http://www.citizensugar.com/ Breaking News, Together. en http://www.citizensugar.com/2634153 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/52_2008/0e67e6ebe5107cf5_72348199.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left xlarge" height="219" width="320"></span>Whether it's a prankster or a money-saver, more people have caught on to the notion of license plate cloning, or as high school students in Maryland call it, the "speed camera pimping game." The trick is to replace your license plate with someone else's number (preferably belonging to a lookalike vehicle) so when you speed by a red-light or speed camera, they get the bill (or bill<i>s</i> <a href="http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/604124.driver_left_with_fines_after_car_clones_target_him/" target="_blank">adding up to thousands of dollars</a>) in the mail. </p> <p>In Maryland students have used a printer and glossy paper to <a href="http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/26/2632.asp" target="_blank">print out faux license plates</a> with numbers belonging to their frenemies. They then proceed to purposefully speed by the camera, pull over, remove the fake plate, and then chuckle at the thought of a ticket showing up at a rival's house. </p> <p>While I'm sure the high school kids will get caught soon, especially since they use a camera right by school, professional license plate cloners sound more like thieves than resourceful pranksters. </p> <p>Does the risk of identify theft make you think twice about speed cameras? </p> <p><span style='font-size:10px !important;'><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></span> </p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2634153#comment Crime Law Maryland Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:30:36 -0800 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2634153 http://www.citizensugar.com/2631762 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/51_2008/346102c6a28e6d47_stk74261cor.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="320" width="320"></span>The owners of a NYC apartment building have <a href="http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2008/12/19/D9561NFG0_odd_fishy_stink_lawsuit/" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a> against their tenants who continue to stink up the place when they cook large quantities of fish. These land<i>lords</i> seeking relief from the smell have a special connection to another Lord — they're nuns! </p> <p>In the lawsuit, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart Inc. allege that the defendants produce smells "similar to that of vomit or rotten meat." In fact, one resident worried that a dead body was decomposing and called the authorities! </p> <p>The nuns have asked the court to make the fish-fryers stop producing the orders, while also paying the nuns' legal fees and damages of at least $50,000. Do you think a court can determine what smell should be illegal, or is it too subjective? While it seems reasonable to ask neighbors to stop making your place smell like vomit or a corpse, I wonder if they should pay thousands in damages. </p> <p><span style='font-size:10px !important;'><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></span> </p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2631762#comment Law New York City Religion Weird News Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:30:31 -0800 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2631762 http://www.citizensugar.com/2608684 <p>The Supreme Court declined to go light on tobacco industry today, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/washington/16scotus.html?_r=1&amp;hp" target="_blank">ruling 5-4 that plaintiffs can sue</a> the companies for deceptively advertising "light" cigarettes. While the court did not decide whether tobacco companies did anything wrong, today's decision means that smokers have a chance to prove that by using the terms "light" and "lowered tar" the companies violated a Maine state law against fraudulent advertising. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/51_2008/30564093a2845fc6_light_cigarettes.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="411" width="550"></span></p> <p>The tobacco companies unsuccessfully argued that federal cigarette-labeling laws, which bar additional state regulation “based on smoking and health,” preempted the Maine fraud statute.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/light-cigarettes" target="_blank">National Cancer Institute says</a> that although light cigarettes feel smoother and lighter on the throat and chest, they are not healthier than regular cigarettes. Also, light cigarettes make up about 80 percent of the US cigarette market. Do you think this is a valid lawsuit?</p> <p><span style='font-size:10px !important;'><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></span></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2608684#comment Law SCOTUS Smoking Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2608684 http://www.citizensugar.com/2564031 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-2564031"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/2564031',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-2564031');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/49_2008/003244e50121ca06_78074560.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" width="320" height="214"></span>The family of the Wal-Mart <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/2545547" >worker killed by a stampede of shoppers</a> has filed a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/03/family-of-walmart-employe_n_148159.html" target="_blank">wrongful death lawsuit</a>, claiming that Wal-Mart "created an atmosphere of competition and anxiety" that led to "crowd craze." Considering that a young man died in the Black Friday frenzy, that much seems true —but should Wal-Mart have to pay for that death?</p> <p>The family thinks so, and in the lawsuit they argue that Wal-Mart "engaged in specific marketing and advertising techniques to specifically attract a large crowd and create an environment of frenzy and mayhem and was otherwise careless, reckless and negligent." The family also claims that the store did not provide reasonable security. </p> <p>Regardless of who's ultimately responsible, it's unbelievably sad that a stampede caused by discounts resulted in a man's death. </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/2564031" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Family Demands Wal-Mart Pay For Death of Employee — Fair? </label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> Yay! Wal-Mart increases the hype and hysteria to make money. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> Nay. Wal-Mart should be able to offer consumers discounts. Sue the shoppers! </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you in the comments.</label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="2564031" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.citizensugar.com/2564031#comment Black Friday Citizen Poll Crime Law Wal-Mart Yay or Nay Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:00:25 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2564031 http://www.citizensugar.com/2547158 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/48_2008/0202c165f091ad7a_Picture_2.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="320" width="300"></span>In 2004 Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman, rejected a man's multiple marriage proposals, only to have him throw a jar of acid in her face and blind her. Four years later, an Iranian court has <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7754756.stm" target="_blank">sentenced the 27-year-old attacker to be blinded</a>, calling on the Islamic law of "qias" or equivalence.</p> <p>BBC reports that Ameneh, who lost one eye and was otherwise significantly disfigured, received reconstructive face surgery in Europe; but doctors could not bring back her sight. She told the court that since the attack, she has lived in fear, and she pleaded that the man who blinded her face the same fate. The court followed her wishes.</p> <p>Iranian officials hope the retributive sentence will prevent future acid attacks. Does this punishment bring the victim and society down to the criminal's level, or is it only fair that he feel the pain she does? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2547158#comment Human Rights Iran Law Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:00:55 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2547158 http://www.citizensugar.com/2541179 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/48_2008/b5dee5d75af99902_Peeping-Tom.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image outline left xlarge" height="320" width="271"></span>If you're hitting the mall today <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/tag/black+friday" > to score some Black Friday deals</a>, you might want to look out for suspicious men ready to assault you with their flashes. Camera phone-armed perverts have found it easy to snap pictures of women's private parts, and get away with it. </p> <p>In Tulsa, OK recently, a man caught sticking his camera phone up a fellow shopper's skirt to take a picture of her underwear, walked away with no conviction, since the state's law held that the woman had no right to such privacy in public. </p> <p>In response, <a href="http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/11/25/upskirting/?source=newsletter" target="_blank">Salon reports, Oklahoma lawmakers passed legislation making it explicitly illegal</a> to take a photo of someone's private parts in public. Believe it or not, almost half of US states have similar loopholes in need of closing. Hopefully lawmakers react quickly, since these Peeping Toms can instantly post these cell phone pictures online.</p> <p>Have you ever been assaulted with a camera phone . . . that you know of?