An extremely shocking, disastrous decision of the US Supreme Court today will bring the power of the legal system down heavy on ANYONE arrested and detained, no matter how minor the infraction, including traffic violations!
By a straight 5-4 conservative majority of the Supreme Court, a person arrested for failure to pay traffic fines, which he had actually paid, led to six days of detainment in a local jail, and constant, repetitive strip searches that left the person involved feeling a loss of his masculinity, self esteem and self image.
This is not for serious criminals who are accused of murder and rape and robbery alone; it is for ANY charge, no matter how minor, and not only for convicted criminals, but any suspect on any accusation that leads to arrest and detention.
The local police gain unusual powers and control, and what makes it any different than a dictatorship, one may ask?
It is one thing if someone is thought to have contraband on his person, but for everyone for any minor offense or accusation? This is absolutely CRAZY, but nothing can be done about it, and all of us will face the fear that if by chance we are ever detained for ANY reason, we will lose our sense of dignity and self worth!
And realize this includes not only men, but women and CHILDREN as well!
This is insanity, and shows the dangers when the “wrong” President is in office!
This is the result, long term, of the Bush V. Gore case, where the Supreme Court, on a purely partisan basis, gave George W. Bush the Presidency over Al Gore, which led to Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito in 2005 and 2006!
These two men are proving to be hard line conservatives, and now we must wonder if Roberts, who supposedly worries about the image of the Court, will do what is right on the Obama Health Care legislation in June, and prevent a purely partisan decision by 5-4.
But it also makes one wonder about Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Reagan appointee, who sometimes goes against the conservative majority on the Court, and who could have prevented this nightmare decision today, but chose not to do so.
Will he stay with the conservative majority again on the Obama Health Care law? This is crucial, since if he joins the four liberals on the Court, it is seen as likely that Roberts would join that side, but if Kennedy stays with the conservatives, Roberts assuredly will stay with them as well.
These are the consequences of electing a President, and makes the re-election of Barack Obama even more urgent, as otherwise, the Court will become no better than a Fascist Court in spirit, if not in name!
This decision of the Court will damage the reputation of that body, and it is something all of us who care about civil liberties will mourn for a long time!
Just be very careful NEVER to face arrest, as if we can control that!
Hello Professor,
As I saw first hand the repression and abuses to the population by the Military Juntas of Argentina and Chile, I am regretfully seeing the same policies and powers being institutionalized in our own country today. I give you “The Patriot Act†as an almost exact example to what were the laws applied as a start of the process in those countries.
It was a short jump from there to what lead to the mass graves being found behind those South American “Federales†Police Force buildings even still today. “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.†With this I could conclude that it’s just a mater of time. The road to oppression and abuse will be paved with good intentions.
As I have said, I saw this first hand in the U.S. Navy when I was in my early 20’s and now that I am going into my 6th decade, it is Déjà vu! A sad state for us all.