Tribunals: Fair Trials or Kangaroo Courts
On the injustice front today, Reuters reports on the upcoming military tribunals and asks, Fair Trial or Kangaroo Courts?
Donald Rehkopf, co-chair of the military committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, called the planned military commissions ``an embarrassment to democracy.''
``This is a show. It's a kangaroo court of the worst sort,'' he said, describing the rules as crafted to guarantee convictions, compel guilty pleas and make it as easy as possible to get the death penalty.
``I was actually shocked at how one-sided these rules were,'' said Michael Ratner, president of the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights. ``Even a military tribunal I don't think has to be this biased and unfair toward the defendant.''
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