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2541179#comment Headline Law Oklahoma Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:00:14 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2541179 http://www.citizensugar.com/2535500 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/48_2008/135e0cd0ace6480f_Medical-Marijuana.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left xlarge" height="215" width="320"></span>The California Supreme Court clarified the state's medical marijuana law yesterday, <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/24/BAD314B41O.DTL&amp;tsp=1" target="_blank">deciding unanimously that individual suppliers can be prosecuted</a> even when dealing to patients with doctor approval. Sellers, who are not caretakers, or fellow medical marijuana cooperative members, will not be protected from the law. </p> <p>Patients will most likely turn exclusively to <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1896139" >marijuana collectives and cooperatives</a> to get their fill. Opponents of the decision say that centralizing the source of the drug makes it much easier for federal agents to raid such dispensaries. </p> <p>In 1996 California voters passed Proposition 215, which approved marijuana cultivation and use by those with doctor approval. But earlier this year, the state's high court ruled that companies could fire employees who test positive for marijuana, even if they had a doctor's recommendation. </p> <p>Do you think the trend toward narrowing the legal use of medical marijuana puts the intentions of California voters up in smoke? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2535500#comment California Crime Headline Health Law Marijuana Medical Marijuana Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:00:02 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2535500 http://www.citizensugar.com/2521225 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/47_2008/2e23ea39b257d205_Heavy-Traveler.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="400" width="274"></span>As a tall woman, I am relieved when the seat next to me on a flight ends up empty, since the space I paid for is painfully too small. As of today, obese people flying Canadian airlines officially have a right to that extra seat, at no extra cost.</p> <p>The Supreme Court of Canada <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssAirlines/idUSN2039776920081120" target="_blank">declined to hear airline objections</a> to the Canadian Transportation Agency's regulation that states that people "functionally disabled by obesity" do not have to pay for an extra seat. </p> <p>Earlier this year the agency implemented the nondiscrimination "one-person-one-fare" policy because those with severe disabilities <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/01/10/one-fare.html" target="_blank">had limited traveling opportunities</a> due to the doubled price of travel. Do you think the decision is a blow against discrimination, or the beginning of a slippery slope for troubled airlines? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2521225#comment Canada Health Law Obesity Travel Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:34 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2521225 http://www.citizensugar.com/2521097 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/47_2008/43d57281bbb25fd4_Picture_11.png" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="334" width="370"></span>A not-so-playful police sting in Cairo netted about 400 teenage boys <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081120170417.dxnm6u1y&amp;show_article=1" target="_blank">accused of flirting with girls</a>. Just yesterday, law enforcement rounded up the underage wannabe-seducers in front of schools, universities, or other public places where teens hang out. The teens will most likely face fines. </p> <p>While a crackdown on innocent flirting seems oppressive, something beyond prudish attitudes motivated the sting. Egyptian women deal with an extraordinary amount of sexual harassment and assault in public. In Egypt, two-thirds of men admit to harassing women in public. </p> <p>Last month, an Egyptian court <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/2399825" >handed down a sentence of hard labor and three years in jail</a> for a man convicted of groping a woman in public. Now it looks like officials want to teach younger males a lesson before they graduate from flirting to groping. Do you think the Casanova roundup will work? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2521097#comment Crime Egypt Headline Law Sexual Harassment Women Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:30:13 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2521097 http://www.citizensugar.com/2516957 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/47_2008/0daa60a6bf1a402a_AA018553.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="320" width="234"></span>Can you hear me now? Probably not, if someone around you has a cell phone jammer, devices that block reception within 10 meters. The discreet gadgets are gaining popularity among theater and restaurant owners, subway riders, and others trying to silence annoying people who talk on the their cell phones in public. </p> <p>Last month, Canadian <a href="http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2008/11/19/7458486-sun.html" target="_blank">police were caught in a jam on a dark highway</a>, when they pulled over suspects carrying a jammer that rendered their radios silent. Luckily, they seized the device, and soon an official warning went out to all Canadian police. In the US first-time offenders can be fined up to $11,000. In addition, the jamming party can be charged with theft, as the airways belong to the companies that purchased them. </p> <p>The idea of anyone, especially police, entering a dead zone frightens me, but I understand the frustration with obnoxious cell phone chatting. Maybe more countries can start passing cell phone bans, <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1558863" >similar to those seen (and not heard) on France's railway or Austria's public transit</a>, while keeping the jammers away from the bad guys. </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2516957#comment Canada Cell Phones Headline Law Technology Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2516957 http://www.citizensugar.com/2516710 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-2516710"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/2516710',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-2516710');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/47_2008/816c31deccddfa8f_83708701.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left xlarge" height="214" width="320"></span>Steven Emory Butcher sleeps in a tent, but the law seems to think he's a millionaire. After setting fires in 2002 and 2006 that destroyed 160,000 acres of national forest, the <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2204925/" target="_blank">homeless man was sentenced to four years in prison and $101 million in fines</a>. </p> <p>While in prison, the arsonist will have to pay $100 each year toward his fine. Once he's out, he must contribute $50 a month for the rest of his life. Right now Steven lives on government disability insurance, but if he gets a job, his payments will be adjusted accordingly. </p> <p>Since the law requires anyone who has damaged property repay the cost of the lost property to the victim, the judge ignored how much Steven could afford. While it's crucial to send a message to arsonists that such destructive and dangerous activity will be punished, do you think the punishment fit the crime in this case?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/2516710" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Justice Served? Homeless Arsonist Ordered to Pay $101 Million </label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> Yes. He did the crime, now he's gotta do the time, and pay the fine. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> No. Making this man pay for the rest of his life is cruel and unusual punishment. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> Maybe. The victim is not an individual, so they should consider the convict's income. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="3" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you in the comments. </label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="2516710" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.citizensugar.com/2516710#comment Citizen Poll Headline Homelessness Law Steven Emory Butcher Wildfires Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:01:00 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2516710 http://www.citizensugar.com/2496813 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/46_2008/dfba520b544cf581_Gun-Domestic-Abusers.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="400" width="273"></span> <ul> <li><b>Law</b>: <a href="http://jezebel.com/5085815/supreme-court-justic-antonin-scalia-sides-with-domestic-abusers/" target="_blank"> Supreme Court sides with domestic abusers? Court likely to uphold decision that allows those with domestic abuse convictions to purchase guns.</a> — Jezebel</li> <li><b>England</b>: <a href="http://donklephant.com/2008/11/13/bank-of-england-to-slash-interest-rates-to-0/" target="_blank"> Has it hit bottom yet? Bank of England could slash interest rates to 0 percent. </a> — Donklephant</li> <li><b>GOP</b>: <a href="http://www.236.com/news/2008/11/13/if_they_imd_gop_factions_in_re_10221.php" target="_blank">What did big business say to the neocon? If they IM'd: Republican factions.</a> — 23/6</li> <li><b>Babies</b>: <a href="http://www.lilsugar.com/2496206" >Guess who's expecting? The pregnant man is pregnant again!</a> — lilsugar</li> <li><b>Northeast</b>: <a href="http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/nov/13/fiscal-conservatives-unclear-on-the-concept/" target="_blank">Possible for fiscally conservative and socially liberal Republicans dying out in the Northeast to survive? The key is to cut spending and the size of government.