A military judge on Friday postponed the first war crimes tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, saying he wants to wait until the Supreme Court makes its highly anticipated ruling on the right of detainees to challenge their confinement in civil courts.
Navy Capt. Keith Allred ruled the trial for Osama bin Laden’s former driver should be delayed [...]
Continue reading about US postpones first Guantanamo war crimes trial
Roe v. Wade is crumbling. This just in from South Dakota:
After more than an hour of fierce and emotional debate, the senators rejected pleas to add exceptions for incest or rape or for the health of the pregnant woman and instead voted, 23 to 12, to outlaw all abortions, except those to save the woman’s [...]
Continue reading about Law to outlaw most abortions passes South Dakota senate
AP wire 3 minutes ago:
President Bush, stung by the rejection of his first choice, nominated conservative judge Samuel Alito on Monday to replace moderate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in a bid to reshape the Supreme Court and mollify his political base.
(…) So consistently conservative, Alito has been dubbed “Scalito” or “Scalia-lite” by some lawyers [...]
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock: Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination to the Supreme Court this morning.
Of course her withdrawal doesn’t mean the next nomination will be any better. In fact it’s going to be even more tricky now for Bush to to nominate someone who can be confirmed by both [...]
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You’d think a self-proclaimed fan of freedom such as President George W. Bush would be onboard when it came to banning torture. But his recent threat to veto a bill that would effectively ban U.S. personnel from engaging in torture is proof that the president is trying to keep doors open that should never have [...]
Today’s New York Times boils it down for us:
The conservative uproar over Ms. Miers underscores how difficult it has been for Mr. Bush to pull his own party together as he faces a variety of problems on other fronts: his administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina; a leak investigation involving his chief political adviser, Karl Rove; [...]
Months ago, after a grueling night of uncertainty, George W. Bush emerged as winner of the 2004 presidential election and vowed to be a president for “all Americans,†not merely those who cast their vote for him. The statement was almost immediately criticized by Democrats, who pointed out that Bush’s past actions did not indicate [...]
Continue reading about Bush’s last chance to represent ‘all’ Americans
Pro-choice activist group indicates that Roberts, if confirmed as Supreme Court justice, would likely overturn Roe. v. Wade, the landmark case that established abortion as a right.
As Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court (gratuitously, since the case did not implicate Roe v. Wade) that “[w]e continue to [...]
Continue reading about Roberts indicated he would overturn Roe v. Wade, make abortion illegal
It’s officially official:
President Bush tonight nominated John G. Roberts Jr., a conservative federal appellate judge from Washington, D.C., to the first vacancy on the Supreme Court in 11 years. New York Times
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The New York Times:
Judge Roberts, 50, once clerked for Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. He has been on the Court of Appeals since May 2003. That court has often been a springboard for the Supreme Court; indeed, three current members of the high court were once on the D.C. Circuit. New York Times
Washington Post has [...]
In case you haven’t heard:
President Bush settled on a nominee for the Supreme Court on Tuesday and the White House made arrangements for a nationally televised prime time announcement. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready,” he said at a midday news conference where he declined to tip his hand.
That only intensified speculation on his [...]
Continue reading about Bush to Introduce Court Nominee Tonight
I find this quote amusing:
Other possibilities mentioned in past weeks include Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is Hispanic, and former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson, who is black.
Reuters
So both are qualified?
In the same story:
Sources said the timing of an announcement had been moved up in part to deflect attention away from a CIA leak controversy [...]
In Sunday’s Radio Address President Bush laid out what he expects the nomination and confirmation process for his Supreme Court candidate to be like:
I will be guided by clear principles as I make my decision. My nominee will be a fair-minded individual who represents the mainstream of American law and American values. The nominee will [...]
When Alberto Gonzales was confirmed as U.S. Attorney General a lot was said about his eventual nomination to the Supreme Court. Now that at least one seat is opening up, this is a distinct possibility.
There is also this in today’s Hill:
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a conservative member of the Judiciary Committee, plans to meet this [...]
Continue reading about Gonzales to be nominated to Supreme Court?
New York Times journalist Judith Miller was jailed Wednesday for doing her job. Miller, as well as Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper, had been under investigation by the federal government for covering the disclosure of an undercover CIA operative by nationally syndicated Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak.
Novak revealed the wife of former U.S. Ambassador Joseph [...]
Continue reading about Administration pressuring media into submission
Here’s one thing I learned about the Bush administration over the last five years: Never let your guard down and always expect the craziest and most daring move possible. This is one of those times.
The news of one of the Supreme Court Justices retiring had been expected, but it was widely assumed to be coming, [...]
Continue reading about U.S. Supreme Court Judge Sandra Day O’Connor announces retirement
Terri Schiavo?s case has been discussed at length. One either agrees with her husband or her parents. But personal opinion had little to do with the most recent developments. It has become an attempt to cash in on an individual?s personal distress to further a political agenda.
Last weekend?s ?emergency session? by Congress was little more [...]
Continue reading about Exploitation of Schiavo for political gains must be stopped
When state troopers found 32 kilos of marijuana during a routine traffic stop in Illinois last November, they most likely did not foresee the waves the case would make. But since a drug-sniffing dog was brought onto the scene and was used without a warrant or apparent signs that drugs were present, the case ended [...]
Continue reading about Supreme Court ruling compromises civil rights
A Supreme Court decision ruled Tuesday that executions of juveniles are unconstitutional. The decision effectively bars the United States from executing individuals who committed a crime at age 18 or below. It also re-opens the discussion of whether capital punishment is morally acceptable. The United States is one of only a few countries that still [...]
Continue reading about Death sentence outdated, inhumane practice
The moment it became known U.S. Supreme Court William H. Rehnquist had thyroid cancer speculations about his replacement started. It now looks like his stepping down may come within the next months. The Court resumes it’s session today, but Justice Rehnquist remains absent due to illness. The New York Times also says this:
Top White House [...]
Continue reading about White House sources say Chief Justice Rehnquist will likely step down by June
I am cautiously ecstatic about Ashcroft resigning. Who knows that nut-case takes his place. And who knows where Ashcroft is heading now. It could be bad. (Would it be theoretically possible to assign Ashcroft to the Supreme Court? I honestly don’t know if that is even possible.)
But take a look at the reason he quoted [...]
AP. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, 80 and the second-oldest man to preside over the nation’s highest court, is undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer, officials announced Monday.
Rehnquist underwent a tracheotomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital in suburban Maryland on Saturday, the court’s announcement said. It added he expects to be back at work next week when [...]
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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Supreme Court turned down a key element of a Republican strategy to tighten the party’s control of the House of Representatives, possibly setting the stage for bitter litigation over the outcome of congressional elections on November 2.
The court refused Monday to uphold a Republican-engineered redistricting scheme in the state of [...]
Continue reading about Supreme Court throws out Texas redistricting
On Nov. 2 the American public will cast their votes for who will be president. Similarly it will also elect or re-elect senators and could tip the balance of which party holds the majority in Congress. An outcome out of these elections that many do not consider, though, is the future composition of the Supreme [...]
Continue reading about Balance of Supreme Court at stake in election
