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Category: Readers' Opinions

Try Frederick at home

Sep 08

7:57 AM

Re 'State wants to move trial of man accused in detective's killing,' Hampton Roads, Sept. 3:

The prosecutor in the Ryan Frederick case has no obvious regard for the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. Frederick's Second Amendment right to have a gun is of no value when he uses it to defend his home. Then he goes to jail with no bond, a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits excessive bails. In addition, the Chesapeake police shattered Frederick's Fourth Amendment right to be secure against unreasonable searches.

A normal search using a regular warrant would have turned up the same evidence, but without a death or resulting in an innocent man in jail.

The Sixth Amendment quite clearly states that the accused should be given a public trial by an impartial jury of the state and district where the crime was committed.

If Ryan Frederick has to be judged and sent to prison for the rest of his life, at least let it be by the people who share the same city with him and whose lives he supposedly endangered.

Frank Bryant

Suffolk

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Mr. Bryant

Submitted by John Wilburn on Wed, 09/10/2008 at 8:33 am.

I whole-heartedly share your views. I would submit that all government employees demonstrate little regard for the Bill of Rights.

Over the last 2 ¼ centuries, the government (Federal, State and Local) has been slowly enacting laws to protect itself and its minions, while at the same time trimming the “inconvenient fat” from the constitution, thru “creative interpretation.” You know, like “freedom of speech,” “the right to bear arms,” “Protection from unreasonable search,” “speedy trial,” etc., etc., etc.

The press, whose job it is to keep citizens informed as to what the government is up to, is too busy endorsing politicians, parties and positions…

When citizens bewail their disappearing “rights,” those “sainted” minions of the government respond with – “ho-hum, what else is new?”

I can’t wait to see what Mr. Obama (constitutional scholar) does to our rights, if he’s elected…

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Excellent point of view

Submitted by warrenb73163 on Tue, 09/09/2008 at 11:51 am.

Mr. Bryant's seems to be an excellent and well documented point of view.

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change of venue

Submitted by ladyg1921 on Tue, 09/09/2008 at 10:26 am.

It is incomprehensible to me as to why Mr.Fredericks is even being charged with murder. The officer was not supposed to be there, he had not even identified himself to those in charge of the raid, and he was in plain clothes. It causes me to wonder that if the raid happened to me. I am an older woman, should I have had a heart attack and died, would the people responsible go on trial for my death, which in essence would be murder. Mr. Fredericks civil rights (as mentioned above) were denied in several instances. I, also seen to recall that not too long ago the police raided a house of an old lady, and found out that it was the wrong address. I would suggest that the SWAT team use the conditions of the Press in breaking an urgent story. The papers would not print the item, unless it was corraborated by at least two other resources. SWAT teams are unnecessary when the law provides for legal documents for search and seizure. Is it also necessary to raid the house in the middle of the night? Raids such as these remind one of the tactics used by tyranical governments. We still have the Constitution, and it should be abided by.

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