Legal Commentary

Judge Orders Laptop and Battery Power for Gitmo Detainee

By Jeralyn

The military judge presiding over the trial of accused "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has ordered he and five other detainees be provided battery power in their cells 12 hours a day to use their laptops and prepare for trial. They won't be allowed to use the internet. The opinion is here (pdf).

The Government is seeking death for Mohammed. The Military Commissions Procedures are not fair, and the trial won't be fair, but to deny the accused the opportunity to adequately review the evidence against him would be completely unacceptable.

Guantanamo has eroded our reputation in the world. It should be closed. Those accused of crimes should be tried either in our federal courts, an international tribunal or under the Military Code of Justice. Providing laptops with discovery is a crumb that won't cure the problem.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 14, 2008 (boomark / email).