Indictment Requested Against Bush for Torture in Canada

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the Canadian Centre for International Justice (CCIJ) have submitted a 64-page letter to the Attorney General of Canada making the factual and legal case for indicting President George W. Bush for torture under the Canadian Criminal Code and the Convention Against Torture (CAT).  The move comes in advance of Bush’s scheduled October 20 speech at the Surrey Regional Economic Summit in Surrey, British Columbia. CCR and CCIJ are calling on Canada’s Attorney General to begin a criminal investigation of Bush for his administration’s creation and use...

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Worst Decisions: A Tie for #1 - AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion

AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday, we looked at one of the two worst, Wal-Mart v. Dukes, which allows corporations to discriminate as long as they do so on an enormous scaleIn our tie for the #1 slot, this case has profound ramifications for the millions of Americans who have to sign contracts to get a job, or to buy a product or service.Worst Decisions of the 2010-11 Corporate Court Term: #1 (tie) AT&T Mobility v. ConcepcionGiving Corporations a License to StealIn a 5-4 vote, the Corporate Court majority enacted sweeping protections...

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Worst Decisions: A Tie for #1 - Wal-Mart v. Dukes

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday...

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A Bill To Create New Federal Judgeships

On October 6, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider S.1014, The Emergency Judicial Relief Act of 2011.The bill, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in May, would create 10 new district court judgeships:2 for the District of Arizona4 for the Eastern District of California1 for the District of Minnesota1 for the Southern District of Texas2 for the Western District of Texas The bill would also convert existing temporary judgeships in the District of Arizona and the Central District of California into permanent judgeships. The incumbents in the current temporary judgeships would...

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Worst Decisions, #3: Janus Capital v. First Derivative

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday...

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Upcoming Votes On Long-Delayed Nominees

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced late last night that the Senate will vote on six judicial nominations on Monday, October 3. District Court nominees Nanette Jolivette Brown (Eastern District of Louisiana), Nancy Torresen (District of Maine), William Francis Kuntz, II (Eastern District of New York), Marina Garcia Marmolejo (Southern District of Texas), and Jennifer Guerin Zipps (District of Arizona) are scheduled to be confirmed by unanimous consent. A roll call vote will be held to vote on the confirmation of Henry Floyd to the United States Court of Appeals for the...

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Worst Decisions #4: Arizona Free Enterprise v. Bennett

AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday at #5, we talked about Connick v. Thompson, which makes it easier for prosecutors to hide evidence.Worst Decisions of the 2010-11 Corporate Court Term: #4 Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom PAC v. Bennett Protecting the Power of Wealthy Special Interests to Buy ElectionsIn a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court overturned an inventive policy that Arizona implemented in 1998 to combat corruption by reducing the influence of powerful special interests in elections.  Arizona voters passed the Citizens...

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Worst Decisions, #5: Connick v. Thompson

AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Last Friday, at #6, we talked about PLIVA v. Mensing, which gave generic drug-makers a free pass on safety labeling.Worst Decisions of the 2010-11 Corporate Court Term: #7 Connick v. ThompsonMaking it Easier for Prosecutors to Hide Evidence at the Expense of Innocent DefendantsA 5-4 split decision protected district attorneys who allow prosecutors in their office to illegally withhold exculpatory evidence from criminal defendants.   More than 14 years ago, John Thompson was accused of a high-profile murder. ...

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President Obama Nominates Nguyen, Wimes

President Obama has nominated Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Brian C. Wimes to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western District of Missouri.  This Circuit Court seat is one of 35 federal vacancies to be designated a judicial emergency by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.Judge Nguyen is currently a United States District Judge in the Central District of California in Los Angeles and is the first Vietnamese American to serve on the federal bench.  If confirmed, she would...

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Worst Decisions, #6: PLIVA v. Mensing

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday,...

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Worst Decisions, #7: Ashcroft v. al-Kidd

AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday, at #8, we talked about J. McIntyre Machinery v. Nicastro, which protected foreign corporations from accountability when their products cause harm.Worst Decisions of the 2010-11 Corporate Court Term: #7 Ashcroft v. al-KiddGiving the Seal of Approval to Harsh Imprisonment of Americans under False Pretenses The Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit brought against former Attorney General John Ashcroft by Abdullah al-Kidd, an American citizen who was detained for 16 days in harsh conditions.Al-Kidd was accused...

