By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Adding another example to the list of government debacles, the City of Federal Way, Washington spent over a year and sixty-two thousand dollars for a new logo design that the city council promptly sent to the bit bucket.
The mayor in an interview says he still believes the money was well spent.
Continue reading “City Pays $62,000.00 For A New Logo Then Tosses It Out The Window”
Below is my latest column in USA Today on the nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court. I testified last week on the nomination before the Senate Judiciary hearing. I was particularly pleased that one of the other witnesses that day was a GW graduate: Karen Harned (Executive Director, National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center. Karen has quickly become a leader in Washington on legal and policy matters impacting businesses. Since the hearing (and publication of this column), the Democrats have indicated that they are preparing for a filibuster. (My colleague Dick Pierce has an interesting column opposing such a move).
As I stated at the hearing, I disagree with some of Judge Gorsuch’s opinions but I believe that he is eminently qualified for the Supreme Court. I am particularly disturbed by some of the attacks on his writings on major issues of our time. While many lawyers in Washington pathologically avoid any statements or writings on controversial subjects in the hope for government appointments, Gorsuch actively participated in the national debate and contributed interesting perspectives on those questions. He refused to remain a pure pedestrian as others debated issues like euthanasia. He should not be penalized for doing so. One can disagree with his perspective but his analysis is uniformly probative and at times profound.
Continue reading “THE SENATE SHOULD CONFIRM JUDGE NEIL M. GORSUCH”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
I featured three articles in November, 2015 (HERE, HERE, and HERE) depicting a controversy caused by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ promotion of artwork made by Leonard Peltier, who was convicted for the June, 1975 murders of FBI Special Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams. The display furthered the controversy in that it marked the 40thanniversary year of the agents’ murder. After considerable outcry on both sides of the issue, the dispay was taken down two weeks prior to its scheduled conclusion date.
Now, a lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court by Leonard Peltier and his son Chauncey against the state naming L&I Director Joel Sacks, Governor Jay Inslee, the L&I spokesman, retired FBI Special Agents, and two hundred John Does as defendants, claiming that the Peltiers were denied their First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated by the state’s removal of the artwork.
The lawsuit indicates strongly how controversies such as these can be avoided and that allowing state employees to promote controversial issues often leads to disaster.
Continue reading “Washington State Governor Sued For Removal Of Leonard Peltier Art Display”
Various charges might come to mind for Jeremy Putman who was walking around in this make up with a sword, but he was actually charged with . . . .
The Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles was adamant. The license plate reading “GRABHER” was deemed “misogynistic and promoting violence against women.” It was a surprise to Lorne Grabher who simply wanted a license plate with his family’s name.Continue reading “Canadian Barred From Using Family Name on License Plate as “Misogynistic” Message”
In a 32-page opinion, United States District Judge Anthony Trenga has rejected the challenge to the second immigration order of the Trump Administration. Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia found that the challengers in Linda Sarsour v. Donald Trump — were not likely to succeed in their challenge to the March 6 executive order. The ruling is similar to the rejection of a Boston court in the first immigration order. It is also very different in tone and analysis from the decision of Judge Brinkema in this same Virginia district, granting a temporary restraining order in the review of the first immigration order.
Continue reading “Federal Court Rejects Challenge To Trump Immigration Order”
University of Minnesota law professor Edward S. Adams is facing an astonishing criminal indictment over millions of missing funds from investors in his companies. The indictment says that Adams perpetrated an elaborate fraud on investors and fellow partners. According to the indictment, from 2006 to 2013, Edward S. Adams stole more than $4.38 million from investors and paid more than $2.54 million to his own law firm.
What is astonishing is that Adams is the second faculty member to face criminal charges on the Minnesota law faculty. Continue reading “Minnesota Law Professor Charged With Massive Criminal Fraud”
Breana Harmon Talbott, 19, is facing criminal charges after creating panic in Denison, Texas over her claim that she was kidnapped and gang raped by three black men. She has reportedly admitted to an elaborate hoax, including a staged crime scene and self-inflicted injuries.
