S. 3930 - Military Tribunals

Under this bill, a defendant's rights would be curtailed: he would be denied the right of habeas corpus; he could be detained indefinitely; and evidence obtained through coercion could be used against him--so long as the coercion falls outside the administration's definition of torture.

Constitutional Vote: No

Vote Date: September 28, 2006

This legislation (S. 3930) to establish a special system of military tribunals for “unlawful enemy combatants” is identical to the bill passed by the House the previous day (see House vote #39 for more details).

The Senate passed S. 3930 by a vote of 65-34 on September 28, 2006 (Roll Call 259). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the bill would curtail defendant rights.