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Senate Confirms Two District Court Nominees

On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed John Andrew Ross to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri by unanimous consent and Timothy M. Cain to the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina by a vote of 99-0. The vacancies they will fill have been designated judicial emergencies by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.Despite the emergency status of the seats and the unanimous affirmation of the nominees by the Senate, it has taken 294 days from the date of his nomination to last night’s vote for Ross to be confirmed, and 217 days for Cain.The...

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Worst Decisions, #8: J. McIntyre Machinery v. Nicastro

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday,...

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AT&T Aftermath: Companies Get to Judge Their Own Compliance with Wage Law

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); The Corporate Court's decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion set a dangerous precedent,...

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Jordán, Four District Court Nominees Get Committee Hearings

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); The Senate Judiciary Committee today held hearings on the nominations of Adalberto José Jordán...

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Coming down from the summit

I attended Bisnow's Second Annual Real Estate Summit at the InterContinental Hotel this morning. It was a packed house, with a lot of familiar faces and some great speakers, including Steve Fifield, Mike Reschke, Gerry Nudo and the keynote speaker, Neil Bluhm. (Hearing Bluhm speak is a big deal to many of the real estate cognoscenti, because he does not appear as frequently on the scene as a Sam Zell or a Donald Trump, even though he is also a billionaire and every bit as savvy.)What did I learn that I can pass on to you, along with my thoughts? (I am intentionally not attributing comments to...

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Worst Decisions, #9: Sorrell v. IMS Health

AFJ is counting down the 10 worst decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 term. Yesterday, at #10, we talked about Schindler Elevator v. United States, which protects corporations who cheat American taxpayers.Worst Decisions of the Corporate Court Term: #9: Sorrell v. IMS HealthGiving Corporations “Free Speech” Rights to Profit from Medical Records   In the spirit of Citizens United, the Corporate Court again created expansive “free speech” rights for corporations at the expense of everyday Americans.  Data mining corporations use prescription information that doctors are required...

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Counting Down the Worst Decisions of the Corporate Court's 2010-11 Term

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); This was another very good year for corporate interests at the U.S. Supreme Court, and a...

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AT&T Aftermath: Sleazy Employment Contract Uses Arbitration to Escape Paying Minimum Wage

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); The Corporate Court's decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion set a dangerous precedent,...

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Four Judicial Nominees Voted Out of Committee

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted four judicial nominees out of committee in a unanimous,...

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43 Members of Congress Call for Hearings on Supreme Court Ethics Reform

Today, Congressman Chris Murphy and 42 of his colleagues called on the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the need for Supreme Court ethics reform. Their open letter to committee leaderhsip noted that the alarming behavior of some justices, such as attending political events and fundraisers, “undermine the integrity of the entire judiciary, and they should not be allowed to continue.”The House members urged the House Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing to consider the Supreme Court Transparency and Accountability Act, which would require Supreme Court justices to follow the same...

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President Obama Makes 2 New Nominations

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Senator Grassley Denies Republican Obstructionism, But Ongoing Judicial Vacancies Tell the Real Story

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();Refusing to accept responsibility for repeated Republican measures to halt judicial appointments,...

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Wallach, Four District Court Nominees Get Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on the nomination of Evan Wallach...

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A Notable First: Republicans Allow Judicial Nominee Without Automatic Delay

Today, for the first time in the 112th Congress, the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee allowed a judicial nominee to be reported to the floor without being “held over” until the next time the committee convenes. The practice of holding over nominees, especially those for whom there is no Republican opposition, is a way to delay the judicial confirmation process. Republican senators have engaged in this practice systematically for every nominee, even as judicial vacancies have reached crisis proportions, and regardless of whether the nominee would fill one of the dozens of seats...

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Let's get new homes built -- not

So, now I read the Department of Labor is investigating several major home builders. Why?A copy of one letter, dated Aug. 1 and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, said the department was opening a probe under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs matters such as overtime pay and limits on using teen workers. The letter instructed the home builder to immediately turn over the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, pay rates and hours worked for all employees over the past two years. It asked the names of all contractors hired in the past year. The letter didn't allege any specific...

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AT&T Aftermath: For-Profit College Misleads Potential Students

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2327420-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); The Corporate Court's decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion set a dangerous precedent,...

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Bernice Donald Confirmed to Sixth Circuit

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