Topic: Supreme Court

House GOP review

By Tennessee Republicans | April 20, 2008 |

The House GOP Review is a weekly feature that gives Tennesseans an in-depth look at what our Republican state legislators have been working on this week, and a glimpse into what’s planned for the coming week at our state house

House GOP leaders pleased with Supreme Court verdict upholding lethal injection

House GOP leaders said this week that they were pleased with the opinion issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Baze vs. Rees case that upheld the use of lethal injection as a means of execution. In a 7-2 ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Court held that Kentucky’s three-drug protocol did not amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

In September of 2007, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger ruled that Tennessee’s method of lethal injection was unconstitutional. Soon after, Governor Phil Bredesen issued a moratorium pending the outcome of the death penalty case facing the U.S. Supreme Court. As a result, two executions were put in jeopardy of not being carried out. Pervis T. Payne was scheduled to be executed on December 12, 2007, for two counts of murder stemming from a brutal stabbing he committed in Shelby County. Mass-murderer Paul Dennis Reid gunned down seven victims execution style, killing more people than anyone else on Tennessee’s death row, and drawing seven death sentences.

«Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Politics | No Comments

ACLU-TN Students’ Rights Conference

By Terry McMoore | February 22, 2008 |

Youth In Action: Know Your Rights, Make Some Change is the topic of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee’s fourth-annual Students’ Rights Conference, which will take place Saturday, March 8, at the Nashville Public Library’s Main Branch at 615 Church Street. This event, designed for Tennessee’s public and private high school students, runs from 10 am - 4 pm with registration at 9:30 am.

The conference will focus on young people’s rights, both in school and in the community. Topics include freedom of speech and expression, discipline, dress code, youth violence, LGBT rights, and drug testing. Special sessions will focus on what to do when stopped by the police and Activism 101 (the tools needed for making change), Freedom of Expression (including student rights related to speech, press, dress, and the Internet), and Street Law (including student rights and responsibilities related to police and the courts, racial profiling and police/community relations). «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Events | No Comments

Fox News doesn’t want you to see this ad

By Bill Larson | December 4, 2007 |

Fox News has censored the Center for Constitutional Rights free speech by declining to run an advertisement by them titled “Rescue the Constitution” which has actor Danny Glover saying, “The Bush administration is destroying the Constitution” by the use of renditions, torture, and other tactics. Fox News offered this explanation as justification for their decision:

We cannot approve the spot with it being Danny Glover’s opinion that the Bush Administration is destroying the Constitution. If you have documentation that it is indeed being destroyed, we can look at that. Sorry about that,

«Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News, Politics | No Comments

SCOTUS non-ruling: More chips in the Constitutional foundation

November 28, 2007 |

With their refusal to hear a San Diego County case yesterday regarding unannounced searching of homes of public assistance applicants, the Supreme Court once again turned noted English jurist William Blackstone on his head. In the view of the Roberts court, it is better that ten truly needy people suffer than one potential fraudster escape.Perhaps you just don’t care. After all, it’s just Cadillac welfare queens that the refusal applies to, right?

You better think again… «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion | No Comments

Supreme Court Decision on “Partial Birth Abortion” not the end of the world

By David W. Shelton | April 23, 2007 |

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a ban on the controversial “partial birth abortion. In a bitterly divided 5-4 decision, the nation’s highest court showed a disturbing willingness to revisit the constitutionality of a woman’s right to choose whether or not she wishes to carry her baby to term.

The abortion issue is one of the most hotly debated topics in our country’s political climate. The debate is as fiery as it is passionate; as bitter as it is emotional. In fact, I sincerely believe that one of the only other topics that has been anywhere near as divisive as the abortion debate is the debate over GLBT equality. The latest decision from the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts only makes this debate even more explosive. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Opinion, Politics | 1 Comment »

Gay rights back in the news

By David W. Shelton | July 26, 2006 |

So yes, it’s been a great day. Why on earth would I say such a thing? The Supreme Court in a largely liberal state has ruled against gay marriage. That’s supposed to be a bad thing. Isn’t it? Compound that with recent big losses in New York and right here in Tennessee and you have a huge blow to gay activism everywhere.

Well, maybe not. Consider this: with every loss to a state’s Supreme Court, the Reich-wing has one of their toys snatched away. As it turns out, those “activist judges” aren’t such activists after all. Now, as much as some of us would like to disagree with them, we can’t ignore the reality that the great “activist judge” mantra is backfiring in a big way. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics, Spirituality | No Comments