Remember how the U.S. Supreme Court decided that a presidential candidate without enough votes could win an election? Just think about what is going on now with our country - and how it would have been different if our Supreme Court justices would have avoided "partisan interest?" What consequences! - No Iraq, no torture, Habeas Corpus would still be alive, and most of our administration would not be liable for prosecution of war crimes.
On a much smaller scale (but no less important), how about people in the lower rung of the USJD? The consequences of one unethical immigration decision affects the life of not just one immigrant, - but that person's family and future descendants.
As I think about this I remember what my 80 year old favorite aunt once told me... she said "thank goodness my father was able to come to the United States. What would it be like if we lived in Salltillo, Coahuila [Mexico]? What a different [and much more painful] life we would have had!"
One thing I know for sure, if our family had stayed in Mexico, it would be highly unlikely that this blog would exist -
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Clean House at Justice Nowfor link click here
Monday, August 18, 2008; Page A10
The Aug. 14 editorial "Justice at Justice" failed to grasp the consequences of politicized hiring decisions at the Justice Department. The fallout from less qualified judges and lawyers enforcing the law is tantamount to a denial of justice, so we need to root out bad hires now. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey is satisfied to let the personnel evaluation process weed out the incompetent over time.
In the meantime, roughly 40 immigration judges awarded positions based on partisan interest, not experience or merit, will make decisions that carry serious and sometimes life-threatening consequences for those seeking relief from deportation.
Most people facing deportation are not represented by lawyers; there is no right to counsel in immigration court. The principal responsibility for ensuring due process and fairness lies with the immigration judge. If judges in place now are demonstrably less qualified than those who were passed over for political reasons, that situation must be rectified at once -- not with the passage of time.
It is up to Congress to ensure that the Justice Department cleans up, not covers up, the politicized hiring.
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MICHAEL W. MACLEOD-BALL
Chief Legislative and Policy Counsel
Washington Legislative Office
American Civil Liberties Union
Washington
1 comment:
It is so sad to know that getting a job depends on what political side one supports support. Then skills, experience, talent and all other qualifications don't count.
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