After 25-plus years as a lawyer prosecutor and defense attorney I have developed a deep appreciation for both the wisdom of the law and the role that jurists play in framing the rights and responsibilities that define our society.

The legal principle placing the burden of proof on accusers rather than the accused can be traced back to Second and Third Century Roman jurist Julius Paulus Prudentissimus. Yet this ancient concept which forms the legal and moral cornerstone of the American judicial system is quickly being undermined in the name of 'national security.'