November 1, 2017

Congratulations, America, we have a so-called president who blurts out clap-trap about our justice system being a "laughingstock" and also hinting he'd turn accused terrorists over to a military prison without trial. Which is, of course, unconstitutional. Fascist pig much, Donald?

Responding to Trump, Judge Napolitano, as he is needlessly called at Fox, nevertheless from time to time does stand up for the United States Justice System and tell the Fox folks what is what. And in this case he can't abide by Trump's petty dictatorship fantasies:

JUDGE NAPOLITANO: I profoundly disagree with him that what we have right now is a joke. The Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is operated out of lower Manhattan, prosecutes terror suspects in federal courts. They have never lost a case, many of the defendants have been sentenced to federal prison for the rest of their lives. They are superb prosecutors. They do provide swift, certain, and fair justice. About Gitmo, this person, as horrific as he is, as a lawful American resident, he has the same rights, except for voting and running for office, as the rest of us. There is simply no provision for terminating his constitutional rights by putting him in the hands of the military and taking him to Gitmo.

SANDRA SMITH: Is that okay with you?

NAPOLITANO: It is not okay with me and is not okay with the Constitution for the president or someone in government to decide you don't have constitutional rights, we are sending you to Gitmo! It's horrible what he did, he killed innocent human beings. He will face justice. If he is tried in the state courts here in New York, he cannot be exposed to the death penalty. If he is tried by The Joint Terrorism Task Force in lower Manhattan for committing acts of terrorism in the United States of America, he will probably be convicted and he can be executed. That would be fair, lawful, and constitutional. But if they sent him to Gitmo, it would be unfair, unlawful, and unconstitutional.

PS. Could Fox News please retire the crotch-couch at Outnumbered and treat their female panelists a little more like analysts and less like thigh-flavored cheesecake? In the wake of Bill O'Reilly's 32 million dollar settlement and subsequent contract signing at Fox, this is embarrassing optics. With all due respect, Roger Ailes is dead, folks. And may his treatment of women AT WORK at Fox News die with him, at long last.

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