Law

Previewing the Supremes

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For those of you who would like to know a little more but not everything about upcoming Supreme Court cases here is some help:

The liibulletin is a Cornell Law School electronic journal. Its editorial board comprises second- and third-year law students, who are responsible for every aspect of the journal’s management, from selecting decisions for commentary to researching, writing, editing, and producing the journal content in HTML. The 2004-05 bulletin will explore cases currently before the US Supreme Court. Bulletin content is available on this site and by (free) email subscription.
Happy reading!
Via beSpacific.

If They Want You….

This entry was posted in Constitution Domestic Terrorism Drug Laws Federal Government Federalism Law Law Enforcement Libertarianism US History on by

They can probabably get you!
The US Federal Government at work.
With nearly 4000 federal criminal statutes on the books the chance of you knowing when and what law you broke is probably nil.
The constitution called out three federal criminal offenses: treason, piracy and counterfeiting. As a glossy overgeneralization I suggest that any additional ones are inappropriate and relate to things that should be beyond the business of federal busybodies.
Via Freespace.

Toe Licking

This entry was posted in Culture Law on by

Some folks like it but uninvited toe licking exactly what Dutch parliament member peter van heest says it is:

“It is a violation of one’s privacy and one’s physical integrity,” he told a local news agency. “The norm… is that no one should touch your body if you haven’t asked them first.”
But why, then, should it need its own special category in Dutch law? It seems more appropriate that the Dutch should clarify their assault laws so that things like this will not fall through the cracks rather than following the path van heest and the good Professor advocates.
Oh, and for the victems that the Dutch state has so grievously failed perhaps there are some alternatives more appropriate. How about a civil suit? Are such things allowed in Holland?
Failing that I expect that their brothers, fathers, husbands and boyfriends would look askance at such behavior. Why haven’t they performed the appropriate behaviour modification actions on the perp?
I’m also a bit surprised that the perp has not suffered a multitude of broken noses during his three years of activity.
Update: Update: Jack K at Ruminate This also weighs in on this major issue.
Update (8/9): Will Baude agrees re their assault laws and links to this relevant analysis by the Curmudgeonly Clerk.

Timing

This entry was posted in ashcroft bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Law Law Enforcement Libertarianism Patriot Act War on Terrorism on by

I take it that Tom Ridge made this announcement:

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Thursday that there is “credible” information indicating that al-Qaida is moving ahead with plans for a “large-scale attack” in the U.S. aimed at disrupting the November elections.
to assist in bush’s effort to squash a House attempt to remove some of the more onerous pieces of the patriot act:
The Republican-led House bowed to a White House veto threat Thursday and stood by the USA Patriot Act, defeating an effort to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that helps the government investigate people’s reading habits
Nah, they wouldn’t do anything like that….
Hat tips to Norbizness and Talkleft.

Supremes Sing for bush?

This entry was posted in bush Conscription Constitution Domestic Terrorism Federal Government Iraq Law Libertarianism Patriot Act War on Terrorism on by

Arthur Silber isn’t very happy with the rulings in Hamdi, Padilla and Rasul:

…as Turley notes, the fact that these questions arose in this form in the first place — questions that lie at the very foundation of what was our original system of government — is a very ominous sign, a sign whose significance a great many people appear not to appreciate fully, if at all.
…
MORE CONFIRMATION: Of my view — if the Wall Street Journal is pleased about the Supreme Court’s rulings, you can be pretty damned sure that they’re bad news for the defenders of individual rights:
Now I’m not as happy with these rulings as I was two days ago.