Military Tribunals

November 14, 2002 7:39 AM

The true story of Ex Parte Quirin. The case that is cited to support the Bush administration's "Terrorism Tribunals" has gotten little scrutiny. Everyone knows that the Nazi saboteurs were part of a plot cracked by FBI agents and justly imprisoned and executed, and everyone may be wrong. Michael Belknap, a professor at California Western School of Law, aptly referred to Quirin as "a putrid pedigree" in a recent law review article. Kenneth Royall, a former military counsel in the case, described it as a lynching. And John P. Frank, a clerk to Hugo Black at the time of Quirin, denounced the court in his 1958 book Marble Palace for acting like a "butcher shop."
posted by norm (5 comments total)

Wow, that's scary. Thanks for posting that, norm.
posted by MarkAnd at 7:50 AM on November 14, 2002

There you go again. Trying to confuse us with facts. :-)

War is Peace.
posted by nofundy at 8:20 AM on November 14, 2002

The Quirin opinion, 317 U.S. 1, if anyone wants to read it.

(posted without comment)
posted by yhbc at 8:41 AM on November 14, 2002

Timely, important information I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Thanks, norm, you've acted in the highest traditions of MetaFilter.

[Frankfurter] encouraged the justices not to engage in "abstract constitutional discussions," to "just relax" and leave any problems to be resolved "during peacetime."

I used to respect Felix Frankfurter.
posted by languagehat at 10:08 AM on November 14, 2002

I would like to see some source material on this. All we are given is an op-ed piece with no sources or source material.

I'm not saying it is wrong, just that one article does not truth make.
posted by Plunge at 12:11 PM on November 14, 2002