Friday, April 07, 2006

American Courts Not American?

A story I haven't seen too much reference too: Sister Toldjah gets a gold star and heads to the front of the class for this coverage-

Gwinnett Superior Court judge Mark Lewis begins each session (and has done since 9/11) by turning to face the flag and reciting the pledge of allegiance. He invites those in his American courtroom to join him, but does not insist or require it.

Sounds fair enough to me, he is afterall an American judge presiding over an American court which is ruled by American law. But of course there has been a complaint. An attorney by the name of Donald Weissman objects to the court starting off with "a public pledge of national loyalty".

As an official complaint was lodged the judge was obliged to recuse himself from the case Weissman was taking part in.

Weissman's obection was this-

"He’s concerned that failure to recite the pledge could affect fairness in the courtroom.

“The more I thought about it, the more concerned I became about whether people in the courtroom might perceive some degree of partiality based upon whether your loyalty is to the United States or not,” he said.

Weissman contended in his March 17 letter that Lewis apparently considered his court “to be an American court, rather than a court for all persons situated in America.”

I am stunned.

No comments: