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‘Birthright citizenship’ is a creation of executive fiat – NOT the 14th Amendment - and can be reversed by Executive Order
https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/10/30/birthright-citizenship-a-fundamental-misunderstanding-of-the-14th-amendment/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTnpJeE56UTBZV0V4WlRoaCIsInQiOiJ5MUNXZDA4MnltSmdxa05pandNa1d6ZjJHXC9VVUkyRUNNNlVLWXlmb2ZJYjBrR2lvZXRWa09KOVpyMEllUHA5dExaaHJsZ0grUktsSjAwQ29aTHE0R21MelZWaXNlOFVYU0RRblB0cU9zNlpsVzlPY0h0b1lzQTNrdFRpMXRRZUgifQ%3D%3D + https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-he-plans-to-sign-executive-order-ending-birthright-citizenship 1A: federal judge strikes down California law that required pro-life pregnancy centers to give information about abortion; Supreme Court indicated in June law likely unconstitutional https://dailycaller.com/2018/10/28/california-fact-act-abortion/ 1A: Michigan appeals court vacates trial court order enjoining Facebook posts in neighbor spat; inappropriate, crude, and offensive language can be protected under 1A http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/25/injunction-against-harassing-online-spee 1A: unions flouting Supreme Court Janus decision; requiring workers to opt out of forced dues, restricting opt-out periods, refusing to issue refunds, still representing workers who disagree with them https://fedsoc.org/events/update-workers-speech-rights-in-the-wake-of-janus 1A: Colorado Supreme Court goes against the grain in denying presumptive right of access to sealed criminal court records http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/25/does-the-first-amendment-protect-a-presu Free Expression: don’t you dare call Muhammad’s practice of child marriage ‘pedophilia’ because that would be blasphemy and you would be a criminal, European Court of Human Rights rules http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/26/european-court-ok-to-criminalize-calling 2A: evidence for current wave of gun control laws is weak; universal background checks don’t reduce crime and safe storage laws don’t reduce accidents https://townhall.com/columnists/johnrlottjr/2018/07/23/weak-evidence-for-new-gun-control-laws-n2502786 4A: police can’t detain people while developing ‘hunches’ about where to search http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2018/D10-18/C:17-2517:J:Hamilton:aut:T:fnOp:N:2236435:S:0 Eminent Domain: property rights activists disappointed Supreme Court turned away opportunity to limit Kelo; OK for Louisiana port authority to seize nearby competing private port https://fedsoc.org/commentary/blog-posts/news-scotus-passes-on-opportunity-to-limit-or-overturn-kelo 10A: Supreme Court soon to hear oral arguments in case where Virginia admitted its uranium mining ban is motivated by radiological safety concerns, an exclusive province of the federal government https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/10/29/here-are-3-cases-to-watch-at-the-supreme-court/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CapitolBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTkRnMlptUXpOakZtTVROaSIsInQiOiJ6cGFFcnlPV3dWN3hzM1ZmeklaeVZ3K1BzTHFxc2VLa1ZOSjRXdlAzNEN4OWhDU1d0UndydXlidWxWa042QzY1SXY1cEV1TUswK2hrTjBZQ3hSaHc1VXVBbDA5OU4xeWFjMXNacHRqWUpUV3h2emtqaUxneWZKckxtb0NLSW9yNCJ9 10A: Trump-hating Dems discover the virtues of federalism https://www.conservativereview.com/news/shapiro-how-democrats-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-federalism/ 14A: class action against Tennessee revoking driver’s licenses for failure to pay criminal fines will proceed in part; long discussion of how 14A standards change when both equal protection and due process involved https://cdn.buttercms.com/rM4VcPDRTWZBxgR2OkEj Economic Freedom: why does a barber need a high school diploma and 1,500 hours of training? Tennessee law being challenged. https://fedsoc.org/commentary/blog-posts/docket-watch-zarate-v-tennessee-of-cosmetology-and-barber-examiners Trump has inherent executive authority and delegated authority from Congress to stop illegal alien caravan from entering U.S.
https://www.conservativereview.com/news/president-trump-has-full-constitutional-power-to-stop-the-border-invasion-even-without-congress/ 14A Due Process: Alabama Supreme Court affirms sentence for murder of unborn child, criticizes Roe v. Wade as patently illogical https://www.wnd.com/2018/10/shocker-court-rules-unborn-baby-a-person/ 1A: Supreme Court takes case with implications for social media; case tests whether a public access television network run by private operator is a free speech forum https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/16/supreme-court-case-could-decide-fb-twitter-power-to-regulate-speech.html Nationwide Injunctions: 9th Circuit panel appears skeptical of nationwide injunction barring Trump administration from issuing rules creating exceptions to Obamacare’s birth control mandate http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-birth-control-9th-circuit-20181019-story.html 1A: Oregon baker asks Supreme Court to resolve compelled speech question left over from Masterpiece https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/10/22/bakers-fined-135k-over-wedding-cake-appeal-to-supreme-court/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell%22&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWkRVMVlUQTBNRFEwTldWaiIsInQiOiJNYlwvQVBjQmlFd3VzSTU3ZVN6Tk83YVlcL29OU1ZxRTZkYnJMdUtzMHZYSlJWU01zbUJoQjlUQ0ZaamwyZlhpRFJYalMxZ0VoRVZoMHhHYVA3cUpqakdjRDdKK2xhTmY3Q3o0dFNhYjJzb05KUGo5eVwvMHVNVWVrNzAzZnlUWVwvVDcifQ%3D%3D 1A: Christian filmmakers argue before 8th Circuit that state’s order to ‘cover gay weddings or go to jail’ unconstitutionally compels speech in violation of beliefs http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/october/christian-filmmakers-appeal-to-8th-circuit-to-make-films-celebrating-marriage-between-one-man-one-woman 1A Religion: 7th Circuit finds no assault on religion in school district’s decision not to provide second Catholic school with busing. http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2018/D10-11/C:17-2333:J:Ripple:dis:T:fnOp:N:2232584:S:0 2A: When do ammunition taxes, microstamping requirements, and ammo limits excessively burden the right to bear arms? https://thefederalist.com/2018/10/15/left-doesnt-just-want-take-guns-also-ammo/ 5A,6A: new conditions in written sentence handed down after sentencing hearing violate opportunity to be heard and right to be present at sentencing (5th Circuit) http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/17/17-40033-CR0.pdf 14A Equal Protection: separate opinion blasts ‘tawdry and disreputable’ police tactic of stash house reverse stings, as race-based targeting http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/10/15/16-50061.pdf#page=17 14A political bias in public accommodations: Ruby Tuesday restaurant in North Carolina denies service for Trump t-shirt; dollars went to Texas Roadhouse, instead https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/10/family-denied-service-at-ruby-tuesday-in-roanoke-rapids-north-carolina-over-pro-trump-t-shirt-video/?fbclid=IwAR0b98qGaMVhL8vnTew_lZBFOjErAmB9RpqaQjbXJXcvAvjMCA2zOZzR7ac 14A Property rights – Ohio owner wants homeless tent city on his property, city says it’s a zoning violation, neighboring apartment dwellers cite nuisance spilling over to them. Who should win? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/akron-homeless-tent-city.html 14A Liberty Interest: Georgia judge writes in favor of a constitutional right to home-school (legal in most states, but by statute). What part of ‘children are not state property’ do you not understand? http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/23/constitutional-right-to-home-school Commerce Clause: Maryland asks Supreme Court to uphold its generic drug price-gouging law which 4th Circuit knocked down as attempt to regulate transactions beyond state borders http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-frosh-drugs-20181019-story.html Economic Freedom: proposal from Louisville council members appears to renege on city’s agreement with food truck vendors reached in June https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/louisville-city-living/2018/10/11/louisville-food-trucks-new-vending-zones/1600022002/ New book says America’s problems are not attributed to the U.S. Constitution which has performed well and shown remarkable staying power https://www.the-american-interest.com/2018/10/22/the-sprightly-230-year-old/ Shame! Paul Krugman claims without a shred of evidence Trump will disregard the Constitution after the election, urges government officials to disregard Presidential orders. Go back to economics! #StickToYourKnitting https://www.yahoo.com/news/paul-krugman-warns-trump-poised-065936913.html On Friday [Oct. 19th], the Supreme Court brought a temporary halt to the astounding climate kids case that was set to begin trial at the end of the month in federal court in Oregon. I say ‘astounding’ because the claims are absurd and the requests for relief are gargantuan.