Continue reading “Texas Woman Confesses To Lying About Being Gang Raped By Three Black Men”
This morning I will testify at the confirmation hearing on the nomination of the Hon. Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court. The hearing will commence around 9 am at the hearing room of Hart 216. Ironically, it is the same room that I litigated much of the Porteous impeachment case before final arguments before the 100 Senators on the Senate floor. Below is my written testimony. Continue reading “TURLEY TESTIFIES IN SENATE GORSUCH CONFIRMATION HEARING”
This morning, our blog hit 31,000,000 views. We have had an increase in visitors and our new voices are heartily welcomed to our little band of commentators. We try to offer a place for civil but passionate discourse on legal and policy issues of our time (and perhaps a few wacky stories). We continue to rank in the top legal blogs in the world and we are continuing to see a growing international readership. We often use these milestones to look at the current profile of the blog and its supporters around the world.
As always, I want to offer special thanks for our weekend contributors: Mike Appleton, Larry Rafferty, Darren Smith, Kimberly Dienes, and Cara Gallagher. I particularly want to thank Darren who has continued to help manage the blog and help out folks who encounter posting problems.
I also want to thank our regular commentators and readers. We try to keep this blog as an open forum with as little interference or monitoring of the comments as possible. Given our free speech orientation, we try not to delete comments and, for that reason, we are deeply appreciative of how most people avoid personal or offensive comments in debating these issues. The success of this blog is due to the fact that we offer something more than the all-too-common troll-driven, angry, and insulting commentary of the Internet. Thank you for voluntarily assuming restraint over the tenor and content of your comments. Continue reading “RES IPSA REACHES 31,000,000”
Judge Neil Gorsuch is scheduled to complete the long and grueling questioning of his confirmation hearing today. Indeed, he may finish a bit early. Like past nominees, Gorsuch declined to discuss cases and said little about his positions on possible cases dealing with subjects like abortion. Nominees are trained to hit grounders in these hearing and avoid pitches in the corners or trying to put anything over the wall. He stayed with that strategy and the Democrats have made little progress in undermining his stellar record. I have two columns out today at USA Today and The Hill newspaper discussing different aspects of the nomination. I am scheduled to testify at the hearing on Thursday when they call expert witnesses. There remains one disturbing question, however, that needs to be addressed: is Judge Gorsuch anti-duck?
There is an interesting proposal in California where legislators are moving to punishing any companies who work with the federal government in the construction of the wall pledged by President Donald Trump between the United States and Mexico. The bill would force pension funds to divest from participating companies. It is a bill that would significantly raise the level of conflict between the Trump Administration and certain states. The Trump Administration is already moving to withdraw grants from cities and states barring assistance to federal immigration officials. To now have states retaliate against companies for simply contracting with the federal government would push the already bad situation to Def Con 1 over federal/state conflict. There is no way that the federal government could sit ideally by as states retaliated against federal contractors.
Continue reading “California Legislators Move To Punish Companies Working On Border Wall”
Alden Whiteside could not have handled things worse on his way Spring Break in Florida. First, there was the seven cases of beer in plain view in his truck. Then there was the problem of being 19 and not allowed to drink or buy alcohol. Then there was the fact that he was speeding. Then there was the fake driver’s license that he was using. Finally, there was the marijuana discovered in the car. That pretty much covers most of the criminal code. He was not the only Alabama college student facing charges from a Spring Break gone bad.
Continue reading “University of Alabama Students Arrested in Two Epic Spring Break Cases”
We have seen rising violence and intolerance on our colleges and universities as some students seek to prevent speakers and claim an ever-widening array of “microaggressions” and cultural appropriations. The latest occurred during a basketball game where a player was attacked due to wearing braids that 20-year-old Hispanic student, Carmen Figueroa, claimed to be cultural misappropriation.
Iran this week celebrated its National Women’s and Mothers’ Day and Ayatollah Khamenei held forth on his demented view of the ideal Islamic women. Khamenei denounced the very concept of women’s rights and gender equality as a Western plot against all women.