Liberal Judge Criticizes Bush Administration

U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour of the 9th Circuit (the most liberal and overturned circuit court in the nation) criticized the Bush Administration over military tribunals for terrorists as he handed down his sentence.

"We did not need to use a secret military tribunal, detain the defendant indefinitely as an enemy combatant or deny the defendant the right to counsel," he said. "The message to the world from today's sentencing is that our courts have not abandoned our commitment to the ideals that set our nation apart."

Statements like this make it clear that many judges find it necessary to enter the field of politics. If this partisan hackery is going to be the future of our judiciary system, then no one (including the Administration) should ever feel restrained from criticizing decisions by any judge.