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To: null and void
"She could easily be accused of torturing a wounded enemy combatant, or of murder should her best care fail to save him. "

This is such a silly argument, I don't why I'm even engaging in it. But...

She can be accused of anything irrespective of who or who isn't her commander-in-chief. And, her commander-in-chief's legitimacy (or alleged illegitimacy) would have absolutely NO BEARING on the factual question of did she or did she not commit a war crime.

Yep, I know what you're going to say - He's not legitimate, therefore all orders flowing from hear are crimes - or some such nonsense. You need to familiarize with a doctrine in American common law called, "De Facto Officer Doctrine". Very simply put, even if someone is in an office that they possibly or absolutely shouldn't be in (or were eligible for) doesn't negate the legality of the decisions they've made. The principle has been upheld in a number of Supreme Court cases.

Moreover, to be convicted of a "war crime" the defendant must be guilty of - you guessed it - a war crime. Taking orders from someone who perhaps wasn't authorized to give them isn't in and of itself a war crime. What you, as a defendant, actually DO is what's determinative. If you commit a war crime, it makes no difference if the person who ordered you to do it was legally installed in their office. Make sense?

149 posted on 09/19/2009 10:21:34 AM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: OldDeckHand
"De Facto Officer Doctrine". Very simply put, even if someone is in an office that they possibly or absolutely shouldn't be in (or were eligible for) doesn't negate the legality of the decisions they've made.

I'll take your word that this is the case, and I will declare that this is COMPLETELY INSANE.

I declare myself Wing Commander of the Air Force, order an ICBM strike on Quebec from a payphone, and you're telling me the boys who pushed the button aren't in trouble because they thought I was the real deal? That's *nuts*.


152 posted on 09/19/2009 10:28:09 AM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
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To: OldDeckHand
Very simply put, even if someone is in an office that they possibly or absolutely shouldn't be in (or were eligible for) doesn't negate the legality of the decisions they've made.

Until such a time as their illegitimacy is demonstrated.

Which, by the way, is exactly what we are striving to do.

Should he be proven to have never been qualified in the first place, this would arguably nullify every law he's signed and every appointment he's made.

Don't know about you, but that would be worth it to me!

160 posted on 09/19/2009 10:47:21 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 241 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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