Homestead on the virtual frontier
What happened with CA’s Prop 8? Questions that still need answersI’ve never been one for conspiracy theories. The 9/11 Truth movement? Not credible. Alex Jones from InfoWars? I’m from Austin, TX, and he’s been our town idiot with a cheesy cable access show for as long as I can remember. Nevertheless, there’s something curious going on in California with regards [...]
SC Judge removed after racial commentJudge removed after racial comment: A South Carolina judge who admitted calling crack cocaine addiction “black man’s disease” has been banned from the bench, the state’s Supreme Court said in an order Monday.
(Via MSNBC.com: Crime & courts.)
Wow. Just wow.
It’s nice to see that the state supreme court stepped in and did the right thing, [...]
Justice finds that Gonzales aides broke federal hiring lawsJustice finds that Gonzales aides broke federal hiring laws: WASHINGTON — Aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales violated federal laws and Justice Department policies by illegally selecting employees based on their conservative and Republican leanings, a joint report by two department watchdog agencies reported Monday.
(Via McClatchy.)
I can’t say this is very surprising (more like [...]
A Judge Speaks Out: The Right Place to Try Terrorism CasesJohn C. Coughenour – The Right Place to Try Terrorism Cases – washingtonpost.com: I have spent 27 years on the federal bench. In particular, my experience with the trial of Ahmed Ressam, the “millennium bomber,” leads me to worry about Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s comments last week, urging Congress to pass legislation outlining judicial procedures [...]
CIA Memo: ‘Good Faith’ Protects Against Torture ChargeLaw.com – Memo: ‘Good Faith’ Protects Against Torture Charge: The Justice Department in 2002 told the CIA that its interrogators would be safe from prosecution for violations of anti-torture laws if they believed “in good faith” that harsh techniques used to break prisoners’ will would not cause “prolonged mental harm.”
Wait a minute, wait a minute. [...]
High Court Justices Go Digital to Access Founding-Era DocumentsLaw.com – High Court Justices Go Digital to Access Founding-Era Documents: U.S. Supreme Court justices on both sides in the landmark D.C. v. Heller gun rights case resorted to original documents in making their case about the meaning of the Second Amendment. But they used a little-known digital resource to get there, a project whose [...]
Google to face charges over Down’s syndrome videoGoogle to face charges over Down’s syndrome video – Times Online: “Google is to face criminal charges in Italy over a video which appeared on one of its sites showing a disabled teenager being taunted by his peers.”
This is the part that seems odd to me:
Google is understood to have removed the clip from the [...]
9th Circuit Unexpectedly Splits Over Strip Search of StudentSeeded at Newsvine:
It’s not every day that Harry Pregerson and N. Randy Smith line up on the same side.
Man cuts off own head with chainsaw after flat is earmarked to be bulldozed by developers | Mail OnlineSeeded at Newsvine:
A ‘vulnerable’ man cut off his own head with a chainsaw after being ordered to move out of his home to make way for developers, police believe.
David Phyall’s severed head was found beside the power tool inside his housing association flat shortly after receiving his evict …
French High Court: Salafism “Not Compatible” With French ValuesSeeded at Newsvine:
France’s highest court denied citizenship to Faiza Mabchour, a Moroccan woman, on the grounds that she practices a form of Islam called Salafism, which requires a rigorous interpretation of the Quran.
Feds end probe into Apple stock option backdating – no chargesSeeded at Newsvine:
The Department of Justice on Friday ended its probe into Apple’s backdating of stock options. The Wall Street Journal reports that no charges are being brought against the company or any of its current or former executives.
Pelosi Quietly Slips Impeachment Back Onto the TableSeeded at Newsvine:
As Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich moved a “privileged resolution” to force House to consider the question of whether President Bush should be impeached for lying to Congress and the American people about the reasons for invading and occupying Iraq, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi su …
Abu Ghraib inmates sue contractors, claiming tortureSeeded at Newsvine:
Former detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq are suing U.S. contractors in four states for alleged torture.
Welcome MSNBC users
Australian teen arrested for ‘blasphemous T-shirt’Seeded at Newsvine:
A GOLD Coast teenager who wore a T-shirt by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth that reads ‘Jesus is a c**t’ has been charged with offensive behaviour.
Above the offensive slogan a nun is depicted masturbating.
Repeal the 2nd AmendmentSeeded at Newsvine:
No, we don’t suppose that’s going to happen any time soon. But it should.
The 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is evidence that, while the founding fathers were brilliant men, they could have used an editor.
Judicial activism by conservativesSeeded at Newsvine:
If the terms “judicial activism” and “judicial restraint” have any meaning, it is that a court is activist when it is invalidating laws and overruling precedent, and restrained when deferring to popularly elected legislatures and following prior decisions.
Blackwater armory raided in firearms probeSeeded at Newsvine:
Federal agents have raided an armory owned by security contractor Blackwater Worldwide.
Lawmakers seek way around child-rapist rulingSeeded at Newsvine:
Angry politicians vowed to keep writing laws that condemn child rapists to death, despite a Supreme Court decision saying such punishment is unconstitutional.
Judge Rejects Bid to Let Police Check Immigration StatusSeeded at Newsvine:
A Superior Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to end a longstanding police policy that prohibits officers from initiating contact with people for the sole purpose of learning their immigration status.
Nutraloaf: Cruel? Or Merely Unusual?Seeded at Newsvine:
Nutraloaf, a product from the cafeteria of the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, is presented by an inmate in South Burlington, Vermont.
Justice Breyer: Use of Foreign Materials Is ‘Going to Happen’Seeded at Newsvine:
It’s not such a bad idea to look at foreign legal decisions, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer told his audience of about 150 at the Brookings Institution Tuesday. In fact, American judges might just learn something.
Feingold Will Filibuster FISASeeded at Newsvine:
It’s being described as the most significant revision of the nation’s surveillance law in three decades.
Four out of Nine Ain’t Bad- A Supreme Court Strategy for the MinoritySeeded at Newsvine:
Though this court term hasn’t been disastrous (so far), these are not particularly happy days for the Supreme Court’s left-leaning justices.
Israeli High Court rejects rightists’ petition against Jerusalem gay paradeSeeded at Newsvine:
High Court dismisses appeal filed by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel, gay pride parade to take place on Thursday. Judges say took into consideration Open House’s promise to avoid provocations
Judge reluctant to enter fight over subpoenasSeeded at Newsvine:
Congress was trying to be diplomatic when it brought a lawsuit to settle its subpoena fight against the White House. After all, lawmakers could’ve just arrested the president’s former lawyer for refusing to testify. The judge’s response? Maybe they should have.
