[Right Cal Gal]

I cannot see why this nation should be under any legal obligation to inform foreigners, whether here legally or illegally, about their rights as citizens of their countries. It is not the job of the police to know what a foreigner may avail himself of. Once you become a suspect in a crime, you are given your Miranda rights, the third and fourth of which are "you have the right to an attorney and to have that attorney present during questioning. If you desire and cannot afford one, an attorney will be appointed for you." Once you have said the words "I want a lawyer" they cannot question you further without violating Miranda. If these twits are too stupid to get a lawyer, who is perfectly aware that they have the right to inform their Consulates, then too bad.

I think the ACLU and the rest of the criminal loving defense bar thought they had a new right "du jour" and could get this scum off via the World Court. Unforunately for the bleeding hearts, the freight train stops at SCOTUS.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I cannot see why this nation should be under any legal obligation to inform foreigners, whether here legally or illegally, about their rights as citizens of their countries.

One reason is because we agree to do so in exchange for a promise by other countries to do the same in the case of a U.S. citizen arrested in those countries. Of course, Americans aboard are rarely illegally in another country and as a rule behave lawfully when there.

[okie01]

I cannot see why this nation should be under any legal obligation to inform foreigners, whether here legally or illegally, about their rights as citizens of their countries.

We obligate ourselves by treaty to do this simply in order to assure that the other country will reciprocate when they have cause to arrest a US national.

If you were in Honduras and were arrested by their police force, I'm reasonably sure you'd like to know that the US consulate would be informed.

I don't know whether it applies to this last pair of murderers but, in the past, Texas has proceeded to execute several illegal aliens who never volunteered their true status. As a consequence, the state didn't even know they were foreign nationals until the case reached the appeal process.