Religion & Law

Wisconsin: Bill would limit access to online court records

Posted on January 28, 2010
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "The bill by Rep. Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids) would make court records available online only for those who are convicted of a crime, found liable in a civil case, evicted or issued a restraining order or injunction by the court ...

Court Applies Ministerial Exception to Dismiss Suit by Catholic School Teacher

Posted on January 28, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "In Weishuhn v. Catholic Diocese of Lansing, (MI Ct. App., Jan. 26, 2010), a Michigan appellate court dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Catholic school teacher who taught mathematics and religion to 6th, 7th and 8th graders."

Bill Proposed In California To Protect Clergy From Perfoming Same-Sex Marriages

Posted on January 28, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "As the federal court trial challenging the constitutionality of California's gay marriage ban continues (New York Times 1/27), proponents of same-sex marriage yesterday introduced a bill in the California legislature to make the prospect more appealing to opponents ...

Crosses fire up ceramics class

Posted on January 28, 2010
ADF attorney Joseph Martins writes at the Center for Academic Freedom Blog: "In 2009, [Joe Mitchell] designed and crafted a few crosses but the College refused to fire the works claiming that the crosses 'demean[ed]' the goals of the class and were as offensive as a 'swastika...

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?Defense witnesses agree Prop 8 discriminates against gays?

Posted on January 28, 2010
The Bay Area Reporter: "Austin Nimocks, a spokesman for the Yes on 8 legal team, said they were not concerned about Blankenhorn's statements. 'He made clear there is not equality between same-sex marriage and opposite-sex marriage,' said Nimocks."

German homeschooling family granted political asylum in U.S.

Posted on January 28, 2010
Charisma Online: "The family was represented by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), and the case was funded in part by the Alliance Defense Fund."

?Philosophy? poster containing Ten Commandments gets judge back in spotlight

Posted on January 28, 2010
Columbus Dispatch: "A second constitutional challenge to an Ohio judge's display of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom is making its way through the court system. At issue is whether a new, self-designed and framed poster put up by Richland County Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese in his Mansfield courtroom is constitutional ...

When government workers unionize, taxpayers lose

Posted on January 28, 2010
NCPA: ". . . unionized public employees are a natural voting bloc for lawmakers who keep handing them raises. It is the kind of relationship that is crushing California and will eventually devour Oregon and other governments, says IBD . . . "

Personhood Kansas Launches Campaign to Amend Constitution, Recognize Human Rights

Posted on January 28, 2010
Personhood USA: "A new Kansas pro-life organization, Personhood Kansas, is seeking to partner with Christian and pro-life leaders, activists, and volunteers to form a statewide, grassroots coalition. The group was created for a single purpose?to conduct a campaign which results in the amending of the Kansas Constitution so that every child of God is protected by love and by law...

Iran hangs 2 for allegedly aiming to topple state

Posted on January 28, 2010
AP: "Iran on Thursday executed two men accused of involvement in an armed anti-government group, as the public prosecutor announced that new death sentences have been issued against opposition activists involved in protests over June's disputed presidential election...

Study finds gov. support for media is shrinking

Posted on January 28, 2010
AP: "Government subsidies for the media, which are not widely known but are a long-running source of revenue for publishers, are quietly vanishing just as the industry is struggling to remain commercially viable, according to a new report released Thursday...

Repeal the 17th Amendment

Posted on January 28, 2010
". . . If senators were again selected by state legislatures, the longevity of Senate careers would be tethered to their vigilant defense of their state's interest -- rather than to the interest of Washington forces of influence."

?Alito disparages Obama?s Supreme Court criticism?

Posted on January 28, 2010
"Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito didn't like hearing President Barack Obama publicly criticize the high court's ruling removing corporate campaign spending limits - and he didn't try to hide it."

Ben Nelson Flip-Flops Again, Backs Reconciliation for Pro-Abortion Health Care

Posted on January 28, 2010
LifeNews: "'I've been asked about whether I'd support using the process known as reconciliation now. So, I want to make it clear: If I support a bill, then I will vote for it regardless of whether it takes 50 votes to pass or 60 votes to pass. My position doesn't change just because the House or Senate decides to change the process,' Nelson said, according to Politico...

Austin R. Nimocks on the Michael Medved Show: Perry v. Schwarzenegger

Posted on January 28, 2010
Austin R. Nimocks appeared on the Michael Medved Show to discuss the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial. The mp3 runs just over 34 minutes.

Pentagon to reveal plan to lift ?gay? ban in military

Posted on January 28, 2010
FOX News: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen will unveil next week a plan to lift the ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Thursday."