</a> – Red State</li> </ul> <p><br clear=all></p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2496813#comment Briefing Book Domestic Abuse Guns Law Supreme Court Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:30:26 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2496813 http://www.citizensugar.com/2494620 <p>In Brussels (the Belgian city, not the sprouts), EU officials <a href="http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/world/2008/11/12/D94DJ9MGE_eu_ugly_fruit_returns/index.html?source=" target="_blank">have decided to lift the ban</a> on crooked, bent, or twisted perfectly-edible fruit and vegetables. For the past 20 years, 100 pages of regulations have required that produce be uniform in appearance, and sold without any odd curves.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/46_2008/7711a434d4ae9da1_689655.xxlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center xxlarge" height="327" width="500"></span><br /> But not all fruit is exempt from standards of beauty — appearance regulations for apples, strawberries, citrus fruit, kiwi, lettuce, pears, peaches, nectarines, sweet peppers, table grapes, and tomatoes will still be on the books, although each country can decide whether they want to enforce them. </p> <p>Produce sellers in a few countries, like Italy and France, worry that after the ban is gone, consumers will purchase less fruit and vegetables because they will be scared away by deformities. Even if you discriminate against ugly, yet edible, food, should the law be able to?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2494620#comment European Union Food Fruit Headline Law Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:30:00 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2494620 http://www.citizensugar.com/2435133 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/44_2008/671d891151a63d0f_SO000907.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left xlarge" height="320" width="261"></span>Almost 250 thefts of nuclear or radioactive material <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/world/28nuke.html?ref=world" target="_blank"> were reported last year</a>. The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency explained this week: “The possibility of terrorists obtaining nuclear or other radioactive material remains a grave threat. Equally troubling is the fact that much of this material is not subsequently recovered.”</p> <p>Experts say health consequences of a dirty bomb are minimal compared to the panic that it would cause. But, there's no need to panic quite yet —all the material stolen last year combined would not be enough to build a device.</p> <p>Last week, a new commission created by Australia and Japan to bring together officials from nuclear powers and other interested parties, met to discuss the spread of nuclear weapons since the Cold War. In 2009, the commission will meet again in Washington, DC to push for the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a <a href="http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gtGoP6LqyBQ8wDvac5MxPZu0Z78A" target="_blank">treaty that still awaits US ratification</a>.</p> <p>Hopefully, other crises like the financial or climate crises don't cause world leaders to take their eyes off this dangerous issue. </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2435133#comment Headline Law Nuclear Weapons United Nations War Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:00:45 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2435133 http://www.citizensugar.com/2437493 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/44_2008/a3df673fd15c9ef0_Child-prostitution.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="320" width="297"></span>Federal, state, and local agents in 29 US cities recently joined forces to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/27/fbi-arrests-600-people-re_n_138369.html" target="_blank">uproot 12 child-prostitution rings</a>. The three-day operation was part of a larger five-year plan to stop sex trafficking of children. Minor sex trafficking is on the rise as the Internet has created a market for underage sex workers. </p> <p>Forty-seven children were rescued, and a total of 642 people were arrested, including 73 pimps and 575 adult prostitutes. Apparently police took in no "johns."</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/prostitution.html" target="_blank">Department of Justice estimates</a> that 293,000 youth in America are at risk of becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The at-risk children come from abusive homes, or have run from or been abandoned by their families. Others children might end up in the situation after abduction, pressure from parents, or deceptive agreements between families and traffickers. </p> <p>Now that these 47 children have been rescued, let's hope an effective healing process can begin. Do you think it's fair to treat prostitutes as victims when they're minors, but criminals after they turn 18?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2437493#comment Crime FBI Headline Law Prostitution Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:00:31 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2437493 http://www.citizensugar.com/2431432 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/44_2008/ea97b9b5e67d8129_200170407-001.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="320" width="258"></span>Mobile fingerprint scanners are hitting the beat in the UK, helping police officers <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/27/project-midas-fingerprint-scanner-liberty" target="_blank">issue identity checks on the street</a>. Right now, police must take a suspect into custody to issue fingerprint checks. </p> <p>Thanks to the scanner, the size of a cell phone, the time of checking identity would go form from 67 minutes, to five, thus reducing the number of police needed by 366 officers. The next step would be to transfer mugshot images to verify identity when fingerprints are not available. To see why some worry that the government is overreaching with this technology, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/2431432">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2431432#comment Civil Liberties Crime Headline Law National Security Terrorism United Kingdom Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2431432 http://www.citizensugar.com/2426701 <p>An ex-slave in Niger, who was sold at the age of 12, made to worked for 10 years, and forced to bear the children of her master, has <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7692396.stm" target="_blank">won a case against her country</a>, which now must pay her $19,750 in damages. A West African Court found the Niger government guilty of failing to protect Hadijatou Mani from slavery, sending a message loud and clear that Niger must do more than nominally outlaw slavery. Activists hope the case will improve the lives of thousands kept in slavery throughout the region.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/44_2008/9cade1a188d77810_82010635.xxlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center xxlarge" height="334" width="500"></span><br /> According to <b>BBC</b>, after her master freed her in 2005, Hadijatou tried to marry. To find out how that got her in jail, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/2426701">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2426701#comment Africa Human Rights Law Niger Slavery Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:50 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2426701 http://www.citizensugar.com/2418734 <p>The New York City Council has voted 29-22 to <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jmRE9e1OgIZEhHU_XROOIbJcu8AA" target="_blank">change term-limit laws</a> to allow Michael Bloomberg to run for a third term, but the royal battle is far from over.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/43_2008/f7d230ad1002e46a_Bloomberg.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center xlarger" height="267" width="400"></span><br /> In addition to securing federal Justice Department clearance, the city council's decision must survive <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/nyregion/24whatsnext.html?hp" target="_blank">various court battles</a>. A lawsuit has been brought by public school teachers, and another by two council members. The city lawmakers explain that the officials who voted for the change get to run again, too, thus violating the city's conflict-of-interest law. The teachers think the change should be put to a referendum. In the 1990s, Ronald Lauder (heir to Est&eacute;e Lauder) funded the two referendums instituting the term limits. Lauder now backs Bloomberg's bid for a third term.</p> <p>Regardless of whether they support Bloomberg for another term, 89 percent of New York voters think term limits should be modified through a voter referendum, according to a new poll. Do you agree, or is an additional campaign the last thing NYC needs?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2418734#comment Headline Law Michael Bloomberg New York City Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:15:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2418734 http://www.citizensugar.com/2399825 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/43_2008/9b785d0650b20a01_sb10068247m-001.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="214" width="320"></span>Sexual harassment in Egypt won't get you a slap on the wrist, but it will get you years in jail time and a sentence for hard labor. In what was most likely the first <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7682951.stm" target="_blank">jail sentence for sexual harassment in Egypt</a>, defendant Sharif Gomma was also ordered to pay his victim $895. </p> <p>While in his car, Gomma drove slowly next to his victim, groping her as she walked on a sidewalk. The victim fought back, eventually hauling him into the police station herself. After much media attention showered on the case, the judge handed down a harsh sentence to prove that such behavior will not be tolerated in Egypt, where two-thirds of men admit to harassing women in public. </p> <p>In New York City, one chronic groper, arrested 53 times, <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1550746" >faced life in prison</a> for his latest offense on the subway. Do you think three years in prison and physical labor for a first sexual harassment offense would count as cruel and unusual punishment in the US?