Jack Brooks: “Mr. Chairman, I want to express my opposition to this amendment. I share the view of many that changes are needed in our…”

“Mr. Chairman, I want to express my opposition to this amendment. I share the view of many that changes are needed in our system to reduce the passage of time between conviction of heinous murders and their execution. Endless hearings and delays--many spawned by attorneys unable to follow the complex procedure which applies in habeas corpus proceedings--have unfortunately cast into question the validity of one of our most cherished rights, and of the working of the judicial system itself. This amendment unfortunately does nothing to correct these problems. By moving to strike any attempt at reform, it leaves us without a short statute of limitations, without strict limits on successive petitions and without providing competent counsel in capital cases so that we can reduce the errors at the front end which only lead to hearings and new trials. We must move forward with our efforts to reduce delay, achieve finality and promote efficiency in the habeas corpus process. I urge the rejection of the amendment.”