“Courts are not equipped to execute the law. They are not accountable to the people.”

— U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, saying in a speech to the Federalist Society that federal judges are jeopardizing national security when they issue rulings that contradict Bush administration policies regarding the treatment of prisoners.

“Even most crooks will keep their hands off churches, but not all of them.”

Spokane Valley Police Sgt. Dave Martin, after several churches in the Spokane Valley were victimized by a purse thief.

“Is it sexy enough? Absolutely.”

— Initiative measure activist Tim Eyman, insisting his latest ballot proposal, requiring performance audits of state and local agencies, would get voters excited enough to sign his petitions.

“There’s such paranoia about crime. Anything that keeps people in prison is good, and anything that lets them out is bad. It doesn’t matter if it’s inconsistent with the Constitution or our ideas of democracy.”

— Tacoma defense attorney Michael Clark about reactions to a state Supreme Court opinion overturning several murder convictions in Washington.

“When you shine a brighter light on something, you’re going to see problems there that you didn’t see before.”

— Computer scientist and consultant Justin Moore, commenting on election glitches in North Carolina where 4,438 votes were wiped out in one county because elections workers tried to store more ballots than the memory of an electronic voting machine could handle.

“I hate to see the Catholic bishops name someone who, in effect, is a failure.”

— Former Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Donald C. Brockett, an outspoken critic of the Catholic clergy’s handling of sex-abuse cases, speaking about Spokane Bishop William Skylstad’s chances to be elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“We have to stop describing everything in terms of the WASL. It’s killing us.”

— Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, telling the state’s school directors that controversy over the state’s testing system is drawing attention away from schools’ accomplishments.

“You know we’re going to destroy this town.”

— Army Capt. Travis Barreto of the 1st Infantry Division, entering Fallujah last week in an armored vehicle.

“I hope so.”

— The soldier seated beside Barreto.