Religion & Law

Democrats Facing Backlash for Hiding Talks on Pro-Abortion Health Care, C-Span Urges Open TV Coverage

Posted on January 05, 2010
"Congressional Democrats are facing a backlash after news broke yesterday that they intend to move forward with plans to ditch a formal conference committee . . . "

Scott Bergthold perfects the art of crafting bulletproof regulations for sexually oriented businesses

Posted on January 05, 2010
BusinessTN.com: ". . . [A]s founder of the nation's only law firm specializing in drafting and defending adult business ordinances, the Chattanooga attorney has become the point person for municipalities struggling to balance public grievances against porn stores and strip clubs, and those businesses' First Amendment rights...

Brit Hume elaborates on Christian advice for Tiger Woods

Posted on January 05, 2010
Bill O'Reilly interviews Brit Hume about his comments urging Tiger Woods to take a look at Christianty. Hume describes the name of Jesus as being explosive. Related: ?Tiger, forget Buddhism, find Christ: Brit Hume on Fox?

Pro-Life Groups: Contact Congress in Person to Stop Abortion in Health Care

Posted on January 05, 2010
LifeNews: "Members of the Stop the Abortion Mandate Coalition (of which LifeNews.com is a member) are now urging pro-lifers to visit district offices while their elected officials are in town for holiday recess."

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Underfunded Public Pensions as ?Stranded? Costs? Two Trillion Dollars?

Posted on January 05, 2010
'Estimates of aggregate funding requirement of the US pension system have ranged between $400bn and $500bn, but Mr Kramer?s analysis concluded that public funds would need to find more than $2,000bn to meet future pension obligations.'

MI Supreme Ct: Direction reverses, divide remains

Posted on January 05, 2010
Chicago Tribune: "The Michigan Supreme Court underwent a major transformation in 2009, when a Democrat who defeated a Republican incumbent set in motion a series of rulings that favor injured people with damage claims and tighten judicial ethics. One thing that hasn't changed is a bitter ideological split that has led to sharp attacks, ridicule and mockery by justices against their colleagues...

At issue: Judicial flexibility in porn sentences

Posted on January 05, 2010
OneNewsNow: "Pat Trueman, special counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, understands that judges feel a measure of comparison between a murder that in some states might draw a sentence of ten years and a child pornography conviction that might mean 18 years...

U.S. Supreme Court: Is healthcare reform constitutional?

Posted on January 05, 2010
UPI: "Republicans fighting a losing battle to stop Democratic healthcare reform in Congress may have a couple of aces up their sleeve -- the Constitution and the conservative bent of the U.S. Supreme Court."

Justice Rick Strange announces candidacy for Texas Supreme Court

Posted on January 05, 2010
Jacksboro Gazette-News: "Strange is serving his fifth year on the 11th Court of Appeals, following his appointment from Gov. Rick Perry. " Hat tip: How Appealing

Attorney Hit With Rule 11 Sanctions For Campaign To Recuse Catholic Judge

Posted on January 05, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "A Florida federal district court judge has imposed extensive Rule 11 sanctions on attorney Loring Spotler who turned motions to force the judge to recuse himself into a "dogged and relentless" campaign against the judge when the motions were denied...

Orthodox Church In Russia Poised For More Political Involvement, Criticizes European Surrender to Islam

Posted on January 05, 2010
Religion Clause Blog: "Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirrill . . . strongly criticized Europeans for surrendering their values to 'passionate' Muslims . . . "

Report Finds Over 1,200 Crimes Against Churches in 2009

Posted on January 05, 2010
Christian Post: "There were at least 1,237 crimes committed against Christian churches and ministries in the United States this past year, according to a report released Monday." Hat tip to Religion Clause Blog Website:Christian Security Network.

Pat Trueman on Wallbuilders Live: The problem of sexting and recent obscenity rulings

Posted on January 05, 2010
Pat Trueman, special counsel for ADF, appeared on Wallbuilders Live to discuss the problem of sexting and recent obscenity rulings. The MP3 runs just over 9 minutes. Community Defense Counsel Abstract: 9th Circuit: National community standard must be applied in regulating Internet obscenity Community Defense Counsel: 11th Circuit Obscenity Case Tests Community Standards on the Internet

When the Swiss Voted to Ban New Minarets, This Man Built One

Posted on January 05, 2010
Wall Street Journal: "In Switzerland, the debate over the referendum is still hot. On Dec. 13, hundreds of Swiss Muslims protested the vote in Bern, the capital. According to Swiss legal experts, it is next to impossible to contest the outcome of a referendum...

