Burning Atlanta

GOOD. This is bogus. Seems Bush felt obligated under some International Court provisions but he's since changed his mind. Also notice how the justices voted. I thought whining liberals always claimed the right leaning justices simply rubber stamped whatever Bush or the administration wanted.

Not mentioned was whether or not this scum was an illegal when he committed the crime. It doesn't really matter as far as this article is concerned but I'm curious. Maybe I'll try and look it up after a bit. Ok, I looked it up and didn't see an article that mentioned it. But I did read what happened and it was sickening, like something out of a horror movie. The two girls were attacked by a gang of six youths and brutally gang raped for some time before being strangled to death. I'd be happy to throw the switch, stick a needle in his arm, or lean him over a ditch and shoot him. Just read the account of what he did as I send him to hell.

Can we fry him, now?

President Bush overstepped his authority when he ordered a Texas court to reopen the case of a Mexican on death row for rape and murder, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.

In a case that mixes presidential power, international relations and the death penalty, the court sided with Texas and rebuked Bush by a 6-3 vote.

The president was in the unusual position of siding with death row prisoner Jose Ernesto Medellin, a Mexican citizen whom police prevented from consulting with Mexican diplomats, as provided by international treaty. I seriously question whether he was "prevented" from talking with diplomats. I think it more a matter that he wasn't informed that he could or didn't request such. I don't think it's our law-enforcement's duty to inform them of that but I'm not sure.

The president may not "establish binding rules of decision that pre-empt contrary state law," Roberts said. Neither does the treaty, by itself, require individual states to take action, he said.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissented.

Medellin was arrested a few days after the killings of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16, in Houston in June 1993. He was told he had a right to remain silent and have a lawyer present, but the police did not tell him that he could request assistance from the Mexican consulate.

Bush has since said the United States will no longer allow the World Court to judge the consular access cases because of how death penalty opponents have tried to use the international tribunal. They're trying to circumvent death penalty cases by whining to the "World Court" that foreign nationals didn't get to talk with diplomats, etc..