"Posse Comitatus" is episode 66 of The West Wing. The name of the episode refers to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
In the season finale, Bartlet makes a life-or-death decision regarding a foreign Minister of Defence who is a known terrorist involved in a foiled plot to attack the Golden Gate Bridge. The senior military advisors counsel the President to authorise the assassination of the terrorist, which would be disguised as a plane crash. The ...
more
"Posse Comitatus" is episode 66 of The West Wing. The name of the episode refers to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
In the season finale, Bartlet makes a life-or-death decision regarding a foreign Minister of Defence who is a known terrorist involved in a foiled plot to attack the Golden Gate Bridge. The senior military advisors counsel the President to authorise the assassination of the terrorist, which would be disguised as a plane crash. The President learns that there are rules governing such actions: because the terrorist is a foreign civilian, the Act of Posse Comitatus prohibits the military from intervening, because the military cannot enforce civilian law and US civilian law prohibits assassination on US soil, so they need to carry it out in a third jurisdiction. They advise that an agreement with the UK would permit the action to take place in Bermuda. The President is disturbed by the decision he is required to make and repeatedly states that civilians get trials. The...
less
