Alan Dershowitz: Is a Fair U.S. Trial Possible in Attacks? (Gag)

Los Angeles Times ^ | 10/02/2001 | ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ

[Pokey78]

As the hunt for terrorists continues in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 catastrophe, law enforcement officials are assuring the international community that any accused terrorist brought to trial before a U.S. court would receive a fair trial. This assurance is being offered to counter suggestions for a trial before an international tribunal.

Our own courts have at least one distinct advantage over international tribunals.

[mgc1122]

who said anything about a trial mr dershowitz? i think a bullet in the ear is far too generous for these terrorists and so a trial as you envision it would not be the ideal scenario for 'justice'.

[Bikers4Bush]

You misspelled his name, it's Drizzleshitz.

[Republican Wildcat]

It would be as fair as they deserve.

[Schnucki]

Don't Court Bin Laden

[alisasny]

Stupid Alan is already looking for the terrorist OJ defense...sick sick evil man...shame on him....

[eureka!]

Memo to Alan: Hey there you empty suit. There will not be a trial for most of this scum, at least not in this life. It is war, not a classroom. BTW, are you going to help the Sink Emperor before SCOTUS? I am sure you can help Jiminy Kendall argue that perjury before a grand jury and in a civil case is okay...

[Dirk McQuickly]

Dear Mr. Dershowitz: Only if we can categorize you as a "defendant".

[Dudoight]

oh, balderdash! This man blathers about the integrity of the judicial system...fair trial...blah blah blah...he does not give a gnats a$$ about guilt or innocence. He engages in a trial to feed his ego and to showcase his brilliance and cleverness. Morality does not enter into it whatsoever, fairness is not a factor, only winning. He is certainly the man I would hire if I were guilty!

[The Shootist]

Man o man are we quick to dispense with our Constitution or what?

Shame on all of you.

Mourn the Republic
1776-2001

[Celtjew Libertarian]

I suspect that if there are trials after this, it's going to be more like Nuremberg and less like O.J.

[The Shootist]

The Court system is not about Justice. It is about the Law.

The system is not perfect, it fact, it is the worse system imaginable. Except for every other system.

Mourn the Republic
1776-2001

[dormee]

Who cares what that pasty faced troll has to say. If there was a contest for the top ten ugliest men, Alan would be near the top with Bill Maher. Man.......they are ugly and stupid. What a sad combination.

[Lex]

Sounds like Alan is beating the bushes for new clients.

[alex]

"You misspelled his name, it's Drizzleshitz."

I am affraid you misspelled it too, I suppose that original spelling was something like Dermovitz.

[GenXFreedomFighter]

Oh, you like independent judges...like the ones that had the *courage* to decide that an unborn baby is worthless and thus can be slaughtered at will. They sure as hell weren't serving any political agenda, were they, Alan? You're either with us or against us, Dersch. I think I know now where you stand. Thank you.

[bluetoad]

Well since you don't like American Justice let use Islamic Justice. Nuff Said.

[SJackson]

Our own courts have at least one distinct advantage over international tribunals.

Every defendant in a U.S. court has the right to trial by jury, whereas international trials are generally conducted in front of judges. And in highly political cases--any international trial of an alleged global terrorist would be distinctly political--judges are likely to be far less independent than jurors, ...A jury, on the other hand, disperses after completing its singular job of administering justice in a particular case, and the individual jurors return to the prior anonymity of their lives.

Government officials can (and do) whisper to judges, but they cannot whisper to jurors because anything communicated to a juror must be a matter of record. Jurors often refuse to do the bidding of the government, ...Juries make mistakes--perhaps even more often than judges do--but jury mistakes are less likely to be a function of political pressures.

It seems as if most Americans believe in the right of every defendant to be represented by a zealous lawyer as an abstract matter...Yes, it would be a patriotic duty, comparable to the duty performed by prosecutors or doctors who ministered to the wounded victims.

I'm not particularly fond of Alan's politics, and if the terrorists bodies are left to rot on the plains of Afghanistan thats fine. But if they are captured, I certainly want them tried here.

In answering his own question "Is a Fair U.S. Trial Possible in Attacks?", Dershowitz he is answering that although difficult, the answer is Yes, and the US is probably the only place in the world where you could make that statement. I may not like him, but I can't disagree with this conclusion.

[MAWG]

Actually it's Dribblespit. Whatever his name is he is the icon for what is wrong with this country. What he needs is for some body to beat the holy livin shit out of him just once. Now that would be justice.