From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Scott Dorsey <
kludge@panix.com> wrote:
Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
Congress and the president were on the same side, which is always
trouble. The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in 1798, and it
wasn't till 1803 (Marbury v. Madison) that it was established that
the Supreme Court could void unconstitutional laws.
Which is to say that they worked well but very very slowly.
I don't agree that they worked well, given that after a quarter
millennium there are still plenty of rights without remedies.
"Sorry that a cop killed your innocent son just because he was
startled by a loud noise. But you can't sue, as cops have qualified
immunity. Instead we're issued you an official writ of 'it sucks to
be you.'"
"Sorry that your father spent twenty years in prison for a crime the prosecutors had proof all along that he didn't commit. But he can't
sue, as prosecutors have absolute immunity. Instead we're issued him
an official writ of 'our bad, so sad.'"
"Sorry that you're still serving a life sentence in a Virginia prison
for murdering someone who was later found to be alive and well. But
this fact wasn't discovered within the statutory 21 days so it doesn't
count. The Supreme Court ruled that this was okay in their official
decision 'awful but lawful.'" (My wrongful conviction still stands 49
years after conviction and 47 years after I proved my innocence. But
the difference, 2 years, is a lot more than 21 days, I have to admit.)
--
Keith F. Lynch -
http://keithlynch.net/
Please see
http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.
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