Friday's various links and comments

For those who think the courts don't matter, I offer this article for them to consider.

The Constitution does not require the government to forfeit evidence gathered through illegal "no knock" searches, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday, in a far-reaching ruling that could encourage police with search warrants to conduct more aggressive raids.

While the abortion issue is the highest profile mistake of the Supreme Court of the last 50 years, the advocacy of criminal rights has probably affected more people directly. Starting with the Miranda decision, courts have ruled repeatedly that any procedural error on the part of police automatically results in either dismissal of a criminal case or exclusion of evidence found during a tainted search. I've long thought that situations should be considered individually and in most of these cases the correct remedy is not to affect the case at hand but rather to take administrative action on the cop who erred. Depending on the experience level of the officer and the nature of the mistake corrective action could range from requiring additional training all the way to removal from the force. However, dismissing charges against a criminal because a warrant was filed incorrectly or because a policeman failed to read a criminal their rights is beyond stupid. Hopefully, this ruling is a sign that the Roberts' Court will lead to a return of judicial common sense.

Jonah Goldberg examines the Democrat "position" on Iraq and labels it: Winning Is Not an Option. Sad commentary on a once proud political party.

In the House of Representatives a bill was voted on with this title: BILL TITLE: Declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary. So, the bill was a resolution declaring that we will win. You'd think that would pass unanimously, right? Nope. 153 congresscritters voted for losing the war. I wonder how many were for entering the war who now are against the idea of winning.

Think you know presidential trivia? James Taranto, who pens a Best of the Web column for the Wall Street Journal, is off today and instead has published a presidential trivia quiz. Good luck.

Here is a "let's celebrate the 2nd Amendment" article.

Willie Brown said he thought he was back in a foxhole in Korea on Thursday morning when a burglar stood at the door to Brown's bedroom.

"He said, 'I got a knife, don't move,'" Brown recalled.

"I reached behind my back and whipped my gun from under my pillow and said, 'Take this .38,' and I blasted him." The man, wounded, uttered "Whoops," Brown said, and fled down the stairs. Brown pursued, and fired a second shot, striking the intruder as he jumped through a broken window.