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Judge rules Padilla can sue former DOJ lawyer John Yoo
American Thinker ^ | June 13, 2009 | Richard Henry Lee

Posted on 06/13/2009 9:16:53 AM PDT by Reagan Man

In a surprising ruling, a federal judge has determined that convicted terrorist, Jose Padilla, can sue former Department of Justice lawyer, John Yoo, over Yoo’s legal opinion that led to Padilla being held as an enemy combatant.

US District Judge Jeffrey S. White of the Northern District of California based in San Francisco, denied a Department of Justice motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Padilla’s lawyers contend that Yoo’s legal opinions allowed the US military to detain Padilla as an enemy combatant which led to Padilla being subjected to torture. As reported by local TV station KTVU: The lawsuit alleges the abuse included extreme sleep and sensory deprivation, exposure to extreme temperatures, forced sitting and standing in painful "stress" positions, prolonged shackling, lack of medical care and threats of being cut with a knife or killed. The judge found that

"Like any other government official, government lawyers are responsible for the foreseeable consequences of their conduct." Obama’s Department of Justice under Attorney General Eric Holder is handling the case. Coincidentally, Yoo is currently a Professor of Law at the University of California Boalt School Of Law while Judge White taught at the same school before he was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2002. In another coincidence, Yoo’s boss at the time, DoJ Office of Legal Counsel head, Jay Bybee, now sits on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco where the likely appeal will be heard. Bybee signed the memos which Yoo drafted. (Bybee of course, would not participate in the case.)

This ruling, unless it is overturned on appeal, will further erode the presumption that government officials have immunity from lawsuit when they act in their official capacity. This ruling also gives the judicial branch even more oversight of the executive branch in time of war.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: americancitizen; doj; enemycombatant; johnyoo; lawsuit; padilla; ruling
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1 posted on 06/13/2009 9:16:53 AM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: Reagan Man

Well, good. I would like to sue Obama. When can I start?


2 posted on 06/13/2009 9:19:12 AM PDT by Juan Medén
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To: Reagan Man
Will Mark Levin and his Landmark Foundation be providing assistance for Yoo?
3 posted on 06/13/2009 9:19:38 AM PDT by Cheerio (Barack Hussein 0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: Reagan Man

Absolute, complete anarchy being propogated by this Judge. Is he ignorant or malicious (or both)?


4 posted on 06/13/2009 9:21:19 AM PDT by prismsinc (A.K.A. "The Terminator"!)
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To: Reagan Man

can this judge be sued over giving a legal opinion on another lawyer being sued over giving a legal opinion?


5 posted on 06/13/2009 9:23:54 AM PDT by Guyin4Os (My name says Guyin40s but now I have an exotic, daring, new nickname..... Guyin50s)
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To: prismsinc
Absolute, complete anarchy being propogated by this Judge. Is he ignorant or malicious (or both)?

In the 'Through the Looking Glass' world of the Obamanation anything will be possible. You voted for change. Here it comes in spades!

6 posted on 06/13/2009 9:24:27 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannolis. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: prismsinc
"Absolute, complete anarchy being propogated by this Judge. Is he ignorant or malicious (or both)?"

He's probably next in line on Obama's Supreme Court list.

7 posted on 06/13/2009 9:24:48 AM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: prismsinc

Juan Padilla is a bad dude who wanted to kill people. Just like Weathermen friends of Obama.

Remember, if the Left wants to kill people, its justified. If the Right wants to kill people, they are crazed reactionaries and should be imprisoned or put to death.

Very simple to understand the Left, really.


8 posted on 06/13/2009 9:25:33 AM PDT by whitedog57
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To: Reagan Man
Bush's fault.
9 posted on 06/13/2009 9:26:23 AM PDT by Bratch
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To: Reagan Man
Obama is already having a tough time finding decent personnel to take the appointive positions he has to fill. This sort of nonsense will make it impossible.

Rahm Emanuel, Fur Shur, is not going to work someplace where he has to bring in the lawyers for every phone call, and he's not even a high quality appointee himself.

It's pretty obvious that the judiciary is upping the anty in the class of the three branches of government. I'd suggest the Legislative and Executive branches work up a plan to remove guys like this as fast as we can.

10 posted on 06/13/2009 9:27:51 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: mass55th

Bush’s fault


11 posted on 06/13/2009 9:31:47 AM PDT by broken_arrow1 (I regret that I have but one life to give for my country - Nathan Hale Patriot)
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To: Reagan Man

Does this mean that those who built the pre-9/11 “wall” between law enforcement and intelligence can be sued for the foreseeable consequences of their actions?


12 posted on 06/13/2009 9:32:21 AM PDT by aposiopetic
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To: muawiyah

The problem is that our system of laws is being turned against itself. While obama’s crew is running wild and doing anything they want, constitutional or not, the opposition is still thinking in terms of legality. This is how the democrats operate. It’s like two children playing. One slaps the other, that one slaps back, and first one screams bloody murder that he’s been hit. If the first child plays “by the rules” he’s keeps being the victim.
I’m just saying.


13 posted on 06/13/2009 9:33:49 AM PDT by ElayneJ
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To: broken_arrow1

Just let them all go. Obama is more interested in Right-wing domestic terrorist and veterans. Moslems are his buddies!


14 posted on 06/13/2009 9:35:09 AM PDT by broken_arrow1 (I regret that I have but one life to give for my country - Nathan Hale Patriot)
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To: Juan Medén

Me too. Where do we start?


15 posted on 06/13/2009 9:45:15 AM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: whitedog57
Correction:

If the Right wants to kill people, they are crazed reactionaries who listen to too much Rush Limbaugh radio and Sarah Palin speeches--who should be forced to shut up and should be imprisoned or put to death.

16 posted on 06/13/2009 9:45:34 AM PDT by Alas Babylon!
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To: Reagan Man

So pedilia will become a terrorist who is a millioniare...wonderful.../sarc.


17 posted on 06/13/2009 9:58:42 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: broken_arrow1
"Bush’s fault"

Yeah, literally. What the hell was he thinking.

18 posted on 06/13/2009 10:01:10 AM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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marked to read later


19 posted on 06/13/2009 10:03:17 AM PDT by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/)
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To: Bratch
Bush's fault.

You said it:

White, Jeffrey Steven
Born 1945 in New York, NY

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of California
Nominated by George W. Bush on July 25, 2002, to a seat vacated by Charles E. Legge; Confirmed by the Senate on November 14, 2002, and received commission on November 15, 2002.

Education:
Queens College of City University of New York, B.A., 1967

State University of New York, J.D., 1970

Professional Career:
Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1970-1971
Assistant U.S. attorney, District of Maryland, 1971-1977
Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1977-1978
Private practice, San Francisco, California, 1978-2002

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Male

20 posted on 06/13/2009 10:08:56 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("If Dick Cheney is Darth Vader, then Barack Obama is Jar-Jar Binks!")
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