Without questioning the importance of fighting crime, I never bought the excuse the Supreme Court came up with for ignoring the Constitution's requirement of a trial by jury for all federal crimes -- that the Constitution could not possibly mean something so ridiculous. Yes, everyone charged with a crime in DC is entitled to a jury trial, no matter how insignificant the offense. The Constitution says so.
While I am happy that the disapproval resolution cannot be filibustered, I think it is a violation of the constitutional order for any statute to prescribe the rules a house must follow. Except for rules such as quora and two-thirds majorities for overriding vetoes, the proper procedure for the Senate is whatever the Senate says it is.
Is there any data on false confessions rising as sentence lengths are shortened? It seems not unlikely that a thug with limited prospects might, for a the right payoff, take the four years, so a senior thug could get off, especially if there is a possibility of parole.
Without questioning the importance of fighting crime, I never bought the excuse the Supreme Court came up with for ignoring the Constitution's requirement of a trial by jury for all federal crimes -- that the Constitution could not possibly mean something so ridiculous. Yes, everyone charged with a crime in DC is entitled to a jury trial, no matter how insignificant the offense. The Constitution says so.
While I am happy that the disapproval resolution cannot be filibustered, I think it is a violation of the constitutional order for any statute to prescribe the rules a house must follow. Except for rules such as quora and two-thirds majorities for overriding vetoes, the proper procedure for the Senate is whatever the Senate says it is.
Is there any data on false confessions rising as sentence lengths are shortened? It seems not unlikely that a thug with limited prospects might, for a the right payoff, take the four years, so a senior thug could get off, especially if there is a possibility of parole.
What about a filibuster in the Senate though?