We previously discussed the lawsuit over what was described as a roadside cavity search conducted on two women by a Texas police officer in search of marijuana possession. The Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Kelly Helleson has now been suspended with pay as the police investigate the matter, which was caught on videotape. What I fail to understand is why, once again, nothing happened until the public rose up in anger over the absurd actions of the police. Moreover, there is no mention of the first officer who used the fact that Angel Hobbs, 38, had thrown a cigarette butt out of her window to interrogate the two women on possible pot use and then searched their car.
Continue reading “Texas Police Officer Suspended With Pay In Roadside “Cavity Search” Case”
Yesterday, we 
It takes a lot to get most of us to give a Tinker’s damn for the homophobic extremists at the Westboro Baptist Church. However, the people may be close of doing just that. Citizens are passing around petitions to have the church declared a hate group and strip it of its tax exempt status. This type of political movement targeting an unpopular vote raises all types of alarms for civil libertarians. Declaring certain groups as “hate groups” by popular demand smacks of majoritarian dominance. It also reaffirms the concerns, which I have 
I have 
There is an interesting development in the saga involving two television anchors who reportedly had an alleged affair that then went bad . . . really bad. We have 
Cable programming today often seems to cater to race-baiting or race-loaded interviews from the left. Whether it is 
The Baltimore Police force may be irresistible but it may have met the immovable object in lawyer Daniel Doty. Doty was a bit surprised when he received a $40 speed camera ticket for going 38 mph in a 25-mph zone. The problem is that Doty was not moving at all, as the picture clearly showed. The case highlights objections around country as cities increasingly rely on speed cameras for revenue and, reportedly, have been tolerating cameras with skewed pro-ticket settings.
A young man named Blake Page resigned from West Point this week with five months left to go until graduation. This will no doubt be a life changing event for him and could potentially have drastic consequences. His reason for resigning was his belief that there was a pervasive influence of religious proselytizing at this famed military academy. He and other non-religious cadets are retaliated against for their beliefs and for their refusal to go along with a program that makes Christian Faith the standard for success and for receiving privileges.
Below is my column this morning in USA Today on a campaign by the Obama Administration to pressure colleges and universities to reduce due process protections for students accused of sexual harassment and sexual violence. I have previously written a letter to my own university opposing some of these specific changes, though (like many schools) George Washington appears to be yielding to the pressure. I understand the concern of the Administration and the need to protect victims in this difficult process. We are all committed to maintaining a protective environment for both students and faculty. However, there are other ways to offer such protections without stripping away core due process protections in my view. My greatest concern is with the sexual violence cases because these adjudications will have a lifelong impact on the students (or faculty members) as well as consequences for collateral criminal proceedings. The column below is slightly expanded with material cut for space in the newspaper version.
A new picture has emerged of George Zimmerman following the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. The picture shows a bruised and bloody Zimmerman, though such pictures do not establish who started the fight.
Below is my column today in the Sunday Chicago Tribune on the recent denial of review by the Supreme Court in the Illinois eavesdropping case that we 