Inyathelo Lokuqala—Amagqwetha Phambi Kweejaji Zenkundla Ephakamileyo
AMAGQWETHA ayeza kuvela phambi kweJaji Eyintloko uWilliam Rehnquist nezinye iijaji ezisibhozo zeNkundla Ephakamileyo ngowama-26 kuFebruwari 2002. AmaNgqina kaYehova ayemelwe ngamagqwetha amane.
Igqwetha eliphambili lamaNgqina laqalisa ingxoxo yalo ngendlela ebangel’ umdla, lenjenje: “Yintsimbi ye-11:00 kusasa ngoMgqibelo kwiDolophana yaseStratton. [Landula lankqonkqoza izihlandlo ezithathu kwitafile yalo.] ‘Molo. Ngenxa yeziganeko zakutshanje, ndenze umzamo wokuba ndikutyelele ukuze ndixubushe nawe ngento awathi uMprofeti uIsaya yeyona nto ibhetele. Ezo ziindaba ezimnandi awathetha ngazo uYesu Kristu, iindaba ezimnandi eziphathelele uBukumkani bukaThixo.’”
Laqhubeka lenjenje: “KwiDolophana yaseStratton, kukwaphula umthetho ukuhamba indlu ngendlu usasaza loo myalezo ngaphandle kokuba uqale wafumana imvume yokwenjenjalo kwabasemagunyeni.”
‘Ngaba Anifuni Mali?’
UJaji Stephen G. Breyer wabahlohla imibuzo abameli bamaNgqina. Wabuza: “Ngaba aba bantu abafuni mali ebantwini, nkqu nepeni le yembala, yaye ngaba abazithengisi iiBhayibhile nezinye izinto, ekuphela kwento abayenzayo kukuthi, ‘ndinomdla wokuthetha nawe ngemibandela ephathelele unqulo’?”
Igqwetha lamaNgqina laphendula: “Mhlekazi, yaziwa nanguthathatha into yokuba kwiDolophana yaseStratton, amaNgqina kaYehova akazange afune mali mntwini. Nakwezinye iindawo akafuni mali mntwini kodwa maxa wambi ayayikhankanya into yokuba, umntu othandayo anganikela ngemali anayo. . . . Asihambi sicela mali mntwini. Ekuphela kwento esiyifunayo kukuthetha nabantu ngeBhayibhile.”
Ngaba Kufuneka Imvume Karhulumente?
Enomdla, uJaji Antonin Scalia wabuza: “Ngaba nithi akukho mfuneko yokuba umntu afumane imvume kusodolophu ngaphambi kokuba athethe nabamelwane bakhe ngento ebangel’ umdla?” Igqwetha lamaNgqina laphendula: “Asikholelwa ukuba le Nkundla imele ivumelane noRhulumente onyanzelisa ukuba mntu ngamnye aqale afumane imvume ngaphambi kokuba athethe nomnye umntu kwikhaya lakhe.”
Kutshintsha Ingxoxo, Nomoya Enkundleni Uyatshintsha
Ngoku yayilithuba lokuba amagqwetha amela le Dolophana avakalise olwawo uluvo. Igqwetha eliyintloko labacacisela ngomthetho waseStratton, laza lathi: “IStratton isebenzisa igunya enalo lokukhusela abemi balapho ukuba bangaphazanyiswa nokubakhusela kulwaphulo-mthetho. Umthetho ophathelele ukugaya abaxhasi okanye ukucela imali kwindlu ngendlu ugunyazisa ukuba umntu aqale abhalise ngaphambi kokuba enze oko aze aphathe iphepha-mvume.”
Engaphozisanga maseko, uJaji Scalia wahlab’ emxholweni wabuza: “Ngaba nakha neva kusithiwa [iNkundla Ephakamileyo] ikhe yaxoxa ngomthetho wokuya kumakhaya abantu, ungafuni mali, ungathengisi kodwa ekuphela kwento oyenzayo ikukuthi, ‘ndinomdla wokuthetha nawe ngoYesu Kristu,’ okanye ikukuthi, ‘ndinomdla wokuthetha nawe ngokulondolozwa kwendalo?’ Ngaba sakha salixoxa ityala elinjalo?”
