John T. Floyd Law Firm
Houston Criminal Lawyer
"Serious Criminal Defense Throughout Texas"
Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyer
Trials, Sentencings and Appeals
Federal And State Criminal Defense
Phone # (713) 224-0101
Toll Free 1-866-374-1327
E-mail jfloyd@JohnTFloyd.com
Top Lawyers for the People - 2008 HTexas
Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer
Houston Criminal Defense Attorney John T. Floyd, Federal Criminal Lawyer: A Premier Criminal Defense Lawyer Defending Individuals and Businesses Accused of Serious Crimes in Houston, Throughout Texas and in Federal Court Across the United States.
John T. Floyd
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Comments on Current Events In Criminal Law
July 8, 2008
JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA’S DISSENT FROM THE DARK SIDE
Houston Criminal Attorney John Floyd Discusses Scalia’s Blistering Dissent Accusing Justices of Aiding Terrorist
The Supreme Court on June 12, 2008 issued a decision that marked the first time in the nation’s history that the constitutional right to the writ of habeas corpus was conferred on enemy aliens detained abroad by American military forces engaged in an ongoing war. See: Boumediene v. Bush, 553 U.S. ____ (2008) [Slip Opinion No. 06-1195 & 06-1196].
This column dealt rather extensively with the legal ramifications and constitutional underpinnings on this decision (June 24, 2008). The Boumediene decision has drawn a great deal of legal scrutiny and political criticism since its release. One of the decision’s harshest critics, however, was Justice Scalia whose 25-page dissent begs attention.
Pointing out that the Boumediene decision had no basis in constitutional law, Justice Scalia accused the court’s majority of issuing an opinion that will make the nation’s “war on terror” harder and “will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed.” It is probably the first time that a dissenting U.S. Supreme Court justice has ever accused other justices of doing work that will aid and abet terrorism. Justice Scalia certainly has a right to his point of view, and he prefaced that point of view with the following compelling information:
“America is at war with radical Islamists. The enemy began by killing Americans and American allies abroad: 241 at the Marine barracks in Lebanon, 19 at the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, 224 at our embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi and 17 on the USS Cole in Yemen….On September 11, 2001, the enemy brought the battle to American soil, killing 2,749 at the Twin Towers in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and 40 in Pennsylvania. It has threatened further attacks against our homeland; one need only walk about buttressed and barricaded Washington, or board a plane anywhere in the country, to know the threat is a serious one. Our Armed Forces are now in the field against the enemy, in Afghanistan and Iraq…”
However, while these ruthless acts of terrorism are sufficient to give any American reason to pause – and perhaps even sufficient to question the very sanctity of our constitutional system of liberty and justice – they certainly do not justify an Associate Justice of the nation’s highest court accusing fellow justices of engaging in “ultra vires” decision-making that will put Americans in harm’s way. If Justice Scalia wants to engage in this sort of political posturing, he should do so in some conservative public speaking forum where he will receive a substantial stipend by those who share his political views.
The fact of the matter is that Justice Scalia’s personal opinions and political views have no place in a “dissenting opinion” by the United States Supreme Court. Justice Scalia himself pointed out that “I shall devote most decision more... »
John T. Floyd is one of Houston’s top criminal defense lawyers with an unblemished reputation for providing faithful and dedicated representation to his clients. He has committed his entire professional career, as a criminal defense attorney, to providing the best possible criminal defense representation to clients not only in Houston but throughout the State of Texas and in federal courts nationwide.
Houston Criminal Attorney John Floyd has been rated as among the best and brightest attorneys practicing criminal law and has been recognized as one of Houston’s Top Lawyers for the People (2008), Top Lawyers: Criminal Defense (2008) and has earned a “Superb” rating, scoring 10/10, from AVVO. He has appeared on national television and radio programs as an expert on criminal law related issues and has been quoted in newspapers and other news outlets throughout the country.
John T. Floyd is not a former prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney. He has never been a prosecutor. He began his legal career in 1994 as a criminal defense attorney and he has built a practice devoted exclusively to criminal defense work. The John T. Floyd Law Firm has worked hard to create, and maintain, a reputation for professional excellence through its successful criminal defense of individuals and businesses accused of committing serious crimes in all state jurisdictions throughout Texas and federal courts throughout the country.
As a criminal defense law firm, the John T. Floyd Law Firm understands the value of pre-trial investigation, pre-trial motions practice, and criminal defense trial preparation. He has qualified legal investigators and a senior paralegal staff under his direction and supervision to bring together the most comprehensive, detailed and competent research possible. The John T. Floyd Law Firm offers client’s the individual attention and personal touch of a high end boutique criminal defense firm along with significant contacts throughout the state and country to assemble a serious criminal defense team that any government prosecutor would find formidable.
The criminal defense attorneys in the John T. Floyd Law Firm take nothing for granted. Every possible detail is investigated, legally researched, and analyzed by Mr. Floyd and his staff before a specific criminal defense trial strategy is developed for the particular needs of the criminal case.
John T. Floyd believes that criminal defense attorneys are the cornerstone of the legal profession. Individuals and businesses accused of criminal wrongdoing have their very lives, businesses, and families at stake and deserve the best possible criminal defense. A false allegation, mistaken identification, botched or fabricated forensic analysis, or prosecutorial misconduct involving the use of perjured testimony or the suppression of favorable or mitigating evidence can very easily lead to innocent individuals and businesses being wrongfully convicted. Scores of DNA exonerations across the country exemplify this tragic reality. As a criminal defense attorney, John T. Floyd is a criminal defense lawyer committed to making sure that this tragedy is not inflicted upon his clients.
State and Federal prosecutors have unlimited prosecutorial resources at their disposal. This is particularly true in the federal courts in Houston, Texas. Federal criminal defense attorneys in Houston, Texas must be prepared to devote their best skills, ingenuity, experience and cutting edge technology to achieve the same level of resources toward the defense of their clients. John T. Floyd is a Houston federal criminal attorney prepared to put forth whatever legal resources are necessary to bring about a favorable outcome for his clients. He is a Houston federal criminal lawyer who understands the awesome powers of the federal government when it targets individuals and businesses for prosecution and he is prepared to defend his clients against such force.
The John T. Floyd Law Firm proudly represents clients charged with serious criminal offenses before Texas and Federal courts in Houston, Galveston, Richmond, Angleton, Beaumont, Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Tyler, Sherman, Del Rio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Mc Allen, El Paso. The law firm of John T. Floyd is located on the 19th Floor of the Lyric Centre in Houston, Texas; however, Mr. Floyd often travels to Criminal Courts across the State of Texas and to Federal Criminal Courts around the United States.
If you are faced with an unexpected need for a criminal defense attorney, John T. Floyd stands ready to provide skilled, dedicated, and diligent representation to you. Please feel free to contact Houston Criminal Defense Attorney John T. Floyd at 713-224-0101 or by e-mail at JFloyd@JohnTFloyd.com.
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