Giuliani Laughs At Habeas Corpus Habeas

Giuliani Laughs at Habeas Corpus

Habeas Corpus is the right of a prisoner to petition a court to release him on grounds of wrongful imprisonment. It is a constitutional right. The Bush administration has attempted to abolish it with regard to certain classes of prisoner.

In the Republican presidential debate in May, Ron Paul argued for a full restoration of Habeas Corpus. The camera caught Rudy Giuliani appearing to laugh uncontrollably at the very idea. Some have argued that he was laughing at Chris Matthews saying that this was not the end of the presidential debates. I can’t understand why that would be so funny. I think it is clear that he was laughing at Ron Paul, and likely at the last thing Ron Paul said. But Rudy’s defenders could clear this up by just asking him whether he would restore Habeas Corpus if he were president.

Thomas Jefferson said,” Fundamental juridical rights, such as the Habeas Corpus and Trial by Jury, help prevent the oppression of individual citizens by limiting the capacity of government officials to persecute persons based on trumped-up charges or non-existent offenses.”

I don’t think Tom was laughing when he wrote that.