our people's laws barely 15 years ago now solidly exists. Worse still, the Court says in so many words that what our people's laws say about the issue does not, in the last analysis, matter: "[I]n the end our own judgment will be brought to bear on the question of the acceptability of the death penalty under the Eighth Amendment." Ante, at 9 (internal quotation marks omitted). The Court thus proclaims itself sole arbiter of our Nation's moral standards--and in the course of discharging that awesome responsibility purports to take guidance from the views of foreign courts and legislatures. Because I do not believe that the meaning of our Eighth Amendment, any more than the meaning of other provisions of our Constitution, should be determined by the subjective views of five Members of this Court and like-minded foreigners, I dissent.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: 8thammendment; cruelunusual; deathpenalty; juveniles; ropervsimmons; ruling; scalia; scotus
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To: seamole

thou doth
It's dost!



I thank thee; I dost standeth corrected!!


101 posted on 03/01/2005 12:28:46 PM PST by Christian4Bush ("If Ted Kennedy has his way, democracy in Iraq will suffer the same fate as Mary Jo Kopechne.")
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To: Mo1
The Supreme Court today just took that right of the States away

They've been doing that a lot lately. The founding fathers are continually rolling in their graves.
102 posted on 03/01/2005 12:28:59 PM PST by Blowtorch
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To: MJY1288
Since some inner city gangs require a murder to complete the right of passage to full membership, I wonder how the majority five would feel if one of them became a victim of an under 18 year old gang banger in search of the ultimate prestige symbol. Gangs already use minors to carry out hits because, even if they are caught, they often are not incarcerated for more than a few years in the juvenile system. This decision will just embolden these gang animals to more open atrocities. Even being locked up is a badge of honor in the gang culture.
103 posted on 03/01/2005 12:29:56 PM PST by Truth29
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To: Porterville

Parody? How's that again? Perhaps you meant "parity." Sorry, grammar and spelling police again!


104 posted on 03/01/2005 12:32:57 PM PST by Paulus Invictus (Spell checkers are our friends.)
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To: OXENinFLA

I wish the court would grant the unborn the same right to life that they grant to 17 year-old murderers. How sick is this?


105 posted on 03/01/2005 12:34:11 PM PST by Blowtorch
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
Once again, do you realize that you are talking about executing children?

Do you have any idea the types of crimes and murders these "children" have committed???

They are not your every day run of the mill type kids

106 posted on 03/01/2005 12:35:20 PM PST by Mo1 (Question to the Media/Press ... Why are you hiding the Eason Jordan tapes ????)
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To: OXENinFLA

"Because I do not believe that the meaning of our Eighth Amendment, any more than the meaning of other provisions of our Constitution, should be determined by the subjective views of five Members of this Court and like-minded foreigners, I dissent."

Ouch!

He is truly a genius.


107 posted on 03/01/2005 12:43:39 PM PST by proud American in Canada
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To: Mathemagician

Yeah, but your supposed to "chasten him" first. Does this not mean that there is a chance of redemption?

Of course, the Iranians are really into stoning, so perhaps you should move there. Although, darn it, they don't think executing children is civilized either.

Wait, Somalia. There you go. Have a good time.


108 posted on 03/01/2005 12:45:46 PM PST by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Patriotism: you love your own people first; Nationalism, you hate people other than your own first.)
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To: OXENinFLA

wow.
that is a Judicial ZOTfest.


109 posted on 03/01/2005 12:52:54 PM PST by King Prout (Remember John Adam!)
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To: Neets; Darksheare; scott0347; timpad; Conspiracy Guy; NYC GOP Chick; MeekOneGOP; Fedora; OSHA; ...

not a summons to war - it is a summons to AWE

THIS is the epitome of ZOT!


110 posted on 03/01/2005 12:54:17 PM PST by King Prout (Remember John Adam!)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

yeah you are right. It would be great if he got there and then stepped down (retired) in time for Bush to nominate somoene else.

Bork deserved it


111 posted on 03/01/2005 12:56:28 PM PST by Mr. K (this space for rent)
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To: OXENinFLA

Liberals better be careful what they wish for. If the new standard for declaring something constitutional or not is the Nation's changing moral standards, let's see what the left does 5-10 years from now when the SCOTUS declares abortion illegal because the latest series of Gallup polls showed a majority of Americans oppose it. Or wait until the feminists find out they are constitutionally banned from driving :)


112 posted on 03/01/2005 12:59:19 PM PST by TheButcher
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Comment #117 Removed by Moderator

To: King Prout; PhilDragoo; Happy2BMe; devolve


From the article:

The Court thus proclaims itself sole arbiter of our Nation's moral standards--and in the course of discharging that awesome responsibility purports to take guidance from the views of foreign courts and legislatures. Because I do not believe that the meaning of our Eighth Amendment, any more than the meaning of other provisions of our Constitution, should be determined by the subjective views of five Members of this Court and like-minded foreigners, I dissent.


You tell 'em, Scalia!


118 posted on 03/01/2005 1:43:05 PM PST by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
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Comment #119 Removed by Moderator

To: yall
And Rehnquist and Thomas joined in his dissent .....

120 posted on 03/01/2005 1:44:32 PM PST by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
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