In 2015, a group of 21 young people ages 10 to 21 filed suit against the federal government asserting a constitutional right to a sustainable environment. They allege that the government knew all about climate change but continued to promote the use of fossil fuels for another 50 years. This is not some random group of kids. They were organized by an environmental group, as you might suspect, and are proceeding under the stewardship of James Hansen, the former NASA zealot who has a reputation for exaggerating global warming and turning science into ideology. So here we have a phony made-up case by the Left and a left-wing trial judge more than willing to play along. Where does a constitutional right to a sustainable environment come from, you might ask? Beats me. Earlier this month, the trial judge dismissed the plaintiffs’ Ninth Amendment claim. The Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that all unenumerated rights are retained by the people. So far, courts have not been willing to treat the Ninth as a fountain of rights and have not declared any new rights under it. The closest we’ve come is Justice Goldberg’s concurring opinion in Griswold v. Connecticut 50-plus years ago citing the Ninth in support of a constitutional right to marital privacy. More on the Ninth another day. But who needs the Ninth when you can use the Due Process clause of the 5th and 14th Amendments to declare new rights? Like when Justice Kennedy declared a fundamental right to same-sex marriage in the Obergefell case. Folks, it’s not the rule of law when courts can make stuff up and shove it down our throats. But this is exactly what the trial judge in the climate kids case may end up doing: declare a never-before-seen fundamental right to a sustainable environment and impose remedies one observer called “the complete restructuring of the U.S. economy.” The kids want the government to phase out all fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so that we can return to, what in their view will be, a stable environment. To buy all this, not only do you have to believe in man-made climate change, you have to believe that it’s appropriate for courts to make national policy. The plaintiffs are requesting enormous changes that would completely upend national environmental and energy policy. Forget the elected representatives of the people, we’ll just run large sectors of the economy out of a single courtroom in Oregon, how’s that sound? And this, from the Left, which is always nattering on about ‘democracy’. It’s not clear what’s going to happen. After the Supreme Court’s order on Friday [Oct. 19th], discovery and the trial are halted pending further briefing. The plaintiffs’ response to the government’s pleadings is due on Wednesday [Oct.24th]. Whether and when the trial will take place is up in the air, and we don’t know for how long. The Supreme Court has already greenlighted this case once, so it’s not immediately apparent what they’re driving at now. If the Supreme Court had an objection to the declaration of a fundamental right to a sustainable environment or to the broad sweeping remedies requested, they could have put a stop to this insanity the first time around. Maybe the Court will finally accept the government’s argument that the young plaintiffs lack standing because they can’t show any particularized injury from governmental policy any different from that felt by anyone else. Who knows? Stay tuned. Trump snubs Feinstein and Harris, nominates 3 conservatives to ‘nutty’ 9th Circuit
https://sanantonioteaparty.us/president-trump-taking-hatchet-to-historically-liberal-9th-circuit-court-snubs-harris-and-feinstein/?utm_source=Revere+Report+17Oct18&utm_campaign=RR&utm_medium=email 1A: Atlanta settles with fire chief it fired for his religious beliefs for $1.2 million – “big win for the First Amendment rights of all Americans” https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/10/16/atlanta-paying-fire-chief-it-fired-over-his-christian-faith-1-2m-settlement/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CapitolBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTWpCalpqSXdaV1UxTkdNeSIsInQiOiI4bWFxM0Y1WHluMUREeUQrdFArT3RSXC9uXC8xWEV4Rkxrd0k0QWwzNDhrSitiV2JONHNNUUJ1dE56c0FDUGs5eHNcL3dtZnBReWo4Zjl3c1ZGb0RqemRsbnM0TGFreEQ5alZ4TGVERGk3STIyd2pFZW9TSkY4YWQ3blYwbzJqcklKUyJ9 North Dakota voter ID law upheld by Supreme Court, adding to string of cases saying requiring ID is not ‘voter suppression’ https://www.redstate.com/streiff/2018/10/09/breaking.