UJaji Scalia waqhubeka: “Kwezi nkulungwane zimbini zidluleyo, andizange ndikhe ndive kusithiwa kwakha kwaxoxwa ityala elinjalo.” Ihlekisa ngaloo nto, iJaji Eyintloko uRehnquist yathi: “Hayi ke noko nawe akumdalanga kangako.” Inkundla yathi gquzu ngentsini. UJaji Scalia waqhubeka wathi: “Intsha noko ke kum le.”
Ngaba Le Yimbono Entle?
UJaji Anthony M. Kennedy wabuza lo mbuzo ungqalileyo: “Ngokutsho kwakho, yimbono entle into yokuba ndiqale ndifune imvume kuRhulumente ngaphambi kokuba ndihambe esitratweni, esinabantu endingabaziyo, ndize ndithi, ndinomdla wokuthetha nawe ngento endixhalabisayo ngokuphathelele ukuthuthwa kwenkunkuma, ilungu leBhunga Lowiso-mthetho okanye ngokuphathelele eminye imibandela. Ngaba ndifanele ndifune imvume kuRhulumente ngaphambi kokuba ndenjenjalo?” Walek’ umsundulo wathi: “Ngumnqa noko lo.”
Emva koko, uJaji Sandra Day O’Connor wathelela kule ngxoxo, waza wabuza: “Kuthekani ngabantwana abahamba becela izinto ezimnandi emizini ngethuba lemibhiyozo? Ngaba bamele baqale bafumane imvume?” UJaji O’Connor noScalia baqiqa ngendlela efanayo. UJaji O’Connor wabuza: “Kuthekani ngokuya kuboleka ikomityi yeswekile kummelwane wam? Ngaba ndifanele ndifumane imvume ngaphambi kokuba ndiye kuboleka ikomityi yeswekile kummelwane wam?”
Ngaba AmaNgqina Agaya Abaxhasi?
UJaji David H. Souter wabuza: “Kutheni amaNgqina kaYehova equkwa kulo mthetho? Ngaba ahamba egaya abaxhasi, ecela imali, ethengisa okanye ecela umsebenzi? Akabandakanyekanga nakwenye kwezi zinto, akunjalo?” Igqwetha elimele le Dolophana langena nzulu kwimibandela yalo mthetho uphathelele ukuya kwindlu ngendlu laza lathi inkundla yesithili yathi amaNgqina kaYehova agaya abaxhasi. UJaji Souter waphendula wathi: “Bendingayazi into yokuba ibinzana elithi ukugaya abaxhasi libhekisela nakumaNgqina kaYehova.”
Wandula uJaji Breyer wacaphula ingcaciso yesichazi-magama yegama elithi ukugaya abaxhasi ebonisa ukuba ayibhekiseli kumaNgqina. Walek’ umsundulo ngelithi: “Kwingxelo yenu andikhange ndibone nto ichaza isizathu sokuba nifune ukuba aba bantu [amaNgqina kaYehova] bangafuni mali, bangathengisiyo nabangagayi baxhasi bafune imvume yomthetho ngaphambi kokuba benze umsebenzi wabo. Siyintoni ke isizathu sokuba nifune benjenjalo?”
‘Ilungelo’ Lokuncokola Nabanye
Igqwetha elimele le Dolophana lathi “injongo yomthetho wale dolophana kukukhusela abaninimzi.” Lahlabela mgama lathi injongo kukukhusela abantu ekuqhathweni nakulwaphulo-mthetho. UJaji Scalia wacaphula kulo mthetho ebonisa ukuba usodolophu unelungelo lokufuna inkcazelo eyongezelelekileyo ngokuphathelele umntu ofuna imvume nenjongo yokuhambela kwakhe ukuze “alazi kakuhle elo lungelo lifunwa nguloo mntu.” Wathi: “Andiyiqondi kakuhle into yokuba kuthiwe—lilungelo ukuya kubamelwane bakho ukuze ubacacisele ngento ethile.”
UJaji Scalia waphinda wathi: “Ngaba nifuna ukuba nabani na onkqonkqoza kumakhaya abantu abahlala kule dolophana bafune imvume ngaphambi kokuba enjenjalo? Ngenxa yokuba kuthintelwa ulwaphulo-mthetho, ngaba kunyanzelekile ukuba wonke umntu oya kwenye indlu afumane imvume ngaphambi kokuba enjenjalo? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo.”
