Civil Rights

8 Workers Charged in Prison Abuse Conspiracy

Eight former Florida prison workers were criminally charged Tuesday in what authorities described as an organized conspiracy to abuse prisoners that included sexual misconduct and other “despicable” acts by guards. The charges included battery, failing to report inmate abuse and grand theft, reports AP. “We had cases where inmates were…

May 9, 2007 8:07 PM CDT

NC Court Battle Over Taking Oath on Quran

Putting one’s hand on the Bible to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is a relic of history in most American courtrooms today. But not in North Carolina, where the Christian holy book is still routinely handed to witnesses as they are about…

May 9, 2007 2:29 AM CDT

A School Desegregated Is Still Divided

A judge’s ruling in February freeing Little Rock, Ark., schools from oversight has not ended longstanding racial resentments. Fifty years ago, angry whites protested desegregation at Central High School as Army soldiers escorted nine black students into the school for the first time. Now whites are supporting an embattled black…

May 8, 2007 1:17 PM CDT

Digital Cameras Make Difference in Abuse Cases

Domestic abuse victims notoriously can be reluctant to prosecute, once the immediate attack is over. But police in Queens, N.Y., have found a way to up the ante of successful prosecutions, even when victims refuse to cooperate. Equipped with digital cameras, they are taking pictures of lacerations, bruises and other…

May 7, 2007 11:03 AM CDT

Possible Ruling: Chimp a ‘Person’ with Rights

In a case that could prove a persuasive precedent for other judges internationally, animal rights activists in Vienna are seeking a court ruling that a chimpanzee is legally a person. This would allow the chimp rights, such as having a legal guardian appointed, that are not available to nonpersons. Those…

May 4, 2007 8:59 PM CDT

Ex-Cops Admit to Prisoner Beating

Two former St. Louis area police officers have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a federal civil rights violation for their role in beating a jail inmate. In a plea agreement, former Sgt. Lewis A. McGee admitted he held down an agitated prisoner while Detective Mark Winger struck the man,…

May 3, 2007 4:25 PM CDT

A Clash of Rights in TB Cases

A drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis pits the rights of those who are infected against those of the public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the percentage of patients infected with the new, more virulent strain of TB rose from 3 percent in 2000 to 11 percent in 2004,…

May 3, 2007 2:27 PM CDT

TB Patient Jailed for Risky Actions

An Arizona man with tuberculosis has been confined to a hospital’s jail ward since August because he did not wear a mask in public or take prescribed medications. “It’s not fair that they put me in jail,” 27-year-old Robert Daniels told the Los Angeles Times. He wants to be moved…

May 2, 2007 4:59 PM CDT

The Reach of the Writ

Habeas corpus rights of Guantanamo detainees are still up in the air

May 1, 2007 11:18 AM CDT

May 25, 1925

Evolution Teacher John Scopes Indicted

May 1, 2007 11:16 AM CDT

Spring Brings Fashion Police Blitz in Iran

Men, is the top button of your dress shirt undone? Women, are you wearing a bright-colored scarf? That could mean the fashion police are hot on your trail, if you happen to be on a public street in Iran. Spring is traditionally the time for amped-up enforcement of the Islamic…

Apr 30, 2007 8:05 PM CDT

Federal Judges Hold Keys to Calif. Prison Cells

As state legislators in California struggle to relieve prison overcrowding, two federal judges there could be poised to figuratively unlock a number of the cells. Both Thelton E. Henderson and Lawrence K. Karlton are soon to conduct hearings in cases over prison overcrowding and could decide to cap the inmate…

Apr 30, 2007 7:26 PM CDT

High Court Watches Video, Rules for Police

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a police officer is not liable for trying to stop a motorist who leads police on a dangerous car chase, even though the officer reasonably expects his action will cause serious injury. In an 8-1 decision, the court sided today with the officer…

Apr 30, 2007 7:25 PM CDT

Hate Crimes Hard to Prove, Rarely Prosecuted

Nationwide, hate crimes are not reported as often as one might think, and they are rarely prosecuted. Although some say this reflects a racial bias, it can also be difficult to prove hate crimes. The number of reported cases can vary widely. Louisiana and Mississippi, for instance, reported three and…

Apr 30, 2007 6:14 PM CDT

British Slave Records Going Online

A new Web site is putting a human face on a sad chapter in British history: the keeping of slaves. Slavery was abolished in Britain in 1807, but continued until 1834 in 23 colonies. The records, which are still in the process of being put online, cover a 22-year period…

Apr 27, 2007 9:21 PM CDT