Description

The Reality of Political Prisoners in the United States: What September 11 Taught Us

The U.S. Constitution and accepted ethical and criminal procedure norms guarantee that every defendant is entitled to legal counsel and zealous advocacy, but Elijah shows that the government’s repression of dissenters includes attorneys who chose to follow the Code of Professional Responsibility that mandates that they should not decline representation because a client or a cause is unpopular or community reaction is adverse. Special attention is paid to the indictment of New York lawyer Lynn Stewart, who represented unpopular clients such as David Gilbert, Bilal Sunni-Ali, and Richard Williams.

political prisoners, legal services, attorneys, legal defense, civil liberties, professional responsibilities

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 30, No. 2 (2003): 115-118