Where do they get these guys?
The country has become very stupid, very fast if it believes Cully’s advice was not to have a desired effect.
THE WASHINGTON POST published this ‘mea cully’ from the man who made statements challenging the right of accused and–in this case–non-accused to have representation of council. Tears welled in my eyes as I read about his belief in American jurisprudence.
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An Apology to Detainees’ Attorneys
Wednesday, January 17, 2007; A18
During a radio interview last week, I brought up the topic of pro bono work and habeas corpus representation of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Regrettably, my comments left the impression that I question the integrity of those engaged in the zealous defense of detainees in Guantanamo. I do not.
I believe firmly that a foundational principle of our legal system is that the system works best when both sides are represented by competent legal counsel. I support pro bono work, as I said in the interview. I was a criminal defense attorney in two of my three tours in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. I zealously represented unpopular clients — people charged with crimes that did not make them, or their attorneys, popular in the military. I believe that our justice system requires vigorous representation.
I apologize for what I said and to those lawyers and law firms who are representing clients at Guantanamo. I hope that my record of public service makes clear that those comments do not reflect my core beliefs.
CULLY STIMSON
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs
Defense Department
Washington
Please find the letter in The Washington Post
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My first post on the story–January 13, 2007.
Whither this new thuggishness? The rotting fish stinks from the head.
January 13th, 2007
Published: January 13, 2007WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 — The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism said in an interview this week that he was dismayed that lawyers at many of the nation’s top firms were representing prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and that the firms’ corporate clients should consider ending their business ties.
The comments by Charles D. Stimson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, produced an instant torrent of anger from lawyers, legal ethics specialists and bar association officials, who said Friday that his comments were repellent and displayed an ignorance of the duties of lawyers to represent people in legal trouble.
“This is prejudicial to the administration of justice,” said Stephen Gillers, a law professor at New York University and an authority on legal ethics. “It’s possible that lawyers willing to undertake what has been long viewed as an admirable chore will decline to do so for fear of antagonizing important clients.”
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Please find the story in The New York Times.
Image: (Fish) twentyfirstcenturyart.com; (Constitution) loc.gov; (W) infowars.com; (Dick) AP Photo via cbc.ca