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The short explanation of this alert was:

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the Streamlined Procedures Act (S. 1088 and H.R. 3035) as soon as this week. The Streamlined Procedures Act would nearly eliminate the right to habeas corpus, the appeals process by which people held in custody may argue to a federal court that they are innocent or that their constitutional rights were violated. It is the process by which many wrongfully convicted people are freed. It is also the means by which issues such as racial bias in state courts and prosecutorial misconduct are addressed. It is a basic human right, enshrined by the founders in the U.S. Constitution.

Introduced by Senator Kyl (R-Arizona) and Representative Lungren (R-California), the Streamlined Procedures Act would create new procedural hurdles solely to prevent federal judges from looking at the evidence and listening to the arguments in the case. The bill is full of procedural traps, laid to catch the unwary prisoner who files his or her petition without the help of an attorney. If this bill passes, it's clear that innocent people will remain imprisoned for years, or worse yet, be executed. Racism and other fundamental violations of the Constitution will go unremedied.

Take action! Contact your legislators today and urge them to oppose the Streamlined Procedures Act.

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