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2399825#comment Crime Egypt Headline Law Sexual Harassment Women Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:00:37 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2399825 http://www.citizensugar.com/2393962 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/43_2008/9eb1f40213a09e8c_Queen-Elizabeth-Fruit.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="400" width="278"></span> <ul> <li><b>Metric Martyrs</b>: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2008/oct/18/retail" target="_blank"> You say kilogram, I say pound? Under new guidelines fruit and vegetable traders using imperial measures (pounds, ounces) will no longer be prosecuted by authorities.</a> — newsblog</li> <li><b>Campaign Suspension</b>: <a href="http://www.236.com/news/2008/10/21/obama_suspends_campaign_to_vis_9678.php" target="_blank">Obama suspends campaign to visit grandmother. McCain says "Touché!" </a> — 23/6</li> <li><b> McCain</b>: <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/mccain_sticks_to_his_guns.html" target="_blank"> Not afraid to swim against the tide? McCain sticks to his guns.</a> — Real Clear Politics</li> <li><b>Neighbors</b> : <a href="http://sfist.com/2008/10/20/whats_going_on_here_pacific_heights.php" target="_blank"> What's going on here? San Francisco neighbors have a sign battle over presidential candidates, and gay marriage.</a> — SFist</li> <li><b>Alaska</b>: <a href="http://gawker.com/5066539/election-break-ted-stevens-is-awesome" target="_blank">Ted Stevens is Awesome? After 40 years in the Senate you're either a little corrupt or a lot corrupt, and Ted chose option two.</a> — Gawker</li> <li><b>Baseball</b>: <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/mccain-hits-obama-on-baseball-loyalities/" target="_blank"> Obama the ultimate flip-flopper, or ultimate uniter? McCain has gone after Obama’s flip-flopping on his choice of World Series teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.</a> – The Caucus</li> </ul> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2393962#comment Briefing Book Crime Law United Kingdom Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2393962 http://www.citizensugar.com/2381842 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/96df8de7ee63c256_joe-the-plumber.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="400" width="267"></span>The Supreme Court <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-scotus18-2008oct18,0,3579254.story" target="_blank">dealt a blow to a Republican Ohio strategy</a> this past Friday. The Court threw out Ohio Republicans' request for Ohio's secretary of state to provide county elections boards with the names of newly registered voters whose voter registration forms do not match DMV records exactly.</p> <p>The Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision to require the state to set up a chaotic system that would make it <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/ohios_voting-rights_ruling_wha.php" target="_blank">easier for officials to challenge prospective voters</a> with mismatched info. Thus, the Supreme Court decreased the likelihood that as many as 660,000 newly registered voters would be disenfranchised on election day. And guess who one of those voter could have been — Joe the Plumber! His name is misspelled in Ohio state records!</p> <p>The case reveals that whether we like it or not, voting procedures can be favored or despised by either political party. It would seem that far before elections, Americans could agree on fair, nonpartisan, rules for voting, and then be content with competing for each vote based on the issues and the candidates. Yet, in American politics, every advantage, even trying to challenge or change the rules, is pursued. </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2381842#comment Headline Law Ohio SCOTUS Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:00:24 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2381842 http://www.citizensugar.com/2370193 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/Bush-Signing-Statements.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="210" width="300"></span>After signing two bills into law this week, President Bush said that he could <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/washington/15signing.html?ref=washington" target="_blank">bypass numerous parts of the laws</a>. In a signing statement Bush said a military authorization act and a measure giving inspectors general greater independence from the White House unlawfully constrained the president's constitutional powers. </p> <p>So which parts will Bush ignore?</p> <ul> <li>A section forbidding money from being used "to exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq."</li> <li>A section requiring negotiations for an agreement by which Iraq would share some of the costs of the American military operation.</li> <li>Two sections strengthening legal protections against political interference with internal watchdog officials at executive agencies.</li> <p>The past 42 presidents have issued 600 signing statements <i>combined</i> while Bush himself has put out 1,100. Legal scholars assert that Bush's <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/bush_challenges_hundreds_of_laws/" target="_blank">disobedience contradicts the rule of law</a>, and the separations of power between Congress and the president. Do you think the next president will follow Bush's signing statements, or go even further by following his example of issuing many more signing statements?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2370193#comment Congress Constitution George W Bush Headline Law Signing Statements Veto Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:00:39 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2370193 http://www.citizensugar.com/2367355 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/AB30587.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="400" width="313"></span>A Colorado high school valedictorian, Erica Corder, mentioned Jesus in her 30-second graduation speech back in 2006. As a result, the school <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10688839?source=pop_section_news" target="_blank">told her an apology was in order</a> if she wanted her diploma. The school still doesn't have its apology and Erica still doesn't have her diploma.</p> <p>The resourceful teen took her situation to federal court. The court rejected her petition for an injunction, and now she's appealing that decision. The lower court held that since the speech was school sponsored, restrictions were constitutional. </p> <p>Erica's address about her Christian faith differed from that presented during graduation practice. Thus, after the Jesus-switch-a-roo, and after graduation had ended, the school said she must apologize if she wanted her diploma.</p> <p>Leaving legal reasoning aside, I'm surprised neither the school nor the student has been able to swallow their pride and move on. What would Jesus do?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2367355#comment education Freedom of Speech Law Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:00:45 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2367355 http://www.citizensugar.com/2351863 <p>Members of the European Union <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/863555" >work together for Europe's common values</a> such as democracy and social justice. In addition to <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/13/business/crisis.php" target="_blank">solving the world's financial mess</a>, there's at least one other common challenge the international body wants to confront: iPods. Today, the EU executive asked Europeans, especially children and youth, to turn that music down! — or <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/health/AP-EU-Music-Hearing-Loss.html?_r=1&amp;oref=" target="_blank">risk long-term hearing damage or loss</a>.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/42_2008/France-Ipod.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="367" width="550"></span><br /> A report from EU scientists found that 2.5-10 million Europeans could suffer hearing loss, as a result of listening to MP3 players at over 89 decibels for at least one hour a day, for a five year period. Perhaps because the governments anticipate rising medical care costs as a result of the damage, the EU might impose a volume limit lower than the current 100 decibel maximum. </p> <p>Should a supranational body be responsible for keeping MP3 players safe, or is a warning in the user's manual enough?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2351863#comment Europe European Union Headline Law Technology Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2351863 http://www.citizensugar.com/2340321 <p>Ten years ago today, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, a gay man, was beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die. Since then 31 states and Washington DC have passed increased punishments for crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation. Yet, there is <a href="http://townhall.com/news/us/2008/10/10/10_years_after_shepard,_no_federal_hate_crime_law" target="_blank">still no federal hate crime law</a>, and FBI stats show that the rate of anti-gay based crimes has remained the same.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/41_2008/73870394.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="358" width="550"></span><br /> The Matthew Shepard Act, which <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/oct/03/passage-matthew-shepard-act-remains-priority/" target="_blank"> has never made it into law</a>, would have given the federal government more authority to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, and would have expanded victims specifically protected by federal law to include those who are attacked because of disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. </p> <p>Should it be a federal offense to commit a crime against persons because of their sexuality, or is too hard to legally define a victim class based on how a criminal defines their sexuality?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2340321#comment Crime Gay Rights Hate Crime Headline Homosexuality Law Matthew Shepard Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:00:14 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2340321 http://www.citizensugar.com/2172169 <p>Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that he <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/ats-bc-bloomberg-thirdterm3rdld-writethruoct02,0,7886540.story" target="_blank">would seek a third term</a> as mayor, thanks to unprecedented challenges and the economic crisis facing New York City. Only problem: New York City's term limit law says his time is up.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/40_2008/83089970.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="360" width="550"></span><br /> Bloomberg plans to ask City Council to change the law so he can have another shot. He explained:<br /> <blockquote>The question for me has become much less about the theoretical and much more about the practical. And so to put it in very practical terms, handling this financial crisis while strengthening the essential services such as education and public safety is a challenge I want to take on for the people of New York.</p></blockquote> <p>A few months ago the majority of you said <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1696539" >term limits should be imposed</a> on leaders. Even if in theory term limits end gridlock and purge the system of self-serving incumbents, should an exception be made for Michael Bloomberg? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2172169#comment Law Michael Bloomberg New York City Term Limits Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:00:11 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2172169 http://www.citizensugar.com/2079537 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/39_2008/80992127_1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="342" width="290"></span>Judge Baird of Texas has ordered Felicia Salazar, 20, to <a href="http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/09/probation-requirement-no-more.html" target="_blank">stop having children, or head to jail</a>. Felicia is on probation after pleading guilty to injury of her child by omission. Specifically she did not provide protection and medical care to her 19-month-old daughter, after the little girl was beaten by her father. </p> <p>The father has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, and the daughter put in foster care. Texas judges can set any conditions of probation they deem reasonable, but many question the enforceability of the provision. </p> <p>If Felicia gets pregnant, must she abort or go to jail for a probation violation? Has she just been ordered to not have sex? I have a feeling this case isn't over. </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2079537#comment children Headline Law Texas Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:00:21 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2079537 http://www.citizensugar.com/2023145 <p>Who needs countries with laws and taxes, when you can house crucial parts of your company on ships at sea outside of any country's jurisdiction? Google answered "not us" to that question, as the Internet giant has <a href="http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4753389.ece" target="_blank">plans to relocate the machines that run its search engine</a> on ships located seven miles offshore. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/38_2008/80818612.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="368" width="550"></span></p> <p>The company says that wave energy would power and cool the eco-friendly "water-based" data centers. While the tax-incentives and legal advantages may make you take a cynical outlook on the plan, the amount of energy used to cool servers does take a toll — Internet data centers consumed one percent on the world's electricity in 2005, and by 2020 computers that run the Internet will leave a larger carbon footprint than air travel.</p> <p>Still, it makes me nervous to think Google, which holds so much of our personal data, could escape government regulation. Are you confident Google would still do no evil?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2023145#comment Google Headline Law taxes Technology Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:00:09 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2023145 http://www.citizensugar.com/1881547 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/34_2008/75649269.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="400"></span>Doctors aren't the only ones who can write prescriptions in the US. Yesterday, a federal judge <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h133TDYq6e6RvF2LtTioSFjCMGfAD92M995G6" target="_blank">ordered a research group to provide experimental drugs</a> to a terminally ill teen suffering from a fatal type of muscular dystrophy. </p> <p>The family of Jacob Gunvalson sued PTC Therapeutics alleging that the company led them to believe that Jacob could participate in a trial of the drug necessary for his survival. The company says it denied Jacob because it worried that unsafe results could taint the reputation of the new drug and hold back research. Since Jacob wasn't part of the preliminary trial, he did not qualify for the second round of the drug trial. </p> <p>PTC maintains that it never promised Jacob an exception. The company's lawyers also argued that terminally ill patients do not have a legal right to unapproved drugs. But Jacob isn't just any terminally ill American. The judge said this case was different because PTC has a particularly close relationship with Jacob and his family, who even stayed overnight once at the company's VP's home. </p> <p>Should we just take away the need for a lawsuit all together, and allow access to any terminally-ill patient willing to pay for experimental treatment?</p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1881547#comment Drugs Headline Law Prescription Drugs Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:22 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1881547 http://www.citizensugar.com/1880537 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/34_2008/TinkyWink_Ferda_14714415_600.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="350"></span>If you think 24-hour television channels dedicated to baby-targeted programming sounds like a good idea, you may not want to move to France. The country's <a href="http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/entertainment/2008/08/20/D92M3CDG0_france_baby_tv_ban/index.html?source=refresh" target="_blank">broadcast authority has banned French channels</a> from airing shows targeted at an audience three years old or younger. </p> <p>The governmental super-nanny wants to protect French children from developmental hazards associated with television viewing. The ruling maintains that TV poses risks to babies like encouraging passivity, slow language acquisition, trouble with sleep and concentration, and dependence on screens. </p> <p>Foreign or cable channels not under the ban will have to broadcast this warning to parents: "Watching television can slow the development of children under 3, even when it involves channels aimed specifically at them." Producers of baby television shows say their content should be watched by babies <i>and</i> their parents in an interactive manner. Do you think France has made a responsible choice, or should baby censorship be left to parents?</p> <p><a href="http://www.wireimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1880537#comment children France Headline Law Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:45:37 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1880537 http://www.citizensugar.com/1878636 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/34_2008/72357290.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="450"></span>Congress is on track to pass the least amount of public laws than any other Congress in the two decades of record keeping. So far, the 110th Congress has 294 laws to its name. On the other hand, the House and Senate <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121910897089651793.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone" target="_blank">have passed 1,900 <i>symbolic</i> resolutions</a>. </p> <p>It may not have ended the war in Iraq, but this year Congress has:</p> <ul> <li>Recognized the Idaho Potato Commission's 70th Anniversary</li> <li>Recognized soil as an essential natural resource</li> <li>Designated May 5-9 as National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week</li> <li>Set July 28 as the Day of the American Cowboy</li> </ul> <p>Shoot! I missed the Day of the American Cowboy. The <b>Wall Street Journal</b> reports that Congress spends one-quarter of its workweek debating and passing such symbolic measures. Congressional Democrats, emphasizing the quality over the quantity of actual legislation, point out that since 2007 they have enacted the largest expansion in college aid in 60 years, increased the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years, increased unemployment benefits, and implemented the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.</p> <p>Do you think the Democratic Congress should have a chance to further prove itself with a President on its side, or is it time to symbolically kick these lawmakers to the curb in November?</p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1878636#comment Congress Headline Law Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:00:57 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1878636 http://www.citizensugar.com/1865227 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/33_2008/55994939.