Political Quotes

“this is an exceedingly important debate, one that I feel very privileged to be the ranking member on the Democratic side to advance, because we are now talking about a part of the so-called Contract With America that now inflicts affirmative harm to the Constitution. This so-called Exclusionary Rule Reform Act of 1995 attempts to keep its promise made in the Contract With America by eradicating our Constitution's higher covenant with the American people that it has maintained for over 200 years. Let us review the exclusionary rule. Started in 1914 by court decision that made no exceptions but applies only to the Federal jurisdiction, it rolled along without event until 1961, when Mapp versus Ohio then created another exception that included States as well as Federal in the application of the exclusionary rule. Then in the 1970's came two very, very important additional modifications: the plain-view doctrine, which allowed that evidence or activity going on in plain view of the officers was a reason that one would not have to go to the magistrate to get a warrant; then came the exigent- circumstances doctrine, which rationally concluded that evidence that was either in danger of being destroyed or eliminated or that put the officers at great bodily risk were also exceptions to the exclusionary rule that had been created.”