Constitutional Law

Cert Granted in Drug Evidence Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether courts may consider cocaine evidence seized as a result of an illegal arrest for driving on a suspended license. Five federal appeals courts and four state supreme courts allow consideration of evidence seized in violation of state arrest laws. But the Virginia Supreme…

Sep 25, 2007 3:06 PM CDT

New Laws Seek to Ban Iraq T-Shirt Sales

“Bush Lied. They Died.” Those words, on a T-shirt, along with the names of U.S. soldiers who have been killed in the Iraq war, have sparked outrage—and legislation in five states. They now ban the use of names of soldiers killed in Iraq for commercial purposes unless surviving family members…

Sep 24, 2007 8:50 PM CDT

Suit: Feds’ Raids Violate Constitution

Warrantless searches allegedly are being conducted by armed U.S. immigration authorities on Latino-occupied homes in the New York City area where they have no good reason to believe immigrant fugitives are living. A federal class action lawsuit filed in Manhattan yesterday by 15 plaintiffs contends the feds are conducting such…

Sep 21, 2007 11:26 PM CDT

Judge Allows Students’ Hitler Youth Buttons

A New Jersey school may not bar fifth-grade students from wearing a Hitler Youth button to protest school uniforms, a federal judge has ruled. Judge Joseph Greenaway of Newark said there was no evidence the buttons will disrupt the educational process and it is likely the kids will prevail on…

Sep 21, 2007 2:21 PM CDT

1000s Protest in Jena (and Elsewhere)

In a protest largely launched by bloggers that some are calling the dawn of a new 21st century civil rights movement, more than 15,000 people from around the country reportedly marched on a tiny town in Louisiana today. Their goal: to protest what many see as an unfair justice system…

Sep 21, 2007 3:58 AM CDT

Judge Halts TN Lethal Injection

A federal judge has halted an upcoming execution in Tennessee, ruling that the state’s lethal injection procedure presents “a substantial risk of unnecessary pain.” Judge Aleta A. Trauger of Nashville said the three-drug procedure does not ensure that inmates are unconscious when they are executed, the New York Times reports.…

Sep 20, 2007 4:06 PM CDT

Roberts Links Judicial Independence, Free Speech

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told students at Syracuse University yesterday that the First Amendment is only as strong as the judges who uphold it. Roberts read words ensuring free speech protections, then revealed they were from the Soviet Union’s 1977 constitution, the Associated Press reports. “All lies,” he…

Sep 20, 2007 11:08 AM CDT

Cabbies Sue, Say GPS Risks Trade Secrets

Fearful of an invasion of privacy that could allow others to take advantage of a valuable trade secret—the best driving routes to find fares—New York cabdrivers have filed suit to block new rules requiring the installation of GPS and other new technology. While not all taxi drivers and cab owners…

Sep 20, 2007 1:25 AM CDT

Court to Parents: No Tough Love, No Cars

A lack of tough love has cost two Washington state parents their cars. Because they didn’t act quickly enough to snatch back their car keys from a son who apparently was using their vehicles to deal drugs, according to authorities, they were properly seized by the government under drug-forfeiture laws…

Sep 19, 2007 11:48 PM CDT

Judge: No Test Breaks for Breastfeeding

A Harvard University medical student about to begin her residency has lost a court case seeking extra time to pump breast milk while she takes a national clinical knowledge exam. While it will be inconvenient for Sophie Currier to pump breast milk in the total 45 minutes of scheduled breaks…

Sep 19, 2007 6:54 PM CDT

March on Jena Protests Justice System

A civil rights march tomorrow expected to draw tens of thousands to a tiny central Louisiana town isn’t just about perceived injustice concerning six black high school students. It’s about the way African-Americans have been treated by the American justice system throughout the history of this country, writes Leonard Pitts…

Sep 19, 2007 4:20 PM CDT

MD Gay Marriage Ban Upheld

In a divided opinion, Maryland’s highest court has upheld a 1973 law that bans gay marriage. The 4-3 Court of Appeals decision (PDF) said the law does not discriminate on the basis of sex and does not violate the fundamental right to marriage, the Washington Post reports. The statute furthers…

Sep 19, 2007 2:36 PM CDT

Chicago 7 Trial Sketches Spark Memories

With his feet propped up, 1960s activist Abbie Hoffman reads a book. Blue-jeans-clad cohorts munch snacks and catch up on their sleep. No, this wasn’t some student-lounge gathering but one of Chicago’s most famous trials, at which at least one celebrity poet testified in Sanskrit. Arrested after a violent confrontation…

Sep 18, 2007 10:14 PM CDT

ACLU Backs Craig in Restroom Case

The ACLU has filed a supporting brief in Sen. Larry Craig’s effort to revoke his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge in a restroom sex sting. The conviction violates Craig’s right of free speech under the First Amendment and is unconstitutionally vague, the American Civil Liberties Union says says…

Sep 18, 2007 12:29 AM CDT

Religion Statute May Allow Gitmo Claims

Four former Guantanamo Bay military prison detainees who claim American officials abused them there haven’t had any luck trying to sue the U.S. government over alleged constitutional rights violations. But redress may be possible under a 1993 statute that says the government must have a compelling reason for infringing on…

Sep 17, 2007 3:48 PM CDT