Religion & Law

Tinker and Viewpoint Discrimination

Posted on July 01, 2009
SSRN: "This article attempts to clarify the emerging debate about the permissibility of viewpoint discrimination under Tinker and proposes modifications to the Tinker framework that would enable courts to deal more fruitfully with charges that school officials have imposed viewpoint-based restrictions on student speech...

Florida: ACLU bills Santa Rosa County schools for legal expenses

Posted on July 01, 2009
Gulf Breeze News: "The Santa Rosa County School District has been handed a $187,000 bill for legal expenses from the American Civil Liberties Union."

White House Reporters Grill Gibbs Over ?Prepackaged? Questions for Obama

Posted on July 01, 2009
The video is available on Breitbart.tv.

Tanzania: Two Church Buildings Burned Down in Zanzibar

Posted on July 01, 2009
Compass News via Voice of the Martyrs Blog: "Two church buildings were razed Sunday night (June 28) on the island of Zanzibar after worship services. Suspected radical Muslims set the church buildings on fire on the outskirts of Unguja Township, on the Tanzanian island off the coast of East Africa, in what church leaders called the latest incidents of a rising tide of religious intolerance...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Islamic Extremists Kill U.S. Aid Worker

Posted on July 01, 2009
Compas News Direct via Voice of the Martyrs Blog: Funeral services will be held tomorrow for a U.S. teacher in Mauritania who was shot dead last week by Islamic extremists for spreading Christianity."

Judge gives go-ahead for Northern Ireland abortion law challenge

Posted on July 01, 2009
The Christian Institute: "Belfast High Court has given a pro-life group permission to challenge Northern Ireland?s health chiefs over abortion guidelines it says are 'misleading'."

Fox News Highlights Fallout from House Vote for Costly, Jobs-Killing National Energy Tax

Posted on July 01, 2009
Rep. John Boehner: "Across Capitol Hill, congressional offices continue to receive scores of phone calls and e-mails from Americans outraged by last Friday?s vote by House Democrats to raise electricity prices, increase gasoline prices, and ship American jobs overseas to countries like China and India by passing Speaker Pelosi?s national energy tax...

Utah: Woman picking up husband at strip club arrested following gun fire

Posted on July 01, 2009
Deseret News: "A fight outside a strip club resulted in a shot fired and three people arrested early Monday. About 1:30 a.m., four men leaving The Show Club, 3423 S. Main, got into a confrontation with another group in the parking lot, said South Salt Lake police detective Gary Keller...

New Mexico AG urges enforcement of trafficking law

Posted on July 01, 2009
KOB reports: "A year after a law was passed to stop human trafficking from Mexico into New Mexico, the state has yet to prosecute anyone."

Seattle strip-club magnate indicted

Posted on July 01, 2009
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Longtime strip-club owner Frank Colacurcio Sr., his son and four associates were indicted Tuesday on federal racketeering, money laundering, mail fraud and prostitution conspiracy charges, the latest in a long line of brushes with the law for the notorious Seattle crime figure...

NY: Council Votes for Two Muslim School Holidays

Posted on July 01, 2009
NY Times: "Spurred by a broad coalition of religious, labor and immigrant groups, the City Council overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Tuesday to add two of the most important Muslim holy days to the public schools? holiday calendar."

New NCHS Report: Who Marries and When?

Posted on July 01, 2009
WebMD: "Only 17% of American women haven?t married by age 35, compared to 25% of men, new research indicates. But many people marry a lot younger, the study indicates. There?s a 50% probability that women will marry for the first time by age 25, researchers say; the probability of marriage for men doesn?t hit 50% until age 27...

Malaysia: Royalty Defers Decision Concerning Conversion of Minors

Posted on July 01, 2009
Becket Fund: "On June 29 Malaysia?s king and state sultans announced that they will consult Islamic authorities before approving an amendment that affects whether or not a parent may convert his/her children without the approval of the spouse, AP reported on July 1...

?For Many, Marriage Is Sexless, Boring and Oppressive: Time to Rethink the Institution??

Posted on July 01, 2009
Amanda Marcotte writes at Altar.Net: "But as a firm believer that institutions should exist for people, and not people for institutions, I have to ask the broader question: If marriage, at least marriage as we know it (as Tsing Loh describes it, as work: '...

Illinois: Hearing to halt sexually oriented businesses

Posted on July 01, 2009
PioneerLocal.com: "The Zoning Board of Appeals of Franklin Park will hold a public hearing on creating a nine-month moratorium on new adult businesses. The hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on July 8 at the police station, 9545 Belmont Ave. "

A License To Conceal? Colorado DMV Takes Squishy Stance On Vulgarities

Posted on July 01, 2009
State Bill Colorado: "Mark Silverstein, the legal director of the ACLU of Colorado and a critic of the current plate-review system, believes the process is unconstitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court?s decision in Cohen v. California (1971). In a 5-4 ruling, that court?s majority noted that it?s difficult for government officials to make 'principled decisions' in purging vulgar words from public spaces because, as John Marshall Harlan II wrote, 'one man?s vulgarity is another?s lyric...