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="250"></span>The University of California can <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/BAQT129NMG.DTL&amp;tsp=1" target="_blank">deny credit for high school courses </a> that emphasize religious teachings over historic or scientific explanations, according to a federal judge. Yesterday's ruling upheld UC admission standards that do not recognize curriculum that declares the Bible infallible or that rejects evolution. The losing Christian schools and students will appeal the decision. Here are each side's positions:</p> <p><b>The High Schools</b>:</p> <ul> <li>Denying credit is an attempt to secularize private religious schools.</li> <li>It also violates freedom of expression and freedom of religion.</li> </ul> <p><b>University of California</b>: <ul> <li>The rejected material omits crucial topics in science and history.</li> <li>UC is applying blanket admission standards without regard to religion.</li> <li>UC has approved inclusive textbooks like <b>Biology: God's Living Creation</b>. </lI></ul> <p>Course texts rejected include <b>Biology for Christian Schools</b>, whose first page says, "If (scientific) conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong," and text published by Bob Jones University that, "instructs that the Bible is the unerring source for analysis of historical events." The UC attorney says, "We evaluate the courses to see whether they prepare these kids to come to college at UC."</p> <p>Is it an attempt to secularize private religious schools? Whose side are you on?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1865227#comment California Creationism Evolution Headline Law World of Faith Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:35 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1865227 http://www.citizensugar.com/1847382 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/32_2008/ap-Salim-Hamdan-Guantanamo-trial-175eng23jul08.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" width="150"></span>The military jury's verdict in the Guantanamo Bay trial of Osama bin Laden's driver is in: he has been found not guilty in the more serious count of conspiracy to aid terror, and <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdvpl2jt6TKDyNkiCC5LVYWo6m4g" target="_blank">guilty of material support of terrorism</a>. The sentencing phase of the trial begins this afternoon. The <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jiMGp226rw5Wxj9DoF96bGRFYy-A" target="_blank">prosecution's case</a> did not prove that he intended to do harm, but that he aided the al Qaeda network in accomplishing acts that caused harm. This was the first war crimes trial since WWII.</p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1847382#comment 9-11 Courts Guantanamo Headline Law Osama bin Laden Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:40:57 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1847382 http://www.citizensugar.com/1823542 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/31_2008/200191042-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="400"></span>California's legalization of same-sex marriage has left prison authorities trying to figure out <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92993519" target="_blank">whether they must allow inmates to marry each other</a>.</p> <p>Currently prisoners can marry someone from the outside, same or opposite-sex. Back in the days of man-woman marriage, California's proxy rule — which states that both parties must be present at a wedding — helped avoid the all-inmate wedding dilemma. Male and female inmates do not share prisons, thus they both could not attend. </p> <p>Prison officials are wondering what to do when a same-sex incarcerated couple decides to test out the new law. Concerns likely to shape a newly created policy include conjugal visits, and the safety of the couple around other inmates. Since California's Supreme Court ruled that marriage is a civil right and not to be denied to same-sex couples, would it be disproportionate punishment to deny this right to all prisoners? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1823542#comment California Crime Law Prison Same-Sex Marriage Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1823542 http://www.citizensugar.com/1819708 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/31_2008/AA027136_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image outline right preview" height="280"></span>California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill last week that <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_10010291" target="_blank">would have required all future science textbooks to discuss climate change</a> as a distinct subject. High school science material already includes the sometimes-controversial topic in the weather unit. </p> <p>Governor Schwarzenegger explained that he supports teaching climate change in schools, but does not think state lawmakers should dictate specific curriculum. </p> <p>While the general scientific consensus regarding climate change gets a meaningful boost from official backing, I appreciate Schwarzenegger's skepticism of legislating educational material. And as Schwarzenegger pointed out, state agencies are currently developing a K-12 environmental curriculum. </p> <p>California has taken some official steps in addressing climate change; for example, new cars will soon be <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1763065" >required to display a global warming score</a>. Do you think the possibility for climate change curriculum offers another responsible response to the crisis, or should education be free from all mandates, even if honorable? </p> <p><a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1819708#comment Arnold Schwarzenegger California Climate Change Eco education Law The Daily Planet Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:03:50 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1819708 http://www.citizensugar.com/1819311 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/31_2008/76959708.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="450"></span>The future of (public) nude dancing in Iowa depends on the legal answer to one question: is stripping art? Iowa's <strike>strip clubs</strike> performing arts centers are under legal attack, after an underage patron's performance <a href="http://www.ketv.com/news/17009263/detail.html?rss=oma&amp;psp=news" target="_blank">sparked a court battle</a>. Iowa's public indecent exposure laws forbid all-nude strip clubs, but artists still dance naked at "performing art centers."</p> <p>Back in 2001, the underage niece of a sheriff decided to bare all at the establishment Shotgun Geniez, <a href="http://www.townhall.com/news/us/2008/07/27/iowa_case_raises_question_is_stripping_an_art" target="_blank">dragging the owner into court</a> to argue that the law does not apply here because it exempts theater, concert hall, art center, and museum performances. </p> <p>The club in question, which usually prevents under 18 year olds from entering, sells posters and provides sketch pads for patrons. While the owner argues that she did not violate Iowa's public indecent exposure law because the dancing is art, the prosecution says the facts are clear: an underage girl stripped, case closed.</p> <p>If the case makes it up to the state supreme court, there may be a state-wide decision regarding whether naked dancing equals art. How do you think the court should treat subjective standards like "art" and "indecency?"</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1819311#comment Crime Headline Iowa Law Pornography Stripping Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:45:35 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1819311 http://www.citizensugar.com/1813410 <p>Well-behaved prisoners in England and Wales will <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7524936.stm" target="_blank">no longer be allowed to play</a> adult-rated video games — that means auto thieves cannot relive their crimes playing Grand Theft Auto. Bummer! Under the new system, those with kid-safe game privileges will also have to pay for the consuls and games themselves. (The games cost taxpayers £10,000, or $20,000, last year.) Officials will still permit the use of video games in cells, as a way to keep order in overcrowded prisons. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/30_2008/80913239.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="389" width="550"></span></p> <p>Since a booming prison population reduces resources for meaningful activities like educational classes, guards turn to PlayStation and Xbox when they want to reward inmates. Inmates at risk of suicide can play, too. Hoping to show offenders that appropriate behavior brings positive results, the reward scheme also allows for in-cell TV, more outside visitors, and the right to ditch prison garb for one's own clothes. </p> <p>It would be hypocritical to allow prisoners to play video games riddled with violence and sometimes crime, characteristics of many over-18 games. But, does making well-behaving prisoners stick to kid games diminish the reward? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1813410#comment Crime Headline Law Prison United Kingdom Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1813410 http://www.citizensugar.com/1804787 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/30_2008/50929592.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="400"></span>A booming business in Canada's British Columbia allows entrepreneurs to rake in $80,000 a year tax-free while keeping their day jobs. So what's the magic product? Marijuana, of course! </p> <p>Owners of British Columbia's 20,000 illegal cannabis grow-ops, set up in residential homes, collect high profits, but unlike typical organized-crime marijuana growers, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7519178.stm" target="_blank">BC's middle class wants in too</a>. </p> <p>Just like <a href="http://buzzsugar.com/1712988" >Mary-Louise Parker's character in Weeds</a>, the extra cash helps these otherwise normal people maintain a middle-class life style. Cultivators spend the cannabis cash on college tuition, second homes, cars, or a vacation. Not surprisingly these criminals want Canada to legalize marijuana.