-supreme-court-uphold-north-dakotas-voter-id-law 1A: PILF cross-sues Virginia Department of Elections in case alleging PILF had intimidated voters by publishing noncitizen voting info; PILF argues it could reasonably rely on accuracy of government records https://ecf.vaed.uscourts.gov/doc1/18919171836 5A: Climate kids case to proceed to trial on due process grounds; Ninth Amendment claim dismissed. Judge believes climate change issue should be decided in court, not by the elected branches of government. https://www.registerguard.com/news/20181015/federal-judge-issues-ruling-in-climate-kids-case 1A: Violent leftist mobs are not ‘protesters’; the damage they inflict is NOT constitutionally protected free speech or assembly https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/16/mob-protestors-activists-constitution-antifa-liberal-riots-first-amendment-column/1642922002/ 2A: Another reason to carry a gun: Parkland deputy argues he had no legal duty to stop the massacre. http://www.gopusa.com/parkland-deputys-lawyers-say-he-wasnt-legally-required-to-stop-massacre/ 4A: Part-time doctor who does not own the clinic where he works cannot assert a Fourth Amendment claim to bar search of the medical records of his patients http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/17/17-20726-CV0.pdf 5A: amicus brief argues government should have to show by clear and convincing evidence that the person knows the password before the person can be compelled to decrypt computer records http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/11/amicus-brief-on-burdens-of-proof-for-com Economic Freedom: Supreme Court knocks down 8th Circuit ruling which upheld Missouri licensing law requiring 1,500 hours of training for hair braiding https://ij.org/press-release/u-s-supreme-court-rules-in-missouri-hair-braiding-case/ State Constitution: West Virginia in constitutional crisis; stand-ins for impeached supreme court rule that impeachment trial would be unconstitutional https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/10/15/west-virginia-botches-impeachment-of-chief-justice-faces-constitutional-crisis-stay-tuned/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f9c6c2fa2c75 State Constitution: Washington Supreme Court holds state’s death penalty unconstitutional (again); arbitrary and racially biased since black defendants more than 4 times more likely to be sentenced to death http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/880867.pdf Prominent historian rejects notion Constitution’s basic structure framed by issue of slavery; finds tension between large and small states much more salient https://www.lawliberty.org/2018/10/12/gordon-woods-reflections-on-the-constitution-and-slavery/ Justice Scalia’s finest opinion? Dissent in Morrison v. Olson continues to inform legal debates on separation of powers and unitary executive https://fedsoc.org/commentary/videos/the-great-dissent-justice-scalia-s-opinion-in-morrison-v-olson The costs of the administrative state: unnecessary regulation has imposed major costs on the US economy, the separation of powers has been compromised, and erosion of the role of Congress threatens democracy. https://www.amazon.com/Judicial-Fortitude-Chance-Administrative-State/dp/1641770082/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1527183277&sr=8-2&keywords=peter+wallison&linkCode=sl1&tag=aeor-20&linkId=9041559c8f2ac826d5db8a7281069096 Justice Kavanaugh likely to strengthen religious liberty, the right to bear arms, and limits on congressional and executive power. https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/10/10/how-justice-kavanaugh-will-change-the-supreme-court/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell%22&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1Ka05qaG1aVFEyTVRNNCIsInQiOiJQeGY5d2p3RFlXRFZ4TloyRWNMdXNGYnpEXC9HZVpTSW1uSEJ4UEhaNXI1Qk82UXNRSGptanNubXY4MnBPQ0hpN05qNnhHcEs1MHhEZmxndlprMXpqK3RVdkhpblJjWUZTR3BnWVFrVTZmSiswWmlJVm9EQkUyY2dCY00yOEk5YmIifQ%3D%3D Post-Kavanaugh: “It’s time to act like Americans once again.” https://politichicks.com/2018/10/its-time-to-return-our-hearts-toward-home/ Shame! Dem Arizona Senate candidate on record as saying its fine for Americans to fight for the Taliban, America’s enemy. https://freebeacon.com/politics/sinema-refuses-address-past-comments-okay-americans-join-taliban/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=ac72eb9a3e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-ac72eb9a3e-45628225 CNN host Don Lemon showed his ignorance about the Constitution on national television this last week. He said it loud and he said it proud. The discussion was about the right to protest, specifically about an angry mob running Ted Cruz and his wife out of a D.C. restaurant. Lemon told his guest to “shut up” so he could pontificate about free speech:
