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WEdNEsdAy,
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17, 2000
TM e CI ac I camas P rint
Session: Death penalty cases argued on campus
Continued from page 1
to by the treaty. To remedy this
oversight, Groom advocated
suppression of statements
Reyes-Camarena made without
benefit of this counsel. The state
argued that this was not an ap
propriate remedy.
“Suppression isn’t the [estab
lished] remedy for violation of
the treaty,” said State Attorney
Robert B. Rocklin.
The second assignment of er
ror Groom presented was against
the constitutionality of the death
penalty itself. The cases the Su
preme Court hears are important
because they are not only appli
cable to the individual cases they
concern, but they also become
precedents that future cases are
argued upon. This case is impor
tant because it will define the way
the Oregon Supreme Court inter
prets the death penalty statute as
laid out by the legislature.
“I am arguing that the present
death
penalty
scheme is uncon-
stitutional,”
Groom
said.
“There needs to
be a central stor
age point for who
gets the death
penalty.”
Justice Van
Hoomissen re
sponded with an
other question.
“What’s our
authority to tell
the legislature
how to do busi
ness unless we tell
them that what
they’ve done is
unconstitu
tional?” he asked,
after considerable
debate on the
subject.
Justice Gillette
stated that to find
the death penalty
unconstitutional,
What's our author
ity to tell the legis
lature how to do
business unless we
tell them that what
they've done is
unconstitutional?
George Van Hoomissen
Supreme Court Justice
there would need to be some
federal basis for it. The point was
also raised by Justice Van
Hoomissen that there is a big dif
ference in the way the death pen
alty is assigned from county to
county. One District Attorney may
ask for it when another may not.
“How can it be,” Justice Van
Hoomissen asked, “that one per
son from Lane County kills five
people and gets life in prison, while
one from Douglas County kills one
and gets death? How can that be
permissible?”
Following discussion related to
the second case, Chief Justice
Carson invited questions from the
audience. The first was in regard to
what happens after the court hears
arguments such as those presented
today.
Justice Leeson explained that af
ter the Supreme Court hears oral ar
guments in a case, one Justice is
assigned to write a draft of conclu
sion agreeable to all the Justices.
“These cases are not resolved
quickly," said Justice Leeson. "The
last word will be a written word and
not a spoken word.” She explained
that the justices work toward con
sensus, but it is extremely difficult
to come up with a written decision
that all members of the court will
agree to.
“When it’s reduced to writing,
therein lies the problem,” she said.
“However, I do admire the extent to
which my colleagues strive for con
sensus."
Concerning today’s case, if the
court rilles that there were errors
made in Reyes-
Camarena’s trial, the
death
sentence
could be vacated
and the trial re
manded to a trial
court for further ac
tion. This is similar
to the automatic re
view of sentence of
death that the court
ruled on earlier this
month, State v. Day
ton LeRoy Rogers.
The Supreme
Court regularly vis
its high schools to
raise awareness
about what the court
does by hearing ar
guments there - but
this year they were
invited to Clackamas
thanks in part to fac
ulty member Linda
Durham, wife of Su
preme Court Justice
Robert (Skip) D.
Durham.
“The justices visit schools so stu
dents have an opportunity to see
the court in action rather than just
read about it in a text book,” Linda
Durham said.
She added that being a justice in
volves research into cases that uses
up much of her husband’s free time,
including nights and weekends.
Following hearing of the cases,
the justices had lunch in the com
munity center and were joined by
several students, faculty members
and administrators.
1 fclÆKilHlBlig1 1 (îg -î w 1«-ï| 1 ■ 1* »»ili »»M
PHOTOS BY MIKE POLLOCK
Attorneys Janet A. Metcalf (Left), and Kathleen M. Correll (Right) argue
the case of State vs. Brownhill in front of the Oregon Supreme Court
(above) Tuesday.
5th Annual Environmental Week
Friday May 19th
Wednesday May 24th
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle R u m -
• HEEL Bar-B-Que 11 a.m.-lp.m.
mage Sale hosted by Phi Theta Kappa in
the Community Center. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Life for a Life Presentation CC 127
11:30a.m.-12 p.m.
• Ron Tonkin Electric Bikes
Saturday May 20th
• Newell Creek Watershed Volunteer
Project sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa &
HEEL.
• Native Plant Sale @ John Inskeep Envi
ronmental Learning Center.
• ELCTours
Band: W.W.W.D. Jazz Ensemble
Thursday May 25th
FOOD & PHARMACY
19701 Highway 213, across from Clackamas Community College
• Hawk Haven Special Presentation, Sky
Sandwiches • Orient Express • Chef’s Counter
Scratch Bakery • Stone Fired Pizza • Floral
light Dining Room 11a.m.-12 p.m.
Band: Mainstream Jazz
Monday May 22nd
• Native American Drum Entrance 11
a.m.
• Ron Tonkin Electric Bikes
• ELCTours
Friday May 26th
• Lost Forest Field Trip Life Sciences
Department
• Pacific Green Party
Band: High Desert Surf
• Environmental Fun ¿¿Games for Kids
Tuesday May 23rd
@ELC
Band: The Sugar Daddies
• NW Steelheaders
• Metro Composting Workshop
Saturday May 27th
Band: You Sink My Battleship!
• Native American Pow- Wow Randall
Gym 12.-7p.rn.
For more info, about
Environmental week contact Ken
Eshelman at 657-6958 ext. 2245.
• Channel Light Band @ Community
Center Courtyard 12p.m.-lp.m.
100 OFF
A
With Voucher
and C.A.R.D.®
Stone Fired Pizza Slice
1 > r
1 •
qr-'l
•
Regular $2.99 • Must present Voucher and Haggen C.A.R.D.® • Valid. May 17-23, Oregon City Haggen only.
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