BuzzFeed, a social media “gadfly” page, reports that the DEA created a fake Facebook account, filled the page with statements that evoked a response, and made criminal cases. Using personal photographs and information (drawn from the personal information of a woman arrested on Cocaine charges) the DEA tricked her “associates”…
As recently as August 6, 2014, the New York Times reported that Justice Ruth Bade Ginsberg has commented on the Supreme Court’s recent decisions, saying that while gay and lesbian rights move ahead, women’s rights have moved off the Court’s radar. Her comments were that she sees “inconsistency.” Source: huffingtonpost.com Now, no…
The news of July 9, 2014 from Iraq is that 90 pounds of uranium compounds have come into possession of the Islamic State In Iraq and Levant (ISIS). The uranium was obtained from a university laboratory in Mosul, a city in Northern Iraq that is occupied by ISIS and is…
The FBI announced changes to its interrogation protocol when investigations concern national security. Newer rules would allow profiling techniques, such as, mapping of certain ethnic groups. In past years, civil rights concerns were raised about the use of racial profiling. The FBI changed its interrogation policies as a result of…
Obama Care (the Affordable Health Care Act) requires health insurance provide birth control benefits. The Hobby Lobby case tells us you don’t have to if you are a closely held corporation (4 or fewer stockholders) and you have bona fide religious objections to birth control. Source: http://www.popsugar.com/Hobby-Lobby-Birth-Control-34447944 The decision is…
The U.S. Supreme Court accepted and will rule on the Anthony Elonis case in the Court’s upcoming Fall term. The Elonis case involves a man who was found guilty and sentenced to over three years in prison for posting threats to his wife on Facebook. Because of the Supreme Court’s recent…
More than 65,000,000 (one in four adults) people in the U.S. have some form of criminal record. For each of them the consequences of a criminal record carries both legal disability and a social and economic stigma. Collateral consequences of a conviction impose legal restrictions including the loss of civil rights,…
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court released a unanimous decision on cell phone searches by the police. It is now a requirement for police to have a search warrant to search a cell phone. The Supreme Court observed citizens are under increasing governmental surveillance. Face recognition software can recognize individuals…
The public conversation on the use of armed drones is in the news. On one side it is argued that Due Process rights confer upon judicial process the sole venue for “civilized” adjudication before the imposition of the death penalty. Remember that great movie line from Silverado (1985) when the Sheriff…
Good news, bad news, we’ve heard it all. But when the good news or bad news comes from the voice of a corporate entity and stock prices move up, or down, lots of money is made, or lost. The price of any stock moves on news, here is an example to…