Terror suspect hearings stay shut

Washington Times ^ | 6/29/02 | Jerry Seper

[kattracks]

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed a ruling by a federal judge who ordered the government to end secret immigration hearings for foreign terrorism suspects.

In a victory for the Bush administration, the high court blocked the ruling by U.S. District Judge John Bissell in Newark, N.J., who concluded that the government violated the Constitution by ordering a blanket policy closing the detention and deportation hearings to the public and the media.

[sourcery]

The department said the INS has assisted detainees with information on how to obtain free counsel and that those in custody had the right to make phone calls to family members or lawyers.

So then, the government admits that Al Qaeda already knows which of their agents, if any, are in US custody. Which means that their excuse for wanting to conduct secret star chamber proceedings is just that: an unconstitutional excuse.