A (Real) Military Trial Took Place at Liberty U., With Students as Lawyers

Not long ago, a military dog noticed the scent of drugs coming out of the dorm room of a man in the Air Force. When officers investigated, the dog signaled to its handlers that the drugs were on the airman… but nothing was found on his body, or in his belongings, or in the room itself. A military magistrate ordered the man to submit a urine sample, which was then analyzed. It tested positive for cocaine.

But there’s a serious legal issue here: Was the urinalysis done without probable cause? In other words, was it an illegal violation of the airman’s Fourth Amendment rights?

A criminal proceeding commenced and the Air Force was found to have acted lawfully. The airman then appealed the decision to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals (AFCCA), where his case was heard last Thursday. The big takeaway here is that this is a serious case involving the U.S. military and the Constitution.

And yet the hearing took place at Jerry Falwell, Jr.‘s Liberty University, a private Christian school.

And yet Liberty students were invited to submit (real) amicus briefs for both sides.

And yet some of those same Liberty students were invited to actually argue the case in front of the judges.

“The Air Force Court really wanted to open it up for better participation from the students,” said David Western, Liberty Law’s associate dean for administration and student development. “They get to argue not just in a pretend moot court, but in a real court case. They get to experience the hard work that is necessary to participate in a live hearing.”

Why the hell is a (very real) lawsuit involving the U.S. government being argued by and presented at a private Christian school that promotes Christian fundamentalism?


https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/02/25/a-real-military-trial-took-place-at-liberty-u-with-students-as-lawyers/