The California Supreme Court has sent back a case challenging the practice of security patting down fans at games for the San Francisco 49ers. The Court ruled that it lacks sufficient information to determine if the policy is an illegal invasion of privacy. It is the legal equivalent to an incomplete pass.
Continue reading “Touch Football: California Supreme Court Returns 49ers Pat Down Case to Trial Court”
Category: Constitutional Law
The Bush Administration previously told a federal court that there were two tapes of interrogations destroyed showing waterboarding and other brutal treatment of detainees. It has now admitted that at least 92 tapes were destroyed in what appears a clear and knowing effort to destroy evidence.
Continue reading “CIA Admits to Destroying 92 (Rather Than 2) Tapes of Interrogations”
While it has become common for cities and counties to ban pit bulls, Oregon is considering a bill to ban the dogs from the entire state. Oregon may be the first state to declare owning pit bulls a crime, if the legislation passes.
Continue reading “Pit Bull Prohibition: Oregon Moves Toward Banning Pit Bulls”
The Herald Newspaper of Malaysia has reportedly prevailed in its long battle with the government to be able to use the word “Allah” in its Catholic publication. However, the government insists that it must state clearly on the front cover “For Christians.”
Continue reading “Malaysian Catholic Paper Wins Right to Use Word “Allah””
In a major policy change, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has indicated that the Justice Department will end raids on pot dispensaries in California and allow states to set its own marijuana laws without further interference from the federal government. It is ironic that it took a liberal president to reinstate the guarantees of states rights in this area.
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Students at the Westview High School in Portland, Oregon are fighting for basic journalistic rights.
The Westview Prowl published an article headlined “Inappropriate sexual contact at school surprises population. The article discloses a high level of sexual activity at the school: a legitimate journalistic subject that was covered by the students. Parents in the Beaverton School District have risen up against the student reporters.
Continue reading “Fast Times At Westview High: Student Journalists Fight for Right to Cover Story on Sex at School”
Yoel Oberlander, a convicted sex offender, has succeeded in challenging prohibitions on where he is allowed to live under a local law that created “pedophile-free child safety zones” in the county after 15 locations were rejected by the probation office. Oberlander previously lost a case in which he argued that prohibitions were unconstitutional because as an Orthodox Jew he needed to be walking distance from a synagogue.
Continue reading “Orthodox Jewish Sex Offender Prevails In Seeking to Live Near Synagogue”
There is an interesting first amendment case in Clearwater, Florida when a local bait and tackle shop is facing a daily fine for hanging a banner showing the first amendment on the side of its business.
Continue reading “Angling for a Fight: Florida Town Fines Bait Shop for Hanging First Amendment Banner on Side of Business”
The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a small religious group cannot force a city in Utah to place a granite marker in a local park. The park in Pleasant Grove Utah already contains a Ten Commandments display. Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote the opinion.
Continue reading “Supreme Court Rules Against Religious Display in Public Park”
Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton (left) has imposed an unprecedented criminal fine against from former Pfizer Vice President Alan Hesketh, 61. Hesketh previously was sentenced to 78 months for possession of roughly 2000 pictures of child pornography. He will now have to pay $200,000 to a woman who was in some of those pictures being abused, even though Hesketh did not take the picture or participate in the photographed abuse.
Lt. Scott Easterling has entered a novel fight while serving in Iraq: he is suing President Barack Obama. Easterling is calling the President an “impostor” and challenging his right to issue commands while his birth status is in question. It is one of a series of lawsuit challenging the right of the President to serve on the basis of his birth status. It appears that he could be joined by Senator Richard Shelby in the litigation. Shelby has refused to accept Obama citizenship until he sees a birth certificate.
Continue reading “Active Duty Soldier Joins Lawsuit Challenging Obama’s Right to Serve as President”
Massachusetts has joined the movement toward re-segregating our public schools by race or gender or sexual orientation. Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. in Chicopee is reportedly in favor of a new proposal to segregate students by gender for math classes. It is part of a trend that threatens the advances that we have made in the last six decades in desegregating our school system. Now, there will be “girl math” and “boy math” classes.
Continue reading “Separate But Equal: Massachusetts Moves Toward Segregated Math Classes”
San Diego Catholics are protesting a decision by San Diego Bishop Robert Brom to ask Pastor Richard Perozich to tone it down after he ran a rabid article entitled “100 Days or End of Days?” in the parish bulletin of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Escondido. Fr. Perozich appears to believe that Obama will be unleashing such things as “homogenital sex.”
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considering legislation that would criminalize publication of anything that would “harm the economy.” Such an offense would be punishable by fines of up to 1 million dirhams (roughly $272,000).
Continue reading “Dubai Moves To Criminalize Publishing Anything That Would “Harm the Economy””
The Vatican has filed a formal complaint with the Israeli government about a private Israeli TV show that it claims blasphemed Jesus and Mary. On the program, the host challenges the idea that Mary was a virgin and Jesus walked on water as a “lesson” for Christians who deny the Holocaust. The host was upset about the Pope lifting the excommunication of a bishop who denied the holocaust. The Israeli government’s response, however, is worse than both the program and the objection.
Continue reading “Vatican Filed Complaint Over Blasphemous Program and Israel Moves to Censor Show”