Courage Campaign Calls on Congress to Impeach Judge Bybee



PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 21, 2009





 
Courage Campaign Calls on Congress to Impeach Judge Bybee
Bybee Wrote Legal Memos Authorizing Bush-era Torture of Guantanamo Bay Detainee

LOS ANGELES -Calling him unfit for a job that requires respect for the Constitution, the Courage Campaign today launched a petition urging California Democrats to officially support a resolution urging Congress to impeach Judge Jay Bybee.  As an official with the Bush-era Justice Department, Bybee authored a memo in August 2002 authorizing the use of waterboarding, “cramped confinement,” “walling” — where a detainee’s head is repeatedly pushed against a wall — and even putting insects into a confined space with a detainee.

The petition is available here: http://www.couragecampaign.org/ImpeachBybee

“Instead of being brought to justice for his authorization of these illegal and unconscionable acts, Jay Bybee is now a judge here in California, serving a lifetime appointment on the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco,” said Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the 700,000 member Courage Campaign. “Judge Bybee is in a position to make rulings regarding the rights and freedoms of Californians. That isn’t right, and that isn’t justice.”

The memos, released last week by President Obama, describe in horrifying detail the shocking and inhuman tactics used to torture the detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

The movement to impeach Jay Bybee is growing rapidly. Since Tuesday, the resolution has been endorsed by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, Progressive Democrats of America, the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, and a growing list of California Democratic Party delegates.

And last week, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party approved a resolution written by progressive Democrats John Heaner, Agi Kessler and Richard Mathews to demand that the House of Representatives begin impeachment proceedings against Bybee.

This weekend, this resolution will be considered for action at the California Democratic Party convention.

“Grassroots and netroots activists are demanding Bybee be held accountable for his role in President Bush’s illegal torturing of detainees,” added Jacobs. “We need the California Democratic Party to stand up for the Constitution.”

Please see the text of the resolution below:

RESOLUTION TO IMPEACH JUDGE JAY BYBEE

Whereas, the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and,

Whereas the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment, the supreme law of the land under Article VI of our Constitution, requires the prosecution of those who authorize torture, waterboarding is torture, and both former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Richard B. Cheney have admitted to authorizing waterboarding; and,

Whereas former Assistant Attorney General, and current Federal Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Jay Bybee signed the “Bybee Memo,” or “Torture Memo” of August 1, 2002, which advised the C.I.A. that “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment was at times allowable under U.S. law, and authored, co-authored and signed other memos on “extraordinary rendition” and “enhanced interrogation,” more of which are being currently revealed to the American public as the new administration brings them to light; now,

Therefore be it resolved that the undersigned urge that the United States House of Representatives begin impeachment proceedings against Judge Jay Bybee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, charging him with facilitating the authorization of torture while employed by the United States Department of Justice; and,

Therefore be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution with its original authorization be sent to the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and that copies of the signed resolution be sent to each member of the California delegation to the United States Senate and House of Representatives.



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