WI: County clerk expects rush after gov signs partnership bill

Posted on July 01, 2009
Jessica VanEgeren reports in Madison's Capital Times: "If Dane County Clerk Bob Ohlsen's hunch is correct, the first Monday in August is going to be a hectic day at his office. That's the day same-sex couples across the state, including an estimated 1,400 to 2,400 couples living in Dane County, will be able to take advantage of a historic piece of legislation signed Monday by Gov...

Texas: Planned Parenthood closing El Paso clinics

Posted on July 01, 2009
Associated Press: "Analinda Moreno, interim executive director of the clinics, said Friday that all six facilities in El Paso will be shuttered on Tuesday."

Fla. ACLU publishes guide for pregnant teens

Posted on July 01, 2009
Miami Herald: "'The Legal Guide for Pregnant Teens in Florida' includes information on legal aspects of abortion, adoption and raising children. Other topics include getting public assistance for housing, health insurance and how to get an immigration status change...

Proposition 8 defenders allowed to intervene against attack on Calif. marriage amendment

Posted on July 01, 2009
A federal court Tuesday ruled that the official proponents and campaign committee for Proposition 8, ProtectMarriage.com, will be allowed to intervene federal court against a Hollywood-backed lawsuit designed to tear down California?s voter-approved marriage amendment.

?D.C. judge rejects efforts to block gay marriage bill?

Posted on July 01, 2009
Nathan Black reports in The Christian Post: ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum argues, "'Marriage didn?t violate the Human Rights Act when the HRA passed 32 years ago, and it doesn?t now. That is simply a political argument meant to prevent the people from voting...

Husband-and-wife porn producers sentenced to prison

Posted on July 01, 2009
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Zicari and Romano made films that depicted kidnappings, rapes and murder as well as other violence and degradation toward women. 'This material is the most violent and disgusting portrayal of women that has been produced,' said U...

Northern Ireland Politician Cleared of Wrongdoing after Reiterating Christian Teaching on Homosexual Acts

Posted on July 01, 2009
LifeSiteNews: "The row started last year when Mrs. Robinson, who has described herself as a 'born again and again' Christian, told the BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show that homosexuals who so desired could benefit from counselling to discontinue the homosexual lifestyle...

Ohio Supreme Court: Planned Parenthood Keeps Records in Abortion-Abuse Case

Posted on July 01, 2009
LifeNews: "The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday released a ruling saying that a Cincinnati Planned Parenthood abortion business doesn't have to give up records an attorney is seeking in a case involving accusations that it ignored suspected sexual abuse against a teenager who sought an abortion...

?Lambda Legal Applauds Proposed Rules Eliminating HIV Travel Restrictions?

Posted on July 01, 2009
Lambda Legal: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced it will issue proposed new rules that would lift the HIV travel and immigration ban by removing HIV from the list of communicable diseases of public health significance for immigrants to the United States...

?Fed. Prop. 8 case all systems go?

Posted on July 01, 2009
Andrew Gumbel reports in The Advocate: "Judge Walker also granted permission for a handful of ardent supporters of Prop. 8 -- representing groups such as the Alliance Defense Fund and ProtectMarriage.com -- to act as defendants. It came as little surprise that he granted the motion to intervene -- both sides fully expected it...

MI: ?Kalamazoo approves gay rights ordinance?

Posted on June 30, 2009
Marc Thompson reports at WOOD TV: "The Kalamazoo City Commission voted unanimously to adopt an anti-discrimination ordinance Monday night. It will prohibit discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people when it comes to hiring, housing and other accommodations...

Suit filed challenging distribution of ?morning after pill? to minors over the counter

Posted on June 30, 2009
LifeSiteNews reports: "'The life and health of women, especially minors, is more important than the political agenda of pro-abortion activist groups," said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. 'Minors are least of all in a position to make an informed decision about the life or death of a child, or even about their own safety...

Is Justice Thomas ?Now Our Greatest Justice??

Posted on June 30, 2009
Jonathan Adler writes at the Volokh Conspiracy: Tom Goldstein has a thoughtful and interesting post on SCOTUSBlog summarizing the just-sortof-concluded Supreme Court term and looking forward to the next . . . I was particularly struck by his discussion of Scalia and Thomas ...

Junior High School Student Ordered Not To Wear Pro-Life T-Shirt

Posted on June 30, 2009
Eugene Volokh has this post on the Volokh Conspiracy discussing Amador v. McSwain Elementary Union School District. ADF is involved in this litigation.

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.