Tag Archives: courts

Justice, peace, and indictments in Baltimore #Ferguson

When Maryland State’s attorney Marilyn Mosby decided to indict six police officers for the death of Freddie Gray, she may have been responding only to the evidence of criminal conduct by law enforcement. Her office found that police lacked probable … Continue reading

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Legal change is a long haul

The Supreme Court hears arguments on Obergefell v. Hodges today; the justices will consider whether there is a right to same sex marriage, and whether states are compelled to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states (see: full faith … Continue reading

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Police violence and the special prosecutor

Twenty-five thousand people marched in New York City on Saturday because they were angry that police who kill unarmed, uh, suspects, aren’t prosecuted.  But they’re angry about more than that:  differential policing based on color, particularly the treatment of young … Continue reading

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How movements work; Shamu’s story.

Here’s a shift: SeaWorld is building larger pens for the killer whales it keeps as performers and tourist attractions.  It also announced an enhanced focus on research.  Where did this come from? This is the movement story: Shamu, the stage … Continue reading

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Anticipating backlash?

Not that it’s impossible, but it’s hard for any government, particularly the US government, to take rights away.  What seems intractable, like laws mandating schools segregated by race or prohibitions on “interracial” marriage, disappear, and over time, so does polite … Continue reading

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DREAM 9 and organizing around civil disobedience

I’m in awe of the courage and commitment of the DREAM 9, and their (probably inappropriate) confidence in their ability to move the immigration debate forward toward some kind of reform. On July 22, the nine young non-citizens, who had … Continue reading

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Martin, Zimmerman, judicial backlash and policy change: update

Yesterday I claimed that the disappointment and mobilization in the wake of unpopular judicial verdicts in the Rodney King and O.J. Simpson cases didn’t lead to changes in policy.  (That’s another disappointment!)  I asked for corrections. Lindsey Lupo, a political … Continue reading

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Zimmerman, Martin, and the Courts

Don’t count on the courts to produce justice, but sometimes it’s disappointment with the legal system that does make change. We expect too much from the courts and we’re constantly disappointed.  The trial in Florida could have ended with George … Continue reading

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Massive hunger strike in California prisons

An astonishing 30,000 prisoners in California prisons have refused meals.  The Corrections Department doesn’t call it a hunger strike until 9 meals have been missed, but what’s going on is pretty clear. A hunger strike reflects commitment and desperation; prison … Continue reading

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Supreme Court spectacles, football, and same sex marriage

No one should think that the oral arguments conducted today and tomorrow in the Supreme Court–or the decisions the Court will issue this spring–will resolve the evolving politics of gay marriage, and gay rights more generally.  The spectacle of the … Continue reading

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