5-4 is a podcast about the ideological battles at the heart of the Supreme Court’s most important landmark cases, and an irreverent tour of all the ways that politics shape the law. 

On this episode, hosts Peter, Michael, and Rhiannon discuss Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, which recognized the power of the U.S. government to detain "enemy combatants." A foreign "prisoner of war" can communicate with their family. An American "traitor" can argue their case in court. But according to the Supreme Court, American "enemy combatants" can do neither: They belong to a third category of prisoner that has very few legal rights. America immediately post-9/11 was very chill and normal. Follow Peter (@The_Law_Boy), Rhiannon (@AywaRhiannon), and Michael (@_FleerUltra) on Twitter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices