Blazing Through All Precedents
Blazing through all precedents,
Supreme Court Justices have customarily abused
omnipotence until as decedents
they are compelled by death, an act of God, to be recused.
Of corporate money there’s no dearth
in politics, said John Paul Stevens, arguing in dissent;
decisions with some moral worth
are lacking in the Highest Court, should have been his lament.
Inspired by a comment by Justice John Paul Stevens, cited by Adam Liptak in an article on him in the NYT, January 25,2010 (“After 34 Years, a Plainspoken Justice Gets Louder”) :
The Supreme Court announced its big campaign finance decision at 10 in the morning last Thursday. By 10: 30 a.m., after Justice Anthony M. Kennedy had offered a brisk summary of the majority opinion and Justice John Paul Stevens labored through a 20-minute rebuttal, a sort of twilight had settled over the courtroom. It seemed the Stevens era was ending. Justice Stevens, who will turn 90 in April, joined the court in 1975 and is the longest-serving current justice by more than a decade. He has given signals that he intends to retire at the end of this term, and his dissent on Thursday was shot through with disappointment, frustration and uncharacteristic sarcasm.He seemed weary, and more than once he stumbled over and mispronounced ordinary words in the lawyer’s lexicon — corruption, corporation, allegation. Sometimes he would take a second or third run at the word, sometimes not. But there was no mistaking his basic message. “The rule announced today — that Congress must treat corporations exactly like human speakers in the political realm — represents a radical change in the law, ” he said from the bench. “The court’s decision is at war with the views of generations of Americans.”..
“It is difficult to convey how thoroughly egregious counsel’s closing argument was, ” Justice Stevens wrote of a defense lawyer’s work. “Suffice it to say that the argument shares far more in common with a prosecutor’s closing than with a criminal defense attorney’s. Indeed, the argument was so outrageous that it would have rightly subjected a prosecutor to charges of misconduct.” In the second case, Justice Stevens did vote to uphold the death sentence, saying that even a closing argument worthy of Clarence Darrow would not have spared the defendant. That carefully calibrated distinction was of a piece with the view he announced in 2008 in Baze v. Rees, when he said he had come to the conclusion that the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment. But he went on to say that his conclusion did not justify “a refusal to respect precedents that remain a part of our law.”
1/25/10
poem by Gershon Hepner
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Beyond all reasonable doubt For J.T ellison
Can it be that you believe?
that justice is what you receive.
If you submit your case to court.
It ought to be but it is not.
All thought of justice is forgot
bogged down in legal argument.
Though you have right upon your side
Although you know the witness lied
it does not mean you’ll win your case.
You cannot prove his words untrue
so there is little you can do.
and at that point your case will fail.
Justice is blind and can be found
outside the court with her eyes bound.
Because she cannot bear to see.
The happenings inside the court
Injustices of every sort
No justice just a travesty.
13-Jul-08
http: // blpg.myspace.com/poeticpiers
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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Justice...
… Slow Justice
Is Better Than No Justice
… I Just Want Justice and Peace
To Feel Justice
It Must Be Real Justice
Not Cut-Deals Or Just A Piece
Full Justice
Not Pull The Wool Justice
She’s Already Been Blindfolded Enough
We Accuse Justice
But To Lose Justice
Is To Unlock Chaos’ Cuffs
Justice …
Is Lustrous
In Pearls Of Conviction Displayed
Justice …
The Huntress
Were Wild-Wily-Wrongs Are Caged
A Cry For Justice
Is Why Justice’s
Scales-Weights Shouldn’t Be In Doubt
Legal Justice
Be Equal Justice
With Rules To Balance It Out
Honest Justice
Promise Justice
Is Right For The Poor and Oppressed
But Even Rich Justice
And Even Quick Justice
Should Be A Standard, Silvered Process
Raw Justice
Shouldn’t Be Flawed Justice
But Free To All Everywhere
The Power Of Justice
Is That The Hour Of Justice
Doesn’t Run Out Of Time Anywhere
Men Must Court Justice
And Support Justice
To Qualify For Her ‘Your’ Honor
And Seek Justice
And Speak Justice
And Be A Worthy Defender Word-Warrior
Some Have Burned Justice
Some Have Spurned Justice
In The Lies That They Have Sworn
Some Have Raped Justice
Then Gaped At Justice
Laid Bare Like Loss Innocence In Porn
Oh Sweet Justice
Don’t Beat Justice
We Are In Races But We Shouldn’t Fight
Some System Of Justice
Has Idealism Of Justice
But The Whole World Needs To Get It Right …
Then True Justice
And Overdue Justice
Will Be The Law Of Every Land & Life
Without Justice
You Can Count Justice’s
Tears Rolling Down In Strife
The Hope Of Justice
And Scope Of Justice
Is That Justice Answers To GOD
The Mercy Of Justice
And Courtesy Of Justice
Will Be The Final Plea Bargain LORD …
____________________
The Sound Of Justice
Is Profound To Us …
… In Juries, They’ve Sung Her Song Or Tried
O’ I Miss Justice …
And I Wish Justice
Would Just Come Back Here and Say “High”
Written & ©: 7/19/10
by: The MoonBee
Where’s Justice … Where Did She Go?
