Posted on 10/08/2007 5:38:19 AM PDT by imd102
WASHINGTON — President Bush, who presided over 152 executions as governor of Texas, wants to halt the state's execution of a Mexican national for the brutal killing of two teenage girls.
The case of Jose Ernesto Medellin has become a confusing test of presidential power that the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears the case this week, ultimately will sort out.
The president wants to enforce a decision by the International Court of Justice that found the convictions of Medellin and 50 other Mexican-born prisoners violated their rights to legal help as outlined in the 1963 Vienna Convention.
That is the same court Bush has since said he plans to ignore if it makes similar decisions affecting state criminal laws.
"The president does not agree with the ICJ's interpretation of the Vienna Convention," the administration said in arguments filed with the court. This time, though, the U.S. agreed to abide by the international court's decision because ignoring it would harm American interests abroad, the government said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Both, but mostly the first.
It’s insane to set this type of precedent. Letting it be set, let alone asking it to be set, is indicative of an absence of conservative principles.
Yeah, it's called fealty.
If the guy committed the crime in the US he should be under US law. There was a similar case a few years ago in Minnesota where a Mexican illegal raped, murdered and mutilated a 12 year old girl. He was tried in Minnesota convicted of murder and given a life sentence without parole (it was too bad Minnesota didn’t have capital punishment). I suppose the bleeding hearts are wringing their hands that this poor immigrant is getting the death penalty.
As I understand the Vienna Convention, all foreign nationals have the right to contact their Consulate for advise, etc. If, in fact, the perp was restricted from contacting his Consulate representative then the High Court may rule in his favor.
There was a case a few years ago in Texas(and this may be same guy) who was on death row. If I remember correctly he was never executed because he was kept from contacting his Consulate after his arrest.
While I think that the perp should fry he is entitled to due process under the Vienna Convention.
The ICJ has no legal standing in US court cases and never should.
Bush is in clear violation of the 10th Amendment by siding with the ICJ on a case yet to be heard by the Supremes.
Very, very bad move by Bush.
It is bizarre to come to the defense of a dangerous pervert who raped and murdered two young girls. Bush failed to put this amount of effort into saving Terri Schiavo who had harmed no one. And he has so far rejected stepping into the cases of BP agents who were framed. Almost sounds as if he has a fetish for illegal aliens.
The guy should fry, but he had the right to contact his consulate and the police had an obligation to contact the consulate and inform them of his arrest. This is a case of the US meeting it’s treaty obligations. Which, by the way, protect Americans in other countries.
Remember that his beliefs are now conflicted. That is, he probably has no problem with this bird being fried, but as President, he has to worry about a quid pro quo, other governments, not just the Mexicans, doing the same to US citizens over there.
It’s pretty common practice overseas in less than honorable countries, to round up Americans on trumped-up charges for political reasons. And that gives the US only two options—invoking international law or going to war. And our case for international law is a lot better if we are in compliance with it.
And the international situation isn’t getting better, it’s getting worse. What with that kangaroo court of the ICC, European wide arrest warrants, and local judges who decide to arrest Americans they think are CIA agents because they don’t like them, etc.
But the bottom line is that Bush, or any President, cannot stop Texas from executing murderers; but he has to at least ask.
More comments here - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907733/posts
Is he illegal? If so, can someone explain how he is due the same treatment under the law as a citizen?
vaudine
Is Bush pickin’ and choosen’ ? Just like they do in hospitals with the innocent. Go to www.myfoxny.com and search movie clip with the words - organ donation controversy. This young man was PICKED (Selected) to be killed for his organs. He did NOT have STROKES! Get the picture? Cut on 29 minutes before being pronounced! What’s wrong with our country? The UNETHICAL CORRUPT MONEY-HUNGRY KILLERS THAT ARE IN POWER.
YES, again.
Let me see if I understand this. If this had been a US citizen, same crime, same sentence, there’d be no beef. So essentially, Mexicans can come into this country, rape and murder young girls, and get away with it? And US citizens who do the same thing, well, tough luck for them—they get the punishment they deserve.
He's not due the same treatment. He apparently is entitled to far more legal rights than a citizen.
Strokes? Your post makes no sense in the context of this article. Color me confused.
“Medellin was born in Mexico, but spent much of his childhood in the United States. He was 18 in June 1993, when he and other members of the Black and Whites gang in Houston encountered two teenage girls on a railroad trestle.”
Spent much of his childhood in the US. Just a murderer playing the system. American when it suits them, and Mexican when trying to dodge US law.
I don’t see how Jorge can ignore the ICJ when it suits him, but use it for his purposes when it suits him. That’s about the only sensible strategy in dealing with the UN, but it seems all these offshoots like the ICJ should be entirely ignored or we’ll be constantly entangled with who knows how many of these international bodies in the future.
Isn’t it funny how illegals and their supporters scream from the top of their lungs that since they are in this country they are entitled to the same rights as citizens, then when they commit a heinous crime such as this and are dealt a punishment they don’t like, then we can’t touch them.
The American that was involved in this crime has already been executed.
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