Religion & Law

Law Review: Evaluating Judges and Judicial Institutions: Reorienting the Perspective

Posted on March 11, 2010
G. Mitu Gulati, David Klein, and David F. Levi, Evaluating Judges and Judicial Institutions: Reorienting the Perspective (February 23, 2010). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1561662 "In September 2009, we hosted an unusual workshop at Duke Law School...

Law Review: The Last Word

Posted on March 11, 2010
Davies, Ross E., The Last Word (March 7, 2010). Journal of Appellate Practice and Process, Forthcoming; George Mason Law & Economics Research Paper No. 10-15. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1566468 "Once in a great while a member of the Supreme Court tries to get the last word...

Law Review: Why the Supreme Court Issues Plurality Opinions

Posted on March 11, 2010
David R. Stras and James F. Spriggs, Why the Supreme Court Issues Plurality Opinions (March 2, 2010). Minnesota Legal Studies Research Paper No. 10-11. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1562737 "In the first empirical analysis examining the occurrence of plurality decisions, the authors examine a variety of ideological, collegial, contextual, and legal factors to determine which factors are most likely to lead to plurality decisions...

IN: Valedictorian Sues to Stop High School Graduation Prayer

Posted on March 11, 2010
FoxNews: "The top-ranked senior at a suburban Indianapolis high school is asking a federal judge to stop a graduation prayer that the class voted to approve."

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?Gay rights and anti-gay liberties?

Posted on March 11, 2010
Wendy Kaminer writing at The Atlantic: In the Ward and Mendell cases, 'complainants are wielding the canons of professional ethics as if they were blasphemy codes for the state church and you have to punish these people as heretics,' Alliance Defense Fund attorney Jordon Lorence asserts...

UK: Pill against my religion says chemist

Posted on March 11, 2010
Yorkshire Post: "An investigation has been launched after a pharmacist refused to supply the contraceptive pill to a South Yorkshire woman, saying it was 'against her religion'. Janine Deeley was turned away by the female chemist at Lloyds pharmacy in Duke Street, Sheffield, when she went to pick up her prescription...

David Cameron: I will banish extremists from Britain

Posted on March 11, 2010
The Jewish Chronicle: "A Conservative government would ban extremist Islamist groups, refuse visas to hate preachers and insist that universities identify and root out radicals promoting violence, antisemitism and other racial intolerance on campus."

Florida pro-lifers bring end to Planned Parenthood program funding

Posted on March 11, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast has acknowledged it will not request a $50,000 grant from the Martin County Children?s Services Council for its La Promesa program, which was aimed at teaching the Hispanic community about contraception and abortion, in fiscal year 2010/11...

Idaho State Affairs Committee Passes ?Conscience? Bill

Posted on March 11, 2010
Newwest.net: "After two days of testimony, mostly in opposition, Idaho?s House State Affairs Committee voted to pass this year?s version of the ?conscience? bill, which lets medical professionals such as nurses and pharmacists refuse to perform medical actions or fill prescriptions that could cause an abortion?as well as emergency contraception?or hasten the end of life...

9th Circuit rejects Newdow challenge to ?In God We Trust?

Posted on March 11, 2010
"This case calls upon us to decide whether the national motto of the United States, 'In God We Trust,' and its inscription on the Nation?s coins and currency, violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment . . . "

9th Circuit: Nevada has right to ban brothel advertising

Posted on March 11, 2010
"A federal appeals court has ruled that Nevada has the right to ban certain advertisements of legal brothels, saying it doesn't violate the First Amendment of free speech . . . "

MN: Clark?s anti-porn bill passes out of Senate committee

Posted on March 11, 2010
Politics in Minnesota: "A bill that would prohibit state employees and elected officials from spending public dollars at hotels that offer customers access to violent pornographic movies passed unanimously out of a Senate committee this afternoon. The measure, introduced by Sen...

GA: Atlanta ?gay bar? operating as sexually oriented business without permit

Posted on March 11, 2010
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "A city prosecutor alleged Thursday that the Atlanta Eagle gay bar was operating as an adult entertainment establishment without a permit."

Argentinian judge reverses same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on March 11, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "An Argentinan judge has nullified the 'marriage' recently contracted between two homosexuals in the city of Buenos Aires, and has ordered them to return all documents related to the union . . . Igarzabal based his decision on article 172 of Argentina's national civil code, which states that the 'complete and free consent expressed personally by a man and a woman before the authority that is competent to celebrate it, is indispensable for the existence of matrimony...