Whenever and wherever you want. Don Lemon is flat-out wrong, as a matter of constitutional law. Free speech is not an absolute right. There are a number of well-established exceptions to the First Amendment right to free speech. You can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater (or in a crowded TV studio, for that matter). You can’t tell the enemy when our troop ships are set to leave. You don’t get to utter fighting words with impunity. You don’t have the right to tell falsehoods and ruin someone’s reputation – that’s called slander. You don’t have the right to lie under oath – that’s perjury and it’s a felony. You don’t have the right to incite violence or imminent lawless action. You don’t get to break windows at GOP offices as part of your right to protest – that’s a crime. And you certainly don’t have the right to protest “whenever and wherever you want.” There are time, place and manner restraints that limit your right to protest. Every Tea Partier knows you have to obtain a permit to have a big demonstration on the National Mall. Every Tea Partier knows there are local ordinances that limit your right to protest. In my area, groups larger than 25 people have to get a permit to demonstrate. Smaller groups can’t block public sidewalks, you have to keep moving. You can’t protest on private property, like shopping malls or grocery store parking lots. Or in a restaurant, if the owner won’t allow it. The D.C. subway has rules, too. You can’t demonstrate inside stations, it’s too dangerous. You can’t block the entrance; you have to stay 15 feet away from it. But Don Lemon has announced a principle: the absolute right to protest wherever and whenever you want. Let’s have a little fun with that, shall we? I get to protest anywhere and whenever I want, right? I guess that means Don Lemon’s living room at 2 o’clock in the morning. Or a Democratic Socialists of America chapter meeting, or a Sunday service at an A.M.E church when people are trying to pray. Not just one Sunday, but every Sunday. Now let’s talk about his own show. Don Lemon has a history of shutting off his guests’ microphones when he doesn’t like what they have to say. He did it to radio host John Fredericks and he did it to former Trump aide Jason Miller. In Miller’s case, Lemon specifically told him that being on CNN is a privilege, not a right. Apparently, consistency is not a requirement for being a CNN host. And they weren’t the only ones Don Lemon has silenced. He should be checked for Nazi tendencies. But he announced a principle that I have an absolute right to protest wherever and whenever I please. I have half a mind to march into CNN’s studios, storm on to Don Lemon’s set with a few hundred of my closest friends and protest his history of antipathy towards free expression. Cut people off, how dare you. Shame on Don Lemon for supporting mobs. Shame on him for invoking the Constitution when he clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And shame on him also for thinking people only have a right to speak when it’s something he agrees with. Trump administration loses another sanctuary city grants case (Constitution news round-up)10/10/2018
Trump administration loses another sanctuary city grants case; executive cannot place conditions on federal grants (separation of powers) or commander state employees to enforce federal law (10A)
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/06/yet-another-federal-court-rules-against 2A: Misdemeanor DUI not enough to justify life-long gun ban; federal judge restores gun rights to nonviolent offender https://freebeacon.com/issues/federal-judge-restores-non-violent-offenders-gun-rights-following-landmark-case/ 14A: New California law requires certain corporations to meet quota of women on their boards; companies lost value under similar law in Norway; wrinkle here is gender identity, not biological sex https://fedsoc.org/commentary/blog-posts/is-california-s-corporate-boards-quota-bill-constitutional Returning to Congressional rather than judicial government will lower the stakes and avoid future bitter nomination fights. https://www.lawliberty.org/2018/10/08/avoiding-the-next-50-48-vote-disempower-the-court/ Free expression: Leaked Google document - tech firms have lost their free speech culture and moved toward censorship https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/10/09/the-good-censor-google-document-admits-breitbart-news-is-number-one-for-free-speech/ 1A: gaming company personnel cannot be prohibited from making political contributions on the grounds that a legal