California set to pass education overhaul plan

Posted on January 05, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle: "The California Legislature is poised to pass an education plan today that makes far-reaching changes to how public schools are governed, giving parents the power to transfer their kids out of failing schools and to force districts to overhaul bad schools ...

Iceland president vetos bank bill

Posted on January 05, 2010
BBC: "Iceland's president has refused to sign a controversial bill to repay $5bn (£3.1bn) to the UK and the Netherlands . . . 'It's seen as a blow to the country's hopes of a quick entry to the European Union,' he said."

GOP retirements in House may affect party?s gains in November

Posted on January 05, 2010
Washington Post: "While the recent political chatter in Washington has focused on Democrats retiring from Congress, Republicans are leaving the House in greater numbers, a trend that could blunt the party's momentum heading into the November midterm elections...

Ben Nelson Attacks Pro-Lifers Again, Pledges No Vote if Abortion Deal Weakened

Posted on January 05, 2010
LifeNews: "Senator Ben Nelson is quickly digging himself into a hole from which he may never recover by continuing to attack pro-life advocates. In a new interview, he does that and also pledges to vote against the final health care bill if his already-compromised abortion language is watered down further...

Sen. Byron Dorgan announces retirement

Posted on January 05, 2010
The Hill: "In a huge surprise, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) has just announced he will not seek reelection."

Washington prisoners entitled to vote, 9th Circuit rules

Posted on January 05, 2010
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Tuesday's split ruling by a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel puts those restrictions in doubt, as two of three judges reviewing the voting rights lawsuit found that the state restrictions unfairly penalize minorities...

South Korea confronts open secret of abortion

Posted on January 05, 2010
New York Times: "In a country where abortion is both widespread and, with few exceptions, against the law, Dr. Choi and Dr. Shim are hoping to force South Korea?s first serious public discussion of the ethics of the procedure. In November, they and dozens of other obstetricians held a news conference to ask ?forgiveness? for having performed illegal abortions...

Federal judge demands to know why prosecutors didn?t seek restitution in child porn case

Posted on January 05, 2010
"On Monday, Judge Patrick Schiltz in U.S. District Court in St. Paul issued an order demanding to know why restitution was not even requested by the U.S. attorney's office in the case of a Minnesota man who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography...

Work-Product Battle Reaches Supreme Court

Posted on January 05, 2010
The Blog of the Legal Times: "Textron Inc. v. U.S. stems from a long-running legal battle between the corporation and the Internal Revenue Service over the government?s demand for Textron?s tax-accrual work papers. Those papers generally are prepared with the assistance of in-house and external counsel and relied upon by independent auditors to determine the accuracy of financial statements...

Kansas delays payments to school districts yet again.

Posted on January 05, 2010
Examiner.com: "Postponing of $200 million in payments to 295 school districts will allow the state to meet its own payroll and other expenses. However, it will likely force about 100 school districts to violate the law in order to pay their own bills...

NJ Senate Schedules Marriage for Thursday Vote

Posted on January 05, 2010
"Senate President Richard Codey . . . said Tuesday that the people of New Jersey ''deserve the right to a formal debate on the Senate floor.'''

NYC Charter Schools Outperform Public Counterparts

Posted on January 05, 2010
Bloomberg: "Students in New York City charter schools outperformed their public school counterparts in reading and math, according to a Stanford University study."

TN: Wilson schools agree to end Bible distribution to students

Posted on January 05, 2010
WHNT.com: "The settlement came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee threatened to sue on behalf of a fifth-grade student at Carroll-Oakland Elementary School."

Mexican States Adopt Abortion Restrictions In Response To Legalization Of Procedure In Mexico City

Posted on January 05, 2010
Medical News Today: "In response to a Mexican Supreme Court ruling in August 2008 upholding a Mexico City law permitting abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, 17 of 32 Mexican states have approved amendments to their constitutions declaring that life begins at conception and granting legal rights to fetuses, the Chicago Tribune reports...

South Korea Confronts Open Secret of Abortion

Posted on January 05, 2010
NY Times: "In a country where abortion is both widespread and, with few exceptions, against the law, Dr. Choi and Dr. Shim are hoping to force South Korea?s first serious public discussion of the ethics of the procedure."

?Americans United Warns Louisiana Education Board Not To Adopt Review Policy That Favors Creationism?

Posted on January 05, 2010
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: "In a letter sent to the Board, Americans United warns that the proposed review policy is constitutionally suspect because it appears to open the door for creationist concepts to be taught in public schools...

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