Liberty Counsel Asks U.S. Supreme Court To Review Censorship of Jesus Image In Poster

Posted on March 11, 2010
Liberty Counsel: "Today, Liberty Counsel filed a petition asking the United States Supreme Court to review a New York school district?s censorship of a picture of Jesus that then-kindergartner Antonio Peck included on his poster showing ways to save the world ...

NH voters want to vote on a marriage amendment

Posted on March 11, 2010
Union Leader: "Granite State voters on Tuesday signaled a desire to vote on same-sex marriage, according to results of town meetings from across the state."

OH: Tougher trafficking law gains support

Posted on March 11, 2010
Columbus Dispatch: "A stand-alone human-trafficking law cleared a hurdle yesterday when the Ohio Prosecutors Association came out in support of legislation being heard by an Ohio Senate committee . . . 'This offense will be an additional weapon in the battle against human trafficking,' Murphy said in testimony supporting Senate Bill 235...

OK: Bill to keep federal law enforcement from taking over ?hate crimes? cases

Posted on March 11, 2010
The Oklahoman: "A state law enforcement agency would not be required to share investigative files with federal agencies under changes proposed to the state?s hate crime bill . . . Under the new provisions of Senate Bill 1965, reports that were collected during investigations of possible hate crime that did not end in a conviction would be destroyed or kept by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation...

Senate Parliamentarian: Democrats Can?t Use Reconciliation for Pro-Abortion Bill

Posted on March 11, 2010
LifeNews: "In what may be a blow to Democrats and their effort to push the pro-abortion health care bill through Congress, the Senate parliamentarian has ruled that Senate Democrats can't use the controversial reconciliation process to make the changes needed to get enough votes for the Senate bill in the House...

Maryland: Impeachment of AG over marriage opinion may lead to legislative showdown

Posted on March 10, 2010
"Dwyer, R-Glen Burnie, said yesterday that he will offer impeachment charges against Attorney General Douglas Gansler on March 31 . . . "

UK: Christians urged to act over same-sex ceremonies in churches

Posted on March 10, 2010
Christian Telegraph: "Pressure group Christian Concern For Our Nation is calling on Christians to write to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Harriet Harman following last week's vote in the House of Lords in favour of allowing churches to conduct civil partnership ceremonies...

Why Life Is Worth So Little in Prosperous Japan?

Posted on March 10, 2010
Chiesso.Espressonline.it: "One suicide every 15 minutes, in the most efficient country in the world. An exclusive survey analyzes the reasons. The bishop and the nuncio: there is an absence of faith in a personal God, in a people that honors eight million gods...

Pakistan: Christians, not Muslims, arrested following attack on Christians

Posted on March 10, 2010
Catholic Culture: "In the weeks following a February attack on Christian churches and homes in Pakistan?s largest city, police have questioned 40 Christians and arrested five, according to a report published by the Fides news agency."

UT: Guv signs revised abortion bill

Posted on March 10, 2010
Salt Lake Tribune: "Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law Monday a bill that would allow a woman who arranges an illegal abortion to be charged with criminal homicide."

Dalai Lama: China aims to annihilate Buddhism

Posted on March 10, 2010
AP: "The Dalai Lama lashed out at China on Wednesday, accusing it of trying to "annihilate Buddhism" in Tibet and rebuffing all his efforts to reach a compromise over the disputed Himalayan region."

AR: Meth lab found at sexually oriented business

Posted on March 10, 2010
Southwest Times Record: "Authorities arrested the owner of the business that was located in a suite at 1000 Fort St. The business had hundreds of pornographic videos and a methamphetamine lab, Powell told the Barling Board of Directors during its regular meeting Tuesday...

San Francisco LGBT Center asking city for $1M

Posted on March 10, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle: "Since opening in 2002, the $12.3 million, city-subsidized center has struggled to pay its mortgage and is now on the verge of foreclosure."

Angry ex-subscribers react to Washington Post photo of two men kissing

Posted on March 10, 2010
The Washington Post Ombudsman has posted this article describing some of his mail. The article includes the photo in question.

First report on WA ?Death with Dignity? law

Posted on March 10, 2010
Washington State Department of Health 2009 Death with Dignity Act Report: "This report focuses on the 63 participants for whom medication was dispensed between March 5, 2009, when the act became law, and December 31, 2009. It includes data from the documentation received by the Department of Health as of February 3, 2010...

Kansas Bill Mandates Hefty Damages to Crush Child Porn

Posted on March 10, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Kansas lawmakers are considering an innovative way to fight child pornography that has begun catching on in several state legislatures. A new bill introduced in the state Senate Judiciary Committee last month would unleash lawyers on the producers, promoters, and consumers of child pornography and empower them to collect hefty damages on behalf of victims ...

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