U.S. Attorney General William Barr is now asking Congress to suspend parts of the U.S. Constitution that guarantees all individuals the right to a speedy and fair trial, the right to bail, and the right to due process under the law. He makes this utterly absurd request under the guise of the Covid-19 emergency. He wants the chief judge of each federal district to be empowered to decide which people to hold indefinitely without bail or trial and continue all sorts of other hearings and trials both criminal and civil. Suspending such constitutional rights is completely unnecessary since our justice system can easily adapt (as we are seeing in many parts of the country today) to the new realities of physical distancing, limiting gatherings, dispensing with in-person contact visitation with inmates, and continuing trials and hearings for periods of time when necessary. In fact, here in Minnesota, our courts are adapting very well. We’re d...
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