Ngaba Lo Mthetho Uyabakhusela Abahlali?
Emva kokuba iphelile imizuzu yalo engama-20, igqwetha elimele le Dolophana lanik’ ithuba igqwetha likarhulumente laseOhio. Lathi umthetho owalela ukungqiba ukhusela abantu balapho ukuba bangatyelelwa ngumntu abangamaziyo, “umntu endingamaziyo osemzini wam . . . yaye ndicinga ukuba abahlali banelungelo lokuthi, ‘Iyasixhalabisa loo nto.’”
UJaji Scalia wandula wathi: “Kwanokuba kukho abantu abanomdla wokuthetha namaNgqina kaYehova, abangamalolo nabanokukuvuyela ukuncokola naye nabani, umthetho wedolophu ugunyazisa ukuba [amaNgqina kaYehova] aqale afune imvume kusodolophu ngaphambi kokuba aye kuthetha nabo bantu.”
‘Owona Mqathango Usengqiqweni’
Ngoxa wayephosa imibuzo, uJaji Scalia waveza ingongoma ebalulekileyo, wathi: “Sonke siyavuma ukuba abantu bakhuselekile kwiindawo ezilawulwa ngoozwilakhe. Ulwaphulo-mthetho alukho kangako. Yaziwa nanguthathatha into yokuba kwiindawo apho abantu baphila ngokukhululekileyo kugquba ulwaphulo-mthetho, ngoko imbambano yile, ngaba lo mthetho wokuba umntu aqale afumane imvume ngaphambi kokuba aye kunkqonkqoza komnye umzi, mthetho lowo uza kubangela ukuba abantu baphulukane nenkululeko yabo, uza kuluphelisa kusini na ulwaphulo-mthetho.” Igqwetha likarhulumente lathi “lo ngowona mqathango usengqiqweni.” UJaji Scalia waphendula wathi usengqiqweni kangangokuba “akukho nanye ingxelo yokuba kukho urhulumente owakha wamisela umthetho ololu hlobo. Loo nto ibangela ndicinge ukuba awukho ngqiqweni kwaphela.”
Ekugqibeleni, emva kokuphekwa lisophulwa ngemibuzo yenye yeejaji, igqwetha likarhulumente lathi: “Ndiyaqonda ukuba akukho mntu unelungelo lokuthi umntu makangankqonkqozi apho afuna ukunkqonkqoza khona.” Layiqukumbela ngaloo mazwi ingxoxo yalo.
Ebudeni bale ngxoxo, igqwetha lamaNgqina lathi lo mthetho awukwazi ukuqinisekisa ukuba umntu ofuna imvume unikela inkcazelo echanileyo kusini na. Lathi: “Ndingaya kwiofisi kasodolophu ndifike ndithi ‘[Ndingubani kabani],’ ndifumane imvume ndize ndiye kwindlu ngendlu.” Kwakhona lathi usodolophu unelungelo lokungamnik’ imvume nabani na angelolungu lombutho. “Sikholelwa kwelokuba oko kusengqiqweni,” lalek’ umsundulo ngelitshoyo, laza lathi: “Ngokukhulu ukuzithoba, ndithi umsebenzi [wamaNgqina kaYehova] uxhomekeke kuMthetho Wokuqala Ohlaziyiweyo.”
Emva koko, iJaji Eyintloko uRehnquist waqukumbela loo ngxoxo ngelithi: “Eli tyala liyekelwa ezandleni [zeNkundla Ephakamileyo].” Le ngxoxo yathabatha ithuba elingaphezulwana nje kweyure. Indlela eyayibaluleke ngayo loo yure yayiza kubonakala kwisigqibo senkundla esibhalwe phantsi esasiza kukhutshwa ngoJuni.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 6]
IJaji Eyintloko uRehnquist
UJaji Breyer
UJaji Scalia
[Inkcazelo]
Rehnquist: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Dane Penland; Breyer: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Richard Strauss; Scalia: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Joseph Lavenburg
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]
UJaji Souter
UJaji Kennedy
UJaji O’Connor
[Inkcazelo]
Kennedy: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Robin Reid; O’Connor: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Richard Strauss; Souter: Collection, The Supreme Court Historical Society/Joseph Bailey
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
Ngaphakathi enkundleni
[Inkcazelo]
Photograph by Franz Jantzen, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States