Nuovo
glossario dei termini giuridici americani : citazioni
di Claudio Giusti*
"It is
better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than
to put a single innocent man to death."
Moses Maimonides 1200
"I diritti
umani sono qualcosa che avete dalla nascita. I diritti umani vi sono dati
da Dio."
Malcom X
"Our
nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white -- separate
and unequal."
The National Advisory Commission of Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission)
1967
"Un diritto
umano è qualcosa che tutti gli uomini devono avere ovunque ed in ogni
momento, qualcosa di cui nessuno possa essere privato senza che ciò sia
un grave affronto alla giustizia, qualcosa che è di proprietà di ogni
essere umano semplicemente perché egli è umano."
Prof Maurice Cranston
"Extremism
in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice
is no virtue."
Barry Goldwater
"We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that
they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights;
that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that
to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any
form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right
of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government,
laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in
such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and
happiness."
Declaration of Independence as originally written by Thomas Jefferson,
1776.
"The
common-law system is inherently messy"
Il sistema della common law è incasinato per sua stessa natura.
Lawrence M. Friedman "American Law, An Introduction" New York, WW Norton,
1998 p 112
"There
was no statute on the books in Mississipi that made a crime to rape a
black, hense [the slave] George had committd no crime. This was apparently
too cold-blooded even for Mississipi legislature; a statute enacted the
next year made it a crime for a black to rape, or attempt to rape, any
-negro or mulatto female child- under the age of twelve. One notes that
rape of a black woman over twelve was still not a crime"
Lawrence Friedman "Crime and Punishment in American History"
"The least
controversial observation one can make about American criminal justice
today is that it is remarkably ineffective, absurdly expensive, grossly
inhumane, and riddled with discrimination."
" L'osservazione meno controversa che si possa oggi fare sul sistema penale
americano è che questo è incredibilmente inefficiente, estremamente costoso,
grossolanamente inumano e infestato dalla discriminazione"
David J. Rothman, The New York Review of Books 17 Feb 1994
"Capital
punishment means that those without the capital get the punishment"
"Pena capitale significa che chi non ha il capitale si becca la pena"
"The rule
of law has three parts: it must be binding on all government officials,
it must respect the dignity, equality and human rights of every person,
and it must guarantee people the right to enforce the law without fear
of retaliation."
Justice Kennedy 2006
"wantonly
and freakishly imposed"
Justice Potter Stuart in Furman
"Our
Government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill,
it teaches the whole people by its example."
"Il Governo è un insegnate potente e onnipresente. Nel bene e nel male
egli dà l'esempio a tutto il popolo"
Justice Brandeis dissenting Olmstead v. United States, 277 U. S. 438 (1928).
"No rich
folks here. I'm not mad at that. But again, if I had the money, I wouldn't
be here."
Ronald Chambers, condannato a morte, da 32 anni nel braccio del Texas
"People
aren't being executed; they're being murdered by their lawyers"
Don Vernay "Justice delayed is justice denied" Gladstone
"State
killing is part of a strategy of governance that makes us fearful and
dependent on the illusion of state protection, that divides rather than
unites, that promises simple solutions to complex problems."
Austin Sarat
"Evidence
of innocence is irrelevant."
Mary Sue Terry Former Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia
"The world
court [ICJ] has no standing in Texas and Texas is not bound by a ruling
or edict from a foreign court. It is easy to get caught up in discussions
of international law and justice and treaties. It's very important to
remember that these individuals are on death row for killing our citizens."
Texas Gov Perry
"We teach
people to kill and the State is the one that teaches them."
Clarence Darrow
"I'm
against the damn death penalty"
Mario Cuomo
"You have a firm trial date - nonnegotiable, nonadjournable, non-nothing."
"A person
may be condemned to die in Texas in a process that has the integrity of
a professional wrestling match"
Stephen Bright
"Those
who really think that death penalty can stop terrorist attacks or make
them decrease, are naïve people or dreamers. Usual punishments, death
penalty included, don't provoke any fear within terrorists or political
criminals, who are ideologically motivated and devoted to sacrifice for
love of their cause [...]. Besides, terrorist activities are dangerous
and the terrorist faces letal risks every day, so he isn't frightened
by immediate death. How could he be discouraged by the risk of being sentenced
to death?"
Professor Ezzat A. Fattah, Simon Fraser University Canada
"The
morning of the execution both of them sang: 'Long live the rebels...',
they sang without fear while they went to the gallows pole. (...)"If
they aren't afraid of death, why can capital punishment be a deterrent?".
To
be honest, I think that, with the many death sentences I executed, I didn't
stop any murderer."
"Il
mattino dell'esecuzione cantavano: "Viva i ribelli!". Cantavano lungo
la via che li portava al patibolo. (...) Non ho mai pensato che fosse
un deterrente. Non hanno paura di morire, come può essere un deterrente.
(...) Onestamente penso che con centinaia di esecuzioni che ho fatto,
non ho mai fermato nemmeno un assassino."
Albert Pierrepoint, ultimo boia britannico, dopo l'esecuzione di due membri
dell'IRA.
"If,
in facing terror, we give up on freedom and humanity, the terrorists have
won."
Lord Russell Johnston
"If statistics
are any indication, the system may well be allowing some innocent defendants
to be executed…Serious questions are being raised about whether the death
penalty is being fairly administered in this country. Perhaps it's time
to look at minimum standards for appointed counsel in death cases and
adequate compensation for appointed counsel when they are used."
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor 7/2/2001, speech to the Minnesota Women Lawyers
group
"Un processo capitale con giuria è come un'istantanea: puoi essere fotogenico, cioè innocente, quanto ti pare, ma puoi sempre venire sfocato".
"Innocent
men have been hanged in the past and will be hanged in the future unless
the death penalty is abolished worldwide or the frailty of human judgement
is abolished and judges become supermen."
Arthur Koestler
"If sentencing
to death and possibly executing an innocent person isn't cruel and unusual
punishment, nothing is. Quite literally, I'm living proof of that."
Ray Krone, 100° innocente sfuggito alla forca
"E' stato
chiarito: sono innocente"
"Dettagli"
The Practice
"The
death penalty is not compatible with European values"
Steffan de Rynck, the European Commission spokesman.
"International law? I better call my lawyer" President George W Bush 11/12/2003
*Le
traduzioni sono di Claudio Giusti
Claudio
Giusti, esperto di diritti umani e pena di morte, e' membro del Comitato
scientifico dell'Osservatorio
___________
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