There Are Victims Here Who Want To Know
….. MoonBee
poem by MoonBee Canady
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Where's The Freedom And Justice?
where's the freedom and justice?
trapped behind bars
watching lightning fast cars
where's the freedom and justice?
why keep hope
when happiness pops like soap
where's the freedom and justice?
cant breathe
cant leave
where's the freedom and justice?
hate misery
hate mystery
where's the freedom and justice?
you get raped
get interviewed on tape
where's the freedom and justice?
goes to court
but his bad luck is not the unlucky sort
where's the freedom and justice?
he get's away
i like an idea that's revenge is a way!
where's the freedom and justice?
poem by Tesla Blackburn
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On the Innate Drive For What is Right
As life bled, martyrdom flared its buds.
Repression, red from irritation,
Rendered chinks and cracks; but thuds of
Armament - in cowardice - accomplice of the
Dictatorial blight thro' countless years -
Wreaked its retribution:
Yet hope began to bloom a coloured carapace
Enshrining their allegiance ‘gainst the
Terror in their tears.
And on! Splits yawned - breaches in the junta:
Flesh fought fanatical minds -
Bullets welcomed into open hands
And blessed with yearnings for morality:
Chiselled man-toys of death and mutilation
Couldn't repel the might of freedom
Surging at the bright horizon.
Crepuscular rays of purpose, body,
Flooded pandemonium with
Overwhelming clarity, direction -
Burdened clouds drifting wayward as the
Light channelled out a vision,
Intensifying focus on tomorrow -
Deepen their stride
As they home in to
What is theirs,
Rightfully theirs!
Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2011
The reign of justice and freedom
justice justice justice justice justice justice justice justice
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freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom
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justice justice justice justice justice justice justice justice
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freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom
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freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom
freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom
freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom
justice justice justice justice justice justice justice justice
justice justice justice justice justice justice justice justice
freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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How Does It Feel To Be Alone?
How does it feel to be alone
with no one round with whom you can
hang out, e-mail and telephone
now silent from your loverman?
How does it feel to get no kicks
from your beloved? Who is left,
for you to mix with, will you nix
your lovelife, loverman bereft?
Stone cold and lonely, lady, will
you roll, or will you gather moss?
On empty running, will you fill
your life again, make up your loss?
I knew that you were bound to fall
when first you fell for me. D’you feel
there’s someone else now you can call
and hope that you can make a deal?
With no direction home, is there,
d’you think, another man who’ll hold
you as I did, and if so, where
d’you think that like a stone he’s rolled?
Inspired by an article in the NYT by Adam Liptak on the use of lyrics by Bob Dylan in the Supreme Court (“The Chief Justice, Dylan and the Disappearing Double Negative, ” June 29,2008) :
The last chief justice liked light opera. The new one cites Bob Dylan. oour pages into his dissent on Monday in an achingly boring dispute between pay phone companies and long distance carriers, John G. Roberts Jr., the chief justice of the United States, put a song lyric where the citation to precedent usually goes. “The absence of any right to the substantive recovery means that respondents cannot benefit from the judgment they seek and thus lack Article III standing, ” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “ ‘When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.’ Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone, on Highway 61 Revisited (Columbia Records 1965) .”
