SUPREME COURT WRONG TO UPHOLD LAW THAT WOULD EVICT DUPED FAMILIES OF DRUG USER

Supreme Court justices erred in upholding a law that allows government
agencies to evict entire families from public housing facilities, merely
because one member is caught using illegal drugs. Constitutional guarantees
of due process - as well as simple ethical concerns - argue against such
evictions.

Justices, ruling in a California case, said this week that authorities can
proceed with evictions without allowing members of a family to demonstrate
they were not aware of drug use by one member. Though we agree
whole-heartedly with "get tough" provisions concerning drug use in public
housing, we do not believe innocent relatives of users should be penalized
- - providing they can make a very persuasive case for themselves.

Getting tough on crime should mean dealing severely with offenders.

It should not mean penalizing the innocent simply because they were duped
by family members.