White House still deciding: War court vs. civilian trials

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Miami Herald

The Obama administration prefers war on terror prosecutions in civilian courts but has not yet decided where to try those accused of involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks who are now held at Guantánamo Bay, government lawyers told a Senate committee on Tuesday.

Government lawyers also said they are still undecided on the constitutional impact of moving military trials to U.S. soil. ''Military commissions should be a viable, ready alternative for national security reasons for those who violate the laws of war,'' Pentagon General Counsel Jeh C. Johnson said.

But, ``it is the administration view that when you direct violence on innocent civilians in the continental United States, it may be appropriate that that person be brought to justice in a civilian public forum in the continental United States.''

Johnson told the U.S. senators, many of them also lawyers, that federal civilian courts, known as Title 18 courts, appear to be the first preference ``because the act of violence that was brought against civilians was a violation of Title 18 as well as an act of war.''

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1131111.html