Alex B. Long, a law professor at the University of Tennessee and perhaps the nation’s leading authority on the citation of popular music in judicial opinions, said this was almost certainly the first use of a rock lyric to buttress a legal proposition in a Supreme Court decision. “It’s a landmark opinion, ” Professor Long said.
In the lower courts, according to a study Professor Long published in the Washington & Lee Law Review last year, Mr. Dylan is by far the most cited songwriter. He has been quoted in 26 opinions. Paul Simon is next, with 8 (12 if you count those attributed to Simon & Garfunkel) . Bruce Springsteen has 5.
But Mr. Dylan has only once before been cited as an authority on Article III standing, which concerns who can bring a lawsuit in federal court. His key contribution to legal discourse has been in another area.
“The correct rule on the necessity of expert testimony has been summarized by Bob Dylan: ‘You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, ’ ” a California appeals court wrote in 1981, citing “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” Eighteen other decisions have cited that lyric.
Chief Justice Roberts’s predecessor, William H. Rehnquist, cited his beloved Gilbert & Sullivan in a 1980 dissent from a decision that the press had a constitutional right of access to court proceedings. He was still an associate justice, and he thought the court had made up the right out of whole cloth. In rebuttal, Justice Rehnquist relied on the Lord Chancellor in “Iolanthe” to rebuke the majority. “The Law is the true embodiment of everything that’s excellent, ” the Lord Chancellor says. “It has no kind of fault or flaw, and I, my Lords, embody the Law.”
That made Justice Rehnquist’s point pretty well. The Roberts citation is more problematic. On the one hand, he showed excellent taste. “Like a Rolling Stone, ” as Greil Marcus has written, is “the greatest record ever made, perhaps, or the greatest record that ever would be made.” On the other hand, Chief Justice Roberts gets the citation wrong, proving that he is neither an originalist nor a strict constructionist. What Mr. Dylan actually sings, of course, is, “When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.”
It’s true that many Web sites, including Mr. Dylan’s official one, reproduce the lyric as Chief Justice Roberts does. But a more careful Dylanist might have consulted his iPod. “It was almost certainly the clerks who provided the citation, ” Professor Long said. “I suppose their use of the Internet to check the lyrics violates one of the first rules they learned when they were all on law review: when quoting, always check the quote with the original source, not someone else’s characterization of what the source said.” The larger objection is that the citation is not true to the original point Mr. Dylan was making, which was about the freedom that having nothing conveys and not about who may sue a phone company. (See, e.g., “Me and Bobby McGee.”)
6/29/08
poem by Gershon Hepner
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Justice Of The Peace
(ian hunter)
Its such a terrible shame it was only a game
Then her brothers found out seven johnny be goodes
We was only pretending at mummys and daddys
They totally misunderstood
Oh what a terrible plight what a terrible fight
It was too much to bear her father said ere
I think you better sign its a letter designed
To have you married by the first of the year
Get the justice of the peace
Get the justice get the justice of the peace
Oh get the justice of the peace
Get the justice get the justice of the peace
If you want to play with fire
Youll get yourself burned
I was messing with the ashes
But look at how it turned out
Get the justice of the peace
Get the justice get the justice of the peace
Oh what a terrible waste such a shocking disgrace
To give me away Im too young to die
A shotgun wedding heading straight for the sky
And Im shy mary ellen Im shy y y y
Get the justice of the peace
Get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
Come on!
Get the justice of the peace
Get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
When your chips go down
You came on the dice
Forget the mississippi
Take some friendly advice
Get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
(give it to me old chum)
Get the justice of the peace
Get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
Get the justice of the peace
Get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
If you want to play with fire
Youll get yourself burned
And I was messing with the ashes
And look at how it turned out
Ill get the justice get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice get the justice of the peace
Ill get the justice Ill get the justice of the peace
song performed by by Ian Hunter
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The irony of the Supreme Court hearing on these cases last week and of the outright hostility that the Court has displayed against religion in recent years is that above the head of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is a concrete display of the Ten Commandments.
quote by Cliff Stearns
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Justice Ginsburg is a very competent justice, and it is a joy to have her on the court, but particularly for me it is a pleasure to have a second woman on the court.
quote by Sandra Day O'Connor
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Justice is the One who gives Life on Me
For the people who seek for comfort or dead mercy,
Their fairness sob and yet still strife for their right,
I rage against the death of justice before it will be.
