LA federal judge dismisses petition over Afghan war detainees; says advocates lack standing

AP ^ | 2-21-02 | ERICA WERNER

[Oldeconomybuyer]

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a petition by civil rights advocates who want the Afghan detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be brought before a U.S. court.

U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz ruled that the civil rights advocates do not have standing to bring the case, and that even if they did, no U.S. federal court would have jurisdiction to hear it.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Big news when the civil rights lawsuit was filed, not likely to get much ink now that it's been thrown out.

[RoseofTexas]

Thank GOD there are still sensible judges out there!!

[Dog Gone]

I expected the court to rule this way regarding jurisdiction, but I hadn't thought about the standing issue.

Another setback for Ramsey Clark. Breaks my heart.

[San Jacinto]

Judge Matz is a Clinton appointee, and the Plaintiffs shopped the case out to California hoping to find a sympathetic liberal ear. Their case is so weak and ill-conceived, even a Clinton appointee in California could not see a way to rule for them.

There is another case filed in DC on behalf of the "families" of the detainees trying to get around the standing and jurisdiction issues and trying to find a Clinton judge willing to screw Bush.

[elbucko]

..."therefore has no standing in the case."

This sort of Advocacy Litigation has no place in a country that celebrates the Rule of Law. These shysters of high renown and low judgement have better, but less famous cases to champion.

[McGavin999]

Finding any judge who will side with these jokers is going to take finding one who is about to retire to an island somewhere outside the US.

It would take such a huge bending of the law to find for these guys that no judge bending the law in that manner would be comfortable living in this country for very long. Imagine having every citizen turning his/her back on you for the rest of you life.

[toddst]

I'm curious about what will happen to the detainees when they have been fully interrogated. Where will they be sent? What country is going to be willing to take them? Hmmm.

[vbmoneyspender]

U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz ruled . . . .

Can someone tell me if it is some kind of secret code that liberals and people from back East Coast use to identify each other when they don't use their first name like Judge A. Howard Matz apparently does?

Most people I know use their first name when they identify themselves. What gives with using your middle name rather than your first name? Is this a conspiracy I don't know about?

[XJarhead]

Maybe his first name is "Annabelle".

[VOA]

bump!

[NovemberCharlie]

Most people I know use their first name when they identify themselves. What gives with using your middle name rather than your first name? Is this a conspiracy I don't know about?

Perhaps his parents gave him a really embarrasing first name.

[vbmoneyspender]

That's a tough choice between Howie and Annabelle.

[hellinahandcart]

Do you find it as odd as I do that Ramsey Clark's name is not mentioned once in this article? And that "civil rights advocates" is used instead of "collection of communists and assorted disaffected anti-American leftist freaks"?

The civil rights advocates -- 17 clergy members, lawyers and professors --

I'm surprised they didn't claim the suit was brought by a station wagon full of nuns...

[Dog Gone]

Standing was the first issue I thought of.

Well, I guess that's because you're smarter than me.

[Lennon]

Here's what the constitution has to say about it:

Article 1 Section 8 Clause 10:

The Congress shall have power to...define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations.

It would seem to me that this is congress' neck of the woods, not the court's. Global terrorism is very similar to piracy. It should be considered one and the same, and we should go after it like the British did with piracy.

It's nice to see a judge how understands we have three branches in our government.

[Dog Gone]

Do you find it as odd as I do that Ramsey Clark's name is not mentioned once in this article? And that "civil rights advocates" is used instead of "collection of communists and assorted disaffected anti-American leftist freaks"?

Not after reading the book Bias.

[hellinahandcart]

Nah, I use my middle name for professional purposes (it's just a more "serious" name than the primary one I was given by Mom and Dad), and nobody could confuse me with a liberal. I just thought people would be more willing to buy expensive paintings from somebody without a "cute" first name. Strictly a business decision.

[vbmoneyspender]

Why not call yourself Howard Matz then, instead of A. Howard Matz?