Free Republic

The Supreme Court ruled in favor today of claims made by a lawful permanent resident of the United States who said his rights were violated when his lawyer failed to tell him that if he pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges he could be deported. A 7-2 court held today that Padilla's counsel was obliged to inform him that his guilty plea would lead to his deportation. Justice Stevens wrote, "We agree with Padilla that constitutionally competent counsel would have advised him that his conviction for drug distribution made him subject to automatic deportation." "It is our responsibility," the court...

A restaurant owner yesterday branded the justice system a 'joke' after he was locked up for seizing two teenage yobs who broke into his beer cellar. Sal Miah spent five hours in a police cell after he chased down the hoodies and held them in the bar while his staff dialled 999. The married father-of-five assumed police would commend him for catching the young criminals.

A wealthy British businessman was jailed for more than two years on Monday for attacking an intruder who was part of a three-man masked gang that broke into his home. Munir Hussain, who was threatened at knifepoint and tied up in his living room last year, was told he must go to prison for 30 months to preserve "civilized society." The man he attacked, Walid Salem, was allowed to go free and has since returned to a life of crime. Salem, who has 50 convictions, was unable to stand trial on a charge of false imprisonment apparently because of the...

Over the past decade and a half, U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson has become the one of the most important figures in the state in setting prison policy, or at least trying to change it. Henderson's rulings have placed the judge firmly in control over issues ranging from use of force at Pelican Bay State Prison to internal discipline to improving medical care. They've also put him in position to direct billions in state spending into the correctional system -- with no legislative oversight. The 72-year-old judge's career has just been chronicled in Abby Ginzberg's documentary, "Soul of Justice:...

PARIS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - France has expressed solidarity with Russia but wants all "necessary information" about Moscow's handling of the Beslan school seizure, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said on Monday. In comments similar to remarks by the European Union's Dutch presidency which triggered a diplomatic row with Moscow at the weekend, Raffarin said France constantly reminded Russia of the need to respect human rights. Responding to a call from Socialist party leader Francois Hollande for French authorities to demand an "explanation" from Moscow, Raffarin said in a live debate on RTL radio: "We have already done so."