My eyes shed tears, my heart crumpled tenderly
Cries of beggar and poor who gleamed on my sight,
For only Justice is the one who gives life on me.
The soul who screams, murdered by hatred and fury,
By means of politics, they were killed and cause blight
I rage against the death of justice before it will be.
Such criminals must be punish and injured severely,
Either they’ll tell the truth or lie, a freedom to fight,
For only Justice is the one who gives life for me.
Unjust power, ways of government over sovereignty,
To rule the nation seeking in dark the hopes in light
Yet, rage against the death of justice before it will be.
Hearts and souls are estranged on life that’s so unlucky,
And unfair and believers grasp on their faith; hold on tight,
And rage against the death of justice before it will be,
For only Justice, Justice and Justice…
Which the one who gives life to me.
poem by Raymond Cabrera
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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My Justice
'Justice is the one thing you should always find'**-
It needs find all who seek its aegis, e'en though it is blind;
Justice chooses one side, that of verity;
There exists no convolution, only a resplendent clarity
When true justice is rendered, to those in need
Of the curative powers that only it may heed;
Justice denied to one, is justice denied to all, the same-
To those responsible for its denial, goes all the shame!
Justice is not just a decision, its a means of thought-
For its very guard, many a war has been fought,
Many a man has given his very life, as would I-
And no man should be asked to live without it-nor should I;
My justice shan't come, until I may look them in the eyes, and say:
'Though I am not with you, I've kept you in my heart, and there you'll stay! '
poem by Maurice Harris
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The time has come for justice at the ballot box, and justice in the courts, and justice in the legislative halls, and justice in the governor's office.
quote by John Jay Hooker
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Justice Be My Hero
She rose out the water finally.
Justice got tired of the underwater crulity,
drowning and gasping for air all those years,
she couldn't survive one more day underwater
justice needs to finally come back to land.
This land is not free because justice was gone
justice left and then everything then had a price tag,
even my people had price tag on them.
But no longer shall this go on!
Justice will return for us and save us
justice is the hero of this nation
without her we become nothing but slaves
we become money for others as we starve to death!
I dream of the day when I'm allowed here
where justice will be the ruler of us
when I will be looked only as a human being
and not have to deal with judgement
or be a slave to people.
Justice be my hero and save me
save not only me but others
others that been accused of wrong doing
when actually they have done nothing wrong.
so please justice return and save us all.
poem by Celia Hinojosa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I am confident that, in the end, common sense and justice will prevail. I'm an optimist, brought up on the belief that if you wait to the end of the story, you get to see the good people live happily ever after.
quote by Cat Stevens
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Do-Over Again?
I wrote awhile back about the Michigan and Florida Democratic Do-Over,
Because they violated the Democratic Party’s rules,
Now Barack Obama is the 44th President as of January 20th was that for sure?
In the hustle and bustle amongst all the bling and jewels,
There was a snafu,
At noon, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts who hadn’t clue,
What he was about to say,
Justice Roberts managed to mumble a few pseudo-dyslexic statements,
For President-Elect Obama to repeat, with some surprise,
After all was the Chief Justice caught up in the moments?
This slice of American History;
This Chief Justice will make history for centuries after his demise.
What a glorious event,2 million people attended, without one fracas of the law,
What moments that practically the whole world watched,
Glued to their TV’s, radios, I-Pods, and Computers,
Could have not believed what they saw,
A non-white man was going be the President of the United States of America?
But back to the swearing ceremony; the Chief Justice,
-well kind of ‘screwed up’.
Rather than embarrass the Judge,
Barack played along,
That’s when I knew he was for real,
Rather than create an upheaval of trying to correct the Judge’s words,
Barack went on with the flow,
No ‘up-manship’ here,
it was pretty clear,
That Barack Obama was our president after 12: 01 pm EST,
However he was repeating the words of a man, not the constitution,
Yesterday, at a private ceremony,
Supreme Court Roberts did say the correct words,
In which “President Obama” was sworn in a second time,
On consecutive dates in this institution.