industry is corrupt, federal judge in Pennsylvania rules https://fedsoc.org/commentary/blog-posts/pennsylvania-ruling-affirms-that-campaign-finance-prohibitions-must-be-justified 1A Religion: St. Louis can’t compel religious groups “to employ or house individuals who advocate for or perform abortions” contrary to their beliefs, federal judge rules https://www.lifenews.com/2018/10/04/judge-strikes-down-law-making-st-louis-a-sanctuary-city-for-abortion/ 2A: CDC admits its gun injury data is unreliable, publishes it anyway; downward trend found by other researchers casts doubt CDC estimates https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-cdc-is-publishing-unreliable-data-on-gun-injuries-people-are-using-it-anyway/ Eminent Domain: Supreme Court hears arguments in case testing precedent that takings plaintiffs must exhaust state remedies before filing in federal court http://www.scotusblog.com/2018/10/argument-analysis-weighing-federal-court-access-for-local-takings-plaintiffs/ 14A Discrimination: Study shows ‘Ban the Box’ laws protecting ex-offenders harm the chances of young black men getting a job http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/10/the-unintended-consequences-of-ban-the-b Dormant Commerce Clause: Wisconsin butter-grading statute is burdensome on Amish small-batch producers, but OK because it does not discriminate against out-of-state products, 7th Circuit rules http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2018/D10-03/C:18-1520:J:Flaum:aut:T:fnOp:N:2228758:S:0 Dem Senator filed for injunction to block Kavanaugh vote; argued that failure to provide documents related to nominee’s tenure in the Bush administration hampered Senator’s duty to advise and consent https://bwcentral.org/2018/10/resist-democrat-senator-filed-an-injunction-to-block-final-kavanaugh-vote/ Be inspired: “Life-Long Cubs Fan With Down Syndrome Fulfills His Dream to Sing National Anthem” https://www.lifenews.com/2018/10/03/life-long-cubs-fan-with-down-syndrome-fulfills-his-dream-to-sing-national-anthem/ Brett Kavanaugh is not a rapist; he’s a witch! You didn’t know that? I hereby accuse Brett Kavanaugh of Conjuration, Witchcraft, and dealing with Evil and Wicked Spirits.
He shall be tried in secret. Hearsay will be admissible. All accusations, no matter how unreliable – like his sexual encounters with demons - shall be used against him. He will not be allowed to defend himself. [American Criminal Courts: Legal Process and Social Context by Casey Welch, John Randolph Fuller] And there will be no presumption of innocence; In fact, he will be presumed guilty unless he can prove he is innocent. [Just a Family History by Glenn L. Bower, p. 206] We heard a lot about the presumption of innocence during the Kavanaugh confirmation process. Tonight, I’ll tell you the story of the presumption of innocence and what can happen without it. The history starts with the ancient Babylonian Code of Hammurabi which put the burden of proof on the accuser. The presumption of innocence was a feature of Roman criminal law. Today, the 5th and 14th Amendment Due Process clauses, by Supreme Court interpretation [Coffin v. United States, 156 U.S. 432 (1895)], protect the presumption of innocence. In our system, unlike the Salem witch trials, you are innocent until proven guilty. The absence of the presumption of innocence is associated with some of the worst events in human history. In the court of the Spanish inquisition, for example, the accused were presumed guilty and it was up to them to prove themselves innocent. [Equity and Law by María José Falcón y Tella, p. 228] The Inquisition also tortured confessions out of religious and ideological opponents of the Inquisitors. The trials of the French Revolution, if you can call them that, were patterned after the Inquisition – no jury, no compulsory process for defendant’s witnesses, and no presumption of innocence. [A Manual of American Ideas by Caspar T. Hopkins, 234-5] These proceedings were directed at political enemies. Wave after wave of revolutionaries were sent to the guillotine after falling out of power. There was no presumption of innocence in the English Star Chamber. A finding of guilt could be based on the silence of the accused. [Presumption of Innocence in Peril: A Comparative Critical Perspective by Anthony Gray, p. 12]. The Star Chamber was used to control the king’s political enemies. [Criminal Evidence: Principles and Cases by Thomas J. Gardner, Terry M. Anderson, p. 175]. There was no presumption of innocence in the show trials of Stalin’s Great Terror [The Furies: Violence and Terror in the French and Russian Revolutions by Arno