Sherry Chandler

Importance of women on the court

from the LATimes:

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court justices, with the exception of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, sounded Monday as if they were likely to bar prosecutors from using in court the words of alleged crime victims who speak to authorities but later refuse to testify.

Such a ruling would greatly strengthen the right of defendants to “be confronted with the witnesses against” them, in the Constitution’s words. However, it would be a major setback for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, who often are afraid to testify against their abusers.

…

“The practical reality is many women are scared to death” to testify against a spouse or partner who abuses them, said Ginsburg, now the only woman on the high court. In other instances, “they are so desperate financially” that they decide against testifying, she said.

She questioned whether the Constitution should be interpreted to bar prosecutors from using their calls to a 911 line. “This is not just a call. It is a cry for help,” Ginsburg said.

[Update: I don't mean to argue here that it should be legal to use 911 tapes as evidence. I'm not a legal scholar by any definition. However, I do think some one should be making these points, and now we have only Ginsberg to do it apparently.

I picked up this link from The Washington Monthly.]

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