Justices rule against foreign suspects
By TONI LOCY, Associated Press Writer
15 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled against two foreign suspects Wednesday who argued an international treaty required police to inform them that they had a right to contact their governments when they were arrested.
By a 6-3 vote, justices did not decide whether a 1969 treaty signed by the United States and several other countries requires suspects to be informed of such a right.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said the two men — one from Honduras, the other from Mexico — are not entitled to suppression of statements to police or another chance to raise objections based on the treaty after failing to do so at trial.
Roberts said such remedies are too harsh for the treaty's requirement — if it exists — that only deals with notification and does not require consulates to provide assistance to suspects.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060628/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_foreign_suspects