The excellent film "Judgement at Nuremberg" with Burt Lancaster as German judge Ernst Janning made the point of how fascist regimes use the police and justice system to consolidate their political power.
One of the most frightening things about the christian right is their desire to politicize the judiciary.
Chris Hedges has sounded the warning bell in his book "American Fascists" and it has been echoed by Sam Harris in his book "Letter to a Christian Nation". Democratic regimes are identified by the use of tribunals, independent appeals courts and ombudsmen. Tyrannical regimes like the spanish inquisition, islamic tyrannies and Soviet Russia are marked by political courts and star chambers that do not try to be objective.

The question is which party want to let judges be the judge of justice and which wants to tie the judges hands with politically enacted mandatory "guidelines".

Hey, careless doofus "Cameron Scott"! About US attorney Carol Lam, the dirty deed was done on her ONE MONTH before she indicted that high-ranking CIA official. You see, she announced her (forced) resignation that much *in advance*. She indicted Kyle Foggo just two days before her scheduled departure from office. "The Bush administration has quietly asked San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, best known for her high-profile prosecutions of politicians and corporate executives, to resign her post, a law enforcement official said." That's the leadoff from the initial report in the local San Diego newspaper, last JANUARY 12.