Free Republic

A particularly heinous election day event happened in Philadelphia where members of the New Black Panther Party in black berets, black combat boots, black shirts and black jackets intimidated Caucasian voters with racial insults, slurs and a nightstick. Another party member was accused of managing, directing and endorsing their behavior. The entire event was captured on videotape. In January, the Justice Dept filed a civil complaint against the New Black Panther Party. When the court date arrived In April, a federal judge had ordered default judgments against the Panthers after they refused to respond to the charges or appear in...

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday defended his decision to prosecute five men accused as co-conspirators in the Sept. 11 attacks in federal court in Manhattan, declaring that while he believes “we are at war,” that the venue was the best place to pursue the case against them. Despite criticism that holding such a trial presented greater risks than a military commission, Mr. Holder argued that there were fewer differences between the rules for federal court and the military panels than some critics realize. And, he argued, the Southern District of New York has a long history of...