(1-22-09)
poem by Joe Rosochacki
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Cost of justice
The command and the commissioner
The presidency and cabinet
Parliament and judicial committee
Judges and lawyer and prothonotary
National Prosecution Authority
Are all the cost of justice
Run round around rally
There’s no truth about you
You are motley
The justice that hide criminal
Justice that decorate crime
Showing it off like Vuvuzela at the stadium
Money is their lawyer
Position is their judgement
Bail is their imprisonment
Poor can’t afford bail
Innocent are behind the bars
Victim strike with the cost of justice
poem by Murendeni Mulaudzi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A bullet and justice
Scattered blood drops scrawled
A modern picture on the toilet walls.
Virginity and life bird
Have been butchered in the beastly clutches.
'Charm of that dimple smile,
O daughter, no drug can tranquilize me'.
As the pyre burns on,
Gloomy father leans on the broken dreams
Later, in the court
The innocent justice was brutally raped.
Lawyer's tongue wrenched
Head of the justice to acquit that human shape.
Father in dismay
Fired at that cruel thorax, evil drops clotted on death.
Shackles lock his wrists, but
The justice sits on bullet as on a throne
poem by Fabiyas M V
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Why so?
Seeking the turn of justice on a di of 6
Sounds irrelavant.inferior.impossible
Maybe so.Unless a miracle may strike.
Why so? Is justice unheard, unseen or rather just, unintresting.
It's as though we find joy in turning our backs to justice.
Why so?
Why so?
Unless we as humans, do not want 'interfear' in wrong-doing
Well,
Is that our excuse?
Or, are we afraid to speak out for justice.
Afraid, Afraid of what?
Death...
'Death for justice' sounds better than
'Lived to watch'
Now there is only one more question,
Which side do you choose and,
Why so?
poem by Muhammed Vally
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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An Ultimate Subpoena
A subpoena has been issued by the mighty judge.
Would you seek legal counsel for your case?
Apparently no counsel is available in this case.
In this court you alone must defend yourself?
No attorney anywhere has the power to subpoena you to this court.
No criminal defense lawyer anywhere has right to you defend?
No Government and Administrative Law to here with contend.
No Higher Court or Supreme Court to appeal to take your brief?
You have rendered unto Caesar what is Caesars.
Now it is time to render unto God what is Gods.
This is the Highest Court; in time all will face.
This is the scariest court; deciding eternal fate.
This one judgement; is binding for all eternity.
There will be no court of appeal; Jesus is ultimate judge.
I submit to you; that the milk of human kindness;
is a simple yet time tested; cosmic plan grand.
In the words of Fate Karma Kismet Destiny; or Hope Heavenly?
A creed of excellence; this is a real rewarding life philosophy.
Upon which to make a life time stand; as your indelible testimony.
Yet alas Jesus said; ‘I am the way and the truth and the light.
No one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14: 6.
Accepting the blood
ransom sacrifice of Jesus
to cover all sin guilt
is the only pardon
permissible in this court
where all tried are guilty!
poem by Terence George Craddock
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For Tomorrow Is Gone
You walk with your steady gait
Along the aisles of right and wrong
Unmindful what life will brings
On this old world full of lies
No heed of any warnings for danger
That lies ahead the road of death
Life seems good but sadly it is not
For human life is not that important for now
A piece of money will mean your death
From a vicious foe who worship wealth
You fight but no use against a corrupt and evil
Instead you’re a dead meat and no match
Bring it to the court and surely you’ll lose
For justice will be served by a good price
Those in robes will surely decide best
With the shining gold they will get blind
You miss your way and followed
A perjured tale to your lethal end
Till you are doom to your death
Bid goodbye to all and brace yourself
Fight to the death an eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth preserved your life
For justice is gone, a thing of the past
Like a smoke that you saw and was gone
So sad the plight of the poor, no place
No one to turn, put justice into their hands
Vigilantes they become kill their enemies
For tomorrow is gone where justice prevails
poem by Edwin Alba Empestan
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Our lawyers had their chat with the Supreme Court Justice, and promised to repast the chat to other members of the Supreme Court to find out whether they wanted to hear us out.
quote by Dashiell Hammett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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