J. Mayer, p. 653]. Che Guevara, t-shirt boy for the revolution, perhaps said it best: “I don’t need proof to execute a man, I only need proof that it’s necessary to execute him.” He also said, “To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary … These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution!” This is a man who once wrote in a letter to his father, “I really like killing.” And so he did. Che personally supervised many executions while running Castro’s La Cabaña prison. It’s no accident that these examples from history all involved political or ideological opponents. The presumption of innocence is one of the first casualties of a totalitarian mindset when political orthodoxy is threatened. So what are we to make of the fact that so many Americans now are willing to presume that Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh is guilty, even though his accusers could provide no evidence, no witnesses, and no corroboration. Gang rapes at party after party – really? These are the same people who think nothing of suborning perjury and tampering with witnesses, to wit Leland Keyser who felt pressured to change her story to help her friend Christine Blasey Ford. If these totalitarians get their way, there will be more Salem witch trials ahead. No man or boy – or women or girl – will be safe. I say we put Justice Kavanaugh on the rack until he confesses to his political and ideological crimes. It’s obviously sorcery that put him on the Supreme Court and we need an FBI investigation to get to the bottom of it. 10A: Trump Justice Department sues California to block state’s net neutrality law
https://www.law.com/therecorder/2018/09/30/feds-sue-california-to-block-sweeping-new-net-neutrality-law/?slreturn=20180901085734 5A: Philadelphia agrees to dismantle civil asset forfeiture scheme and stop ‘policing for profit’ https://fee.org/articles/ij-deserves-a-nobel-prize-for-taking-down-philadelphias-asset-forfeiture-racket/ 4A: Amash claims human trafficking bill is cover for increased government spying on citizens without a warrant https://freedomoutpost.com/congressman-exposes-government-using-human-trafficking-act-to-spy-on-citizens-without-warrant/ States: Supreme Court turns away challenge to voter-approved amendment to Tennessee state constitution allowing abortion regulations; issue was technical (how votes were counted) https://www.lifenews.com/2018/10/01/supreme-court-wont-hear-challenge-to-tennessee-amendment-that-eliminated-right-to-abortion/ 1A: Seattle bus authority engaged in viewpoint discrimination in rejecting Pamela Geller ads on global terrorism, 9th Circuit panel rules https://gellerreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Opinion-9-27-18.pdf 1A: D.C. Circuit keeps Pamela Geller bus and subway advertisement litigation alive; transit authority must respond https://gellerreport.com/2018/09/wmata-afdi-petition.html/ 1A: federal court strikes down Hawaii law compelling pregnancy centers to refer women to abortion providers https://www.lifenews.com/2018/09/21/hawaii-court-strikes-down-law-forcing-pregnancy-centers-and-pro-life-doctors-to-promote-abortion/ 1A: town council resolution to boycott Nike after Kaepernick featured in ads is arguably unconstitutional http://reason.com/volokh/2018/09/20/no-government-boycotts-of-nike-arent-con 1A Religion: Muslim inmate claims prison violated Free Exercise clause when it denied him a Muslim meal https://valawyersweekly.com/2018/09/23/denial-of-muslim-meal-prompts-first-amendment-claim/ 2A: Maryland Rite Aid shooting doesn’t fit the Left’s gun control narrative: shooter a transgender (not a white male); handgun purchased legally in a state that has universal background checks. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/news/bs-md-moseley-20180920-story.html 5A/10A: Supreme Court case tests whether states can prosecute people for the same offense charged in federal court; implications for Mueller probe and federalism https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/09/trump-pardon-orrin-hatch-supreme-court/571285/?utm_source=feed 14A Due Process: Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges does not unduly burden abortion rights, 5th Circuit panel rules https://apnews.com/28c903efdf37442386d4d1338393634d Copyright: authors call for Music Modernization Act and stronger international agreements to strengthen constitutional copyright protections https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2018/09/17/a_constitution_day_call_to_strengthen_copyright_protection_103414.html Book explores how constitutional government can be rescued from expansive administrative