</p> <p>Opponents say the drug is dangerous, especially for youth. Either way, it seems the pot is here to stay — the profitable industry is far too expansive for BC authorities to seriously stop it. Perhaps this is the way laws change — the people assert their right, making authorities impotent. If the drug does become legal, BC's neighbor, American law enforcement, will surely stare angrily at the border. But I bet others wouldn't mind a North American Amsterdam! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1804787#comment Canada Drugs Law Marijuana War on Drugs Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:30:43 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1804787 http://www.citizensugar.com/1797066 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/29_2008/935480-001.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="230"></span>As part of the War on Drugs US federal and local authorities seize cash made from drug trafficking. The practice takes away an incentive for smuggling, and gives the agents an incentive to catch traffickers. The guideline for how that money can be spent, according to most local laws, is the vague standard of "for law-enforcement purposes."</p> <p>This week's <b>Economist</b> <a href="http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?STORY_ID=11707305" target="_blank">itemized what can be considered law enforcement</a> for spending purposes. Seized assets have been used for the following: </p> <ul> <li> One Texas county used it on a margarita machine.</li> <li> A Texas district attorney took his whole staff to Hawaii for a training seminar.</li> <li> Another Texan DA spent thousands of dollars on his re-election campaign.</li> <li>In Indiana money goes to a general school fund. (A good idea.)</li> <li> A Georgia sheriff bought a $90,000 sports car, used to advertise an anti-drug program. (Don't tell the kids drugs paid for the car!)</li> </ul> <p>Unfortunately, many state laws give authorities wide discretion to seize assets even without any verdict. And with such an incentive to get the restriction-free money, sometimes they get it wrong. Does it matter to you what happens to drug money?</p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1797066#comment Crime Drugs Law Texas War on Drugs Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:57 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1797066 http://www.citizensugar.com/1791012 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/29_2008/inboxlaw.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right outline preview" height="408" width="365"></span> A New York spam aficionado <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080715/wr_nm/crime_usa_spam_dc" target="_blank">just got 30 months in jail for spamming</a> AOL subscribers. He must also pay the company $180,000. Too bad nobody ever got locked up for mailing all those AOL CD-ROMs. </p> <p>The spammer, 27-year-old Adam Vitale, circumvented AOL's spam filter and spammed AOL's 1.2 million subscribers on behalf of a government informant. Vitale, who has also been accused of running a Craigslist prostitution ring, had made a deal with the informant to send out junk emails advertising software in exchange for 50 percent of the software's profits. </p> <p>I just signed in to my ancient AOL account to do some research and found 94 emails, aka my inbox, I would classify as spam, all received in the last month (see image). So I'm thinking it can't be <i>that</i> hard to crack the filter. Either way, as Vitale received his spamming sentence, the federal judge told him that "spamming is serious criminal conduct." Do you agree? Was a two-and-a-half-year sentence fair?</p> <p><a href="gettyimages.com" >Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1791012#comment AOL Crime Law New York Spam Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:00:56 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1791012 http://www.citizensugar.com/1791163 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/29_2008/71146675.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="220"></span>A French court has decided to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7503757.stm" target="_blank">deny citizenship to a Muslim woman</a> because her practice of radical Islam, including the sporting of a burqa, conflicts with French values. The woman lives in France with her French husband and three French-born children. </p> <p>Urban Affairs Minister Fadela Amara, a Muslim member of the French government, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7509339.stm" target="_blank">has voiced her support</a> of the decision, calling the burqa poison, a straitjacket, and a prison. Amara thinks the choice could dissuade "fanatics from imposing the burqa on their wives." She also said: </p> <blockquote><p>"It is not a religious insignia but the insignia of a totalitarian political project that advocates inequality between the sexes and which is totally devoid of democracy." </p></blockquote> <p>While I would feel oppressed if I had to wear a burqa, I can't see how the court's decision to deny citizenship helps this woman, nor am I sure it will liberate other women. Perhaps France is justified in encouraging assimilation, but I can't help but think the decision simply punishes this woman for her own oppression. Do you think the man will allow his wife to stop wearing the burqa so she can become a citizen? </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1791163#comment Europe France Immigration Law Muslim Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:00:18 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1791163 http://www.citizensugar.com/1772001 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/28_2008/73165814.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="400"></span> An HIV positive Kenyan woman made history by <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7499496.stm" target="_blank">winning a settlement against her employer</a> for unfair dismissal, a decision that should bring relief to 2.5 million (out of 35 million) Kenyans living with HIV or AIDS. The Court ruled that one cannot be fired for being HIV positive. </p> <p>A doctor administered an HIV test when the woman went to the hospital complaining of chest pains. The doctor passed on the positive results to her employer, despite the fact that the patient had not consented to the test nor disclosure. The woman said that her co-workers knew she was positive before she did.</p> <p>The Kenyan High Court ruled that testing employees, or prospective employees, without consent is unlawful, along with disclosing results to employers without permission. This landmark ruling — that one cannot be terminated for HIV status —undoubtedly boosts the rights of those living with HIV. Yet, I'm not sure how some of the consent protections will practically play out. If you want a job, and an employer asks you to consent to an HIV test, would you feel comfortable denying consent? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1772001#comment Africa AIDS HIV Kenya Law Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:00:49 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1772001 http://www.citizensugar.com/1766416 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-1766416"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/1766416',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-1766416');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/28_2008/10082618.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="470"></span>Looking to punish demand, and not just supply, Easton, PA, is considering a law that would allow <a href="http://www.nbc10.com/news/16807496/detail.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">police to seize the cars</a> of anyone seeking a prostitute. </p> <p>Any vehicle used to solicit or patronize sexual services would be <a href="http://blog.pennlive.com/lvbreakingnews/2008/06/easton_city_council_to_introdu.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">subject to impounding</a>. If a john gets convicted of soliciting a prostitute, the city could sell his car.</p> <p>Since officials usually target the workers, it's somewhat refreshing to see equivalent attention paid to the customer criminals. Even so, I'm not sure any law will help end the timeless sale of sex. Will this measure put the issue of prostitution to bed? </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source</a></p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/1766416" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Will Impounding Johns&#039; Cars Put Prostitution to Bed?</label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> Yay! This will send the right message, and people will think twice before soliciting sex.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> Nay. This extreme reaction does not fit the crime.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> Maybe. But I don't think it would really deter someone looking for sex. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="3" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you in the comments. </label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="1766416" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.citizensugar.com/1766416#comment Citizen Poll Crime Easton Law Pennsylvania Prostitution Yay or Nay Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1766416 http://www.citizensugar.com/1749799 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/27_2008/3003-007301.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="200"></span>Sunday's <b>New York Times</b> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/weekinreview/29liptak.html?pagewanted=1&amp;ref=weekinreview" target="_blank">examined the relationship</a> between gun laws and crime. The survey of research (cited in the <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1739042" >Supreme Court opinions regarding Washington DC's ban on handguns</a>) pondered the question: Do guns kill people, or do gun control laws kill people?