Civil Rights

ACLJ is Key Contender in Religious Cases

Most lawyers are probably familiar with the ACLU. Far fewer attorneys may have heard of the ACLJ. However, the two civil rights organizations—sometimes fighting together and sometimes on opposing sides—are both key players in ongoing efforts to protect religious rights. The ACLJ—American Center for Law and Justice—is a leading Christian…

Sep 5, 2007 12:44 AM CDT

2 Men Wed, Then Iowa Ruling Suspended

Two gay men in Iowa persuaded a judge to approve an expedited wedding, paid an extra $5 fee and were married today, apparently becoming the first same-sex couple to wed in state history. But then the judge who approved same-sex Polk County marriages yesterday, saying that a previous legal ban…

Aug 31, 2007 11:10 PM CDT

Spouse’s Death Ends US Residency Quest

Jacqueline Coats’ husband died a hero, and was posthumously awarded a Coast Guard medal for his attempts to save two boys from drowning in the Pacific Ocean. He also died without filing an application for her to become a legal resident of the United States, although the paperwork was completed…

Aug 31, 2007 3:40 PM CDT

Panel Allots Blame for Va. Tech Massacre

A lack of communication, misunderstood medical privacy laws and inadequate mental health treatment options share the blame along with gunman Seung Hui Cho for a shooting spree in which he killed 32 fellow students and faculty at Virginia Tech earlier this year before killing himself Those were the conclusions of…

Aug 31, 2007 3:04 PM CDT

Fed’l Judge: Execute Inmates Efficiently

California’s death row is not only the biggest in the nation but perhaps the most backlogged. The average prisoner waits nearly 20 years to be executed, and, since capital punishment was reinstated in 1978, only 13 have been executed while 50 have died in prison, many of old age. Currently,…

Aug 30, 2007 6:14 PM CDT

Gov’t Report Pans Law School Affirmative Action

In a controversial report, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights may not call for an outright ban on law school affirmative action. But by putting its weight behind a 2004 study that says racial preferences may help propel disadvantaged minorities into academic programs for which they are not qualified, the…

Aug 30, 2007 5:06 PM CDT

UCLA: Public School Segregation Worse

Despite decades of efforts to end “separate but equal” public education for children of different races, the nation’s school system is getting more segregated rather than less. And a decision in June by the U.S. Supreme Court forbidding most voluntary efforts to desegregate is likely to accelerate that trend, reports…

Aug 30, 2007 4:14 PM CDT

Headgear Policy Draws Protests

A new federal policy that allows airport screeners to pat down anyone wearing a turban or other headgear is causing concern among Sikhs and Muslims. The Sikh Coalition is protesting the policy, the New York Times reports. “The federal government has equated our most precious article of faith with terrorism,”…

Aug 30, 2007 1:53 PM CDT

Judge Fines PD: 1 Day OK for Trial Prep

Saying that a 20-minute talk with one’s client and interviewing witnesses during one’s lunch hour is sufficient preparation to allow a lawyer to try a case, an Ohio judge reportedly upheld his own earlier contempt-of-court citation and fined an assistant public defender Friday. Brian Jones refused to try a misdemeanor…

Aug 27, 2007 3:37 PM CDT

Seale Gets Life in 1964 Case

A reputed member of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi was sentenced today to three life terms for his role in abducting, beating and killing two black teenagers in 1964. James Ford Seale, 72, was convicted in June on federal charges of conspiracy and two counts of kidnapping concerning the…

Aug 24, 2007 6:56 PM CDT

Criminal Lawyer in Contempt for Defending Client

A Washington state lawyer has been found in contempt of court for his defense of an alleged serial rapist who has already served his 25-year sentence for a single rape conviction. Kevin Coe, 60, is still being held, however, because he is considered likely to re-offend, and Tim Tragesser advised…

Aug 24, 2007 3:25 PM CDT

Prosecutor Apology Ends Iraqi’s ‘Nightmare’

A federal prosecutor has apologized to an Iraqi refugee who was improperly arrested and jailed for failing to register under a special system. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan of the Western District of Washington said the arrest was because of a good-faith mistake by Border Patrol Agents, the New York Times…

Aug 24, 2007 2:43 PM CDT

U.S. to Investigate Aid Workers

Ratcheting up U.S. scrutiny of foreign aid workers, the Bush administration is about to require charitable and nonprofit organizations that receive money from a government agency to provide detailed personal information on thousands of key employees. The controversial program, which is to take effect in four days, would require the…

Aug 23, 2007 4:23 PM CDT

Va. Tech Panels: More Security Needed

More is needed to help keep students safe on campus, according to reports by three internal Virginia Tech review committees that were released today. The committees were appointed after a student gunman killed 32 students and faculty during a several-hour on-campus massacre on April 16, to help the university prevent…

Aug 22, 2007 10:56 PM CDT

Pedophile Order Is Invalid, Case Dropped

A California judge’s unusual order prohibiting a self-described pedophile from getting within 10 yards of the state’s children is invalid, according to Los Angeles prosecutors. But an attorney who persuaded a judge to issue the order earlier this month says the real problem is prosecutors looking for an excuse not…

Aug 22, 2007 3:37 PM CDT