Indiana House lukewarm on same-sex ?marriage? ban

Posted on January 28, 2010
WIBC: "The Senate is expected to approve a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage this afternoon. But House leaders indicate it's unlikely to advance in their chamber."

CBS considering airing ?gay? dating site ad during Super Bowl

Posted on January 28, 2010
FOX News: "After days of deliberations on whether to run a controversial Super Bowl ad from gay dating site ManCrunch.com, CBS has not yet reached a decision."

FL: Man accused of slicing ex-girlfriend?s throat outside Holiday strip club

Posted on January 28, 2010
St. Petersburg Times: "At a strip club a few hours before dawn Wednesday, a man sliced his ex-girlfriend's throat with a pocketknife and then pummeled her face with his fists, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office."

Europe must assert its religious identity, says Italian Foreign Minister

Posted on January 28, 2010
EurActiv: "Europe must assert its religious identity if it is to face up to the 'challenges' of globalisation and immigration, Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Franco Frattini said yesterday (26 January). Speaking before the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, Frattini lamented the absence of a strong 'common European identity...

ADF Update on Prop 8 Trial: Day 12

Posted on January 28, 2010
ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks writing at The Christian Post: "While the testimonial phase of the trial is finished, the proceedings in San Francisco are not yet complete. Judge Walker plans to take about a month to review, on his own, the thousands of pages of documents and exhibits that were introduced into evidence during these last two weeks...

Middle Tennessee State University stops discriminating against pro-life group

Posted on January 28, 2010
LifeNews: "'Pro-life student groups shouldn't be penalized and discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,' said ADF Litigation Staff Counsel Joe Martins. 'We are pleased that the officials at Middle Tennessee State University have changed their minds and refrained from singling out the Pro-Life Collegians for this type of fee...

?PA courts to offer LGBT domestic-partner benefits?

Posted on January 28, 2010
Philadelphia Gay News: "Employees of Pennsylvania?s court system who are in same-sex relationships will now be entitled to the same benefits as their heterosexual married counterparts."

Testimony ends in same-sex ?marriage? trial

Posted on January 28, 2010
LA Times: "Andy Pugno, a lawyer for proponents of Proposition 8, said Wednesday he was confident that his side would prevail on pure legal issues, 'whether here or down the road.' He said the challengers put on a 'spectacular show,' but the evidence they presented was more political than legal...

University of Wisconsin doctors planned new Madison abortion center for years

Posted on January 28, 2010
LifeNews: "[N]ew documents pro-life groups have obtained show plans for the abortion center were in the works for years . . . Last year, pro-life groups including the Alliance Defense Fund, Pro-Life Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Right to Life exposed the plan for the new UW abortion center and led opposition to it...

Study: Movies with Sex, Nudity Don?t Sell at Box Office

Posted on January 28, 2010
Christian Post: "Hollywood would have people believe that sex and nudity sell at the box office. But a recent study shows statistically sex scenes do not translate to ticket sales. Dean Keith Simonton, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis and independent Vancouver-based researcher Anemone Cerridwen analyzed data for 914 films released between 2001 and 2005 ...

Maryland: Same-sex ?marriage? backers targeting opponents

Posted on January 28, 2010
". . . Social conservatives are rallying behind a proposal to expressly prohibit the state from acknowledging same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, a bill that would clarify Maryland's law and erase the need for Gansler's opinion . . . "

Indiana Senate may vote on marriage amendment

Posted on January 28, 2010
WIBC: "Supporters of gay rights are moving to head off the latest attempt to put a gay-marriage ban in the Indiana Constitution. The Senate could vote as early as Thursday on a constitutional amendment. Opponents of the proposal concede it's almost certain to pass, and likely to die in the House...

The Perfect Storm of Legal Research

Posted on January 28, 2010
Robert J. Ambrogi writes at Legal Blog Watch: "If there is to be a perfect storm in the tumultuous sea of legal research offerings, it is likely to hit sometime Monday at LegalTech New York. That is when Westlaw will formally unveil its most sweeping overhaul since its move to the Web and LexisNexis will announce what it says will be a major new product for legal professionals, even as it prepares to announce an overhaul of its own research service at a date yet to be specified ...

Baby Isaiah Granted Another Three Weeks for Medical Assessment

Posted on January 27, 2010
LifeSiteNews: "Baby Isaiah May has been granted at least another three weeks of life, after an Alberta provincial court ruled that he should remain on life support until February 19th while lawyers have him assessed by medical experts."

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