</p> <p>Here are some of the findings I found to be the most interesting: <ul> <li>A before-and-after study found that although Baltimore did not have a similar law, its crime rate mimicked Washington’s.</li> <li>Reduction in suicides and gun accidents are cited by proponents of the DC law as positive effects that go unnoticed or underestimated.</li> </ul> <p>To see how the US compares to Europe, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1749799">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1749799#comment Crime Gun Control Law New York Times SCOTUS Washington DC Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:35 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1749799 http://www.citizensugar.com/1737622 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/26_2008/72234433.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="340"></span>An undercover child benefactor originally from Pennsylvania, has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/world/americas/25panama.html?ref=americas" target="_blank">sparked an international legal battle</a> from the grave. Wilson C. Lucom left a small amount of his fortune to his family, while leaving the rest of his tens of millions of dollars to a foundation he secretly created for the poor children of Panama. </p> <p>Those who knew Lucom probably never saw this coming. While alive he funded anti-communist causes, and authored political commentaries, which often advocated solving the world's problems by dropping nuclear bombs.</p> <p>Now, Lucom's widow, who was granted $20,000 a month in the will, wants the last testament of her mysteriously child friendly husband thrown out. The case is currently in front of Panama's Supreme Court, and the legal battle (which includes 20 law firms!), will decide the fate of Panama's largest charitable donation in history. Who do you want to win?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1737622#comment Law Money Panama Pennsylvania South America Wilson C Lucom Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:30:43 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1737622 http://www.citizensugar.com/1739444 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/26_2008/10107596.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="260"></span>Although the rate of AIDS diagnosis is higher in Manhattan, the Bronx has New York's highest AIDS death rate — a figure health officials blame on people not getting tested until it's too late to manage the disease. In order to curb the graveness of an HIV diagnoses, the city has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/nyregion/26hiv.html?_r=1&amp;hp&amp;oref=slogin" target="_blank">launched a campaign to test everyone</a> in the Bronx. </p> <p>Starting Friday, if you go to a Bronx hospital for an unrelated ailment, doctors will test you for HIV unless you object. New York state law requires written consent and patient counseling to go along with an HIV test. The Bronx initiative will shorten the 20-minute counseling session to five minutes and offer routine tests at emergency rooms and storefront clinics. Elected officials, health-care providers, and clergy members plan to assist the effort for universal testing. </p> <p>Why do you think people don't get tested on their own? Would you avoid an HIV test if you first had to listen to 20 minutes of what will happen if it comes back positive? Could this publicized campaign somehow stigmatize the Bronx? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a> </p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1739444#comment AIDS Bronx Headline Health HIV Law New York Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:00:09 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1739444 http://www.citizensugar.com/1736420 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/26_2008/200253353-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="240"></span>The US Supreme Court <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/washington/26scotuscnd.html?hp" target="_blank">struck down the death penalty for cases of child rape as unconstitutional</a> today, continuing its tendency to narrow, rather than expand, capital punishment. The broad ruling held that the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment requires that the defendant killed, and intended to kill, the victim in order to trigger the death sentence. The Court left room for death in cases of treason, by discussing only crimes against individuals.</p> <p>Justice Kennedy wrote the opinion, which sited the unfairness and inaccuracies of the death penalty as reasons to be cautious when expanding its application. He also brought up that the death sentence requires repeated and painful testimony from the child victim, <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/" target="_blank">writing</a>: “The way the death penalty here involves the child victim in its enforcement can compromise a decent legal system."</p> <p>To see what Justice Alito, writing for the conservative dissenters, wrote </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1736420">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1736420#comment Child Rape Crime Headline Law Murder SCOTUS Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1736420 http://www.citizensugar.com/1734787 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/26_2008/76344430.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="250"></span>A new report reveals that the US Justice Department denied employment to new lawyers based on liberal resume buzzwords, information making it more likely that Bush's legacy will include the politicalization of federal prosecution.</p> <p>The Justice Department's inspector general reports that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/washington/24cnd-justice.html?ref=washington" target="_blank">many well qualified candidates were rejected</a> from the elite recruitment program for perceived liberal bias, and such rejection “constituted misconduct and also violated the department’s policies and civil service law that prohibit discrimination in hiring based on political or ideological affiliations.” The hiring practice took place under both Attorney General John Ashcroft, and AG Roberto Gonzales. </p> <p>So which resume items signaled a leftist agenda? To find out, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1734787">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1734787#comment George W Bush Justice Department Law Scandal Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:43 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1734787 http://www.citizensugar.com/1734089 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/26_2008/73329344.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="275"></span>A defendant in an obscenity trial <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/technology/24obscene.html?amp;hp=&amp;_r=2&amp;oref=slogin&amp;adxnnl=1&amp;oref=slogin&amp;adxnnlx=1214323329-hWuPCZmLt4hoAcVucGeRdg" target="_blank">hopes to introduce Google search data</a> to show that community tastes go beyond apple pie and toward a more sexual appetite. Under the law, a jury or judge must decide if the alleged obscenity violates the vague benchmark of "community standards."</p> <p>In the past, defendants have relied on the wide availability of sexual material in the community, to prove standards. The current defendant, pornographic website operator Clinton Raymond McCowen's, wants to go further, showing interest and consumption rather than availability. While local statistics from Pensacola, FL, show that residents search NASCAR, surfing, and Nintendo more than orgy, orgy competes with apple pie, and other wholesome American terms, reports the <b>New York Times</b>. </p> <p>This unusual case reveals the futility of trying to carefully censor the Internet. Since 2000 the US federal government has initiated only 15 nonchild porn-related obscenity cases. Local prosecutors have similarly dropped the charges against Internet porn.</p> <p>If a jury finds this porn-site operator guilty of obscenity, and then goes home and searches for porn, are they acting like a bunch of hypocrites? Should citizens be left to self-censor the Internet? Does it make you nervous to realize how much data Google keeps?</p> <p><a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1734089#comment Censorship Florida Google Law Pornography Technology Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1734089 http://www.citizensugar.com/1717736 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/25_2008/53398729.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="370"></span>Thanks to an 1887 law, pro-life Kansans have circumvented their prosecutors and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/us/17jury.html?em&amp;ex=1213848000&amp;en=d15d0533bd161713&amp;ei=5087%0A" target="_blank">called a grand jury to investigate a doctor they accuse of providing late-term abortions</a> for three decades. </p> <p>The dusty state statute only asks ordinary citizens to gather enough signatures, before they call a grand jury to investigate an alleged crime. A 15-member grand jury is now investigating Dr. George Tiller, thanks to the prosecutor-not-needed mechanism. </p> <p>Active citizens have begun to use the statute, long ignored, to investigate abortion clinics, as well as stores selling explicit videos and magazines. Leaving polarizing issues like abortion aside, I could imagine this law invigorating citizens to get involved in their community and set an agenda that may differ from the prosecutors. Of course, civically active individuals don't always accurately represent the community as a whole.</p> <p>Should communities reserve this sort of people's justice for only the most necessary cases, like government corruption and abuse of power? What sort of reaction would citizens have if politicians tried to repeal the statute? </p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1717736#comment Abortion Headline Kansas Law Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:28 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1717736