(US) Lawyer fears 9/11 mastermind trial will be 'insanity' ("That's not the rule of law")

[sabra]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Prescott Prince is a small-town lawyer who has never taken a death penalty case to trial. Yet he finds himself involved in one of the biggest capital punishment cases this century: He's defending the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

He readily acknowledges how his client is perceived as "one of the most reviled people" in the world. But he says it's imperative America give Mohammed a fair trial, just like anyone else accused of a crime.

No civilian court, he says, would accept confessions obtained after a defendant was mistreated. But the CIA admits Mohammed was waterboarded, a controversial interrogation technique that involves simulated drowning.

"I take the position that this is mock execution. ... Colloquially speaking, at least it's torture," Prince says.

The fact whatever Mohammed said during such duress could be used at trial is alarming to Prince.

"That's not the rule of law. That's just insanity." Video Watch waterboarding is "mock execution" »

A Navy reservist who has been called to active duty, Prince, 53, rejects the suggestion that he is less than patriotic for representing an accused terrorist. "I had friends who were at the Pentagon the day it was attacked so I don't accept the concept of 'gee I don't know what it's like.'"


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/23/ksm.attorney/index.html

[Demit]

1. I appreciate that at least CNN put the word 'confession' in scare quotes.

In the sidebar at your link that says " Read government transcript of Mohammed's 'confession' ".

This lawyer sounds like an honorable man. I wish him well in his coming vilification, for standing up for the rule of law.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Prescott Prince - GWB's grandfather was named Prescott - hmmmmm

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Things to ponder.

[uppityperson]

5. And Glyph's former and current name is Prince. hmmmmmm

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Blackwater guy is named Prince

and so was head of ...Citibank?

match your hummmm and raise you 2 hummmms....

[ohio2007]

4. ...If the glove don't fit.......

You must televise it

[librechik]

6. Mr Prince is a true patriot and a hero. It is despicable that he is called unpatriotic

for defending our Constitution against a president that wants to twist it for his own needs.

obviously the Feds have tried to set up the defendant with a novice lawyer in order to disadvantage him at trial. I hope this backfires on them in a major way.

[Supersedeas]

7. welcome to the world of the modern chickenhawk Brownshirts

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Now, wait a minute

I thought Osama-bin-Caveman was supposed to have been the "mastermind"