state https://fedsoc.org/commentary/publications/can-americans-reconcile-our-constitutional-system-with-an-expansive-administrative-state Book parses the meaning of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Clause; originalism does not come up short on protecting individual rights https://www.lawliberty.org/2018/09/26/amanda-tyler-and-the-original-meaning-of-the-habeas-corpus-suspension-clause/ Hmm... Deface or burn – decisions, decisions. Article traces the history of Supreme Court cases on the U.S. flag and Pledge of Allegiance https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/when-supreme-court-justices-argue-over-the-american-flag Shame! Senator Hirono thinks people with “ideological agendas” should not get the presumption of innocence. OK Senator, let’s start with you! https://freebeacon.com/politics/hirono-kavanaugh-doesnt-get-presumption-innocence-ideological-agenda/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=c0f2dda44c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_23_10_01_COPY_103&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-c0f2dda44c-45628225 The 2016 election was the fifth time in history that the U.S. elected a President who lost the popular vote. The last time that happened - Bush v. Gore in 2000 – a serious movement was begun to get rid of the Electoral College. Tonight, I’ll review the reasons we have the Electoral College and bring you up to date on the main effort to elect future Presidents by popular vote.
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution set up the first version of the Electoral College where, over-simplifying a bit, the candidate getting the majority of the electoral votes became President and the runner-up became Vice-President. But there were problems with the elections of 1796 and 1800. In 1796, the President and Vice-President elected under this system were from different political parties, which didn’t work out so great. And in 1800, the election went to the House of Representatives where it took 36 ballots to get Thomas Jefferson elected President. The 12th Amendment was ratified in 1804 to refine the process. Lots of reasons have been put forth why we have the Electoral College and why it’s a good thing:
Today, the National Popular Vote Compact has gained ground since the last time I spoke to you about it. Under the compact, states give their Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote, not the state’s popular vote. The compact has been joined by 11 blue states and the District of Columbia which, together, have 172 electoral votes, nearly two-thirds of the 270 votes required for the compact to take effect. The compact has been called an end-run around the Constitution because, with 270 electoral votes, future Presidents would effectively be chosen by popular vote, not by independent electors as they are today. Many fear that no conservative President could ever be elected again if the compact picks up a 270-vote majority. However, the results are not a foregone conclusion. First, the compact cuts both ways. In 2004, under the compact, California’s electoral votes would have gone to George W. Bush, even though John Kerry won 1.2 million more votes in California than Bush did. This is because Bush won the national popular vote that year. Also, you can bet that people would sue to prevent the National Popular Vote Compact from taking effect, and the Supreme Court would ultimately have to decide the issue. States can join compacts under Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution, that’s not in dispute. But some have argued that congressional consent would have to be obtained before the compact could be enforced and any implementation of the compact without that consent would immediately be challenged. Others argue that what the compact is attempting to do can only be done by constitutional amendment. I could even see small states attempting to secede from the union in the event the compact takes effect, because it would undo one of the inducements that drew them into the union in the first place. It could be argued they have settled expectations in this area that cannot be undone by a conspiracy of larger states. Regardless of what you think of the Electoral College, there’s no denying that it has given us seamless transitions of power without conflict or bloodshed throughout our entire history – and that’s no small feat. Supporters of the National Popular Vote Compact and direct democracy should think twice before they upset the tried and true, the carefully balanced design of the Electoral College. |
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