Law Day

The fundamental principle of Rule of Law suggests that all citizens are subject to and account-able under the law.  Basically, it means that laws apply equally to everyone in a democracy, including public officials and elected leaders.  If we did not have Rule of Law, imagine how chaotic your community might be?  

As Lancaster County Attorney and President of the Nebraska County Attorneys Association I believe Celebrating and Advancing the Rule of Law first means respecting the separation of powers between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. It is often misstated that the prosecutor has the most power in the criminal justice system.

This year’s Law Day theme is “The Rule of Law” and I am lucky to live that daily in my practice at the ACLU of Nebraska. The ACLU has always fought for equal treatment under the law for those who are most denied that promise, including those who express unpopular viewpoints, those who seek the freedom to exercise their religion free of government interference, those who seek equal treatment from the courts and those who seek equal access to our great public schools.

When reflecting on Celebrating and Advancing the Rule of Law, we must always keep the most basic fundamental laws of our country and state at the forefront—that of our Constitution and the individual rights enshrined therein.  The legal protections the Constitution provide to all people against the government when charged by that government with violation of the law, including the right of privacy, the right to due process, the presumption of innocence, the right to counsel, and others are critical and necessary to a