UH, OH. SCALIA SAYS THE CONSTITUTION DOESN’T COVER SEX BIAS (OR BIAS AGAINST SEXUAL PREFERENCE)
Oh, Antonin, honey! Are you having one of those bad old we-don’t-need-not stinking-stare decisis moments again?
Supreme court justice Antonin Scalia said during a question-and-answer session with a professor at UC Hastings College of the Law on Friday, that the 14th amendment’s guarantee of equal protection doesn’t apply to sexual discrimination, or discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Never mind that about a zillion rulings since 1970 say otherwise about gender-based discrimination.
Read the rest at the San Francisco Chronicle.
PS: Can’t imagine what possible future SCOTUS case Scalia might be winding up for, can you?
COVERING TRIALS IN THE AGE OF TWITTER
The New Haven Register reports how the coverage of a high profile murder trial is affected by madly tweeting reporters.
9TH CIRCUIT TO DECIDE WHO OWNS THE EXPENSIVE SOFTWARE YOU JUST BOUGHT
First the bad news: A three-judge appeals panel recently decided that if you think you might want to resell that expensive piece of software you bought and don’t need anymore—tough luck, Jack! You don’t own it. The manufacturer does.
This could set a not very fun precedent for books, movies and music.
Now the maybe good news: the full, 11-judge 9th circuit court of appeals, has agreed to rehear the issue. (Whew!)
After the 9th Circuit, it could go to SCOTUS—because, my dears, precedent-wise, this ain’t no small issue we’re talking here.
The NEW YORK TIMES TAKES UP THE STORY ON JUDGES CONSIDERING THE COST OF A SENTENCE BEFORE RULING
The NY Times writes about the pros and cons of Missouri’s new Cost of Crime policy. Here ‘s a clip:
For someone convicted of endangering the welfare of a child, for instance, a judge might now learn that a three-year prison sentence would run more than $37,000 while probation would cost $6,770. A second-degree robber, a judge could be told, would carry a price tag of less than $9,000 for five years of intensive probation, but more than $50,000 for a comparable prison sentence and parole afterward. The bill for a murderer’s 30-year prison term: $504,690.
LA WEEKLY ON CITY HALL’S SHAMEFUL SLASHING OF LIBRARY BUDGETS
Some of us have been quietly bemoaning the cuts in the Los Angeles Public Library system. But, in the current LA Weekly Patrick Range McDonald lays out the city’s slash-and-burn library policy for us in all its awfulness and detail.
Among other things, library hours have been cut back to five days a week, meaning libraries all over the city are closed on Monday.
The ranks of librarians and library staff have been cut by one third.
McDonald points out that New York and Chicago (and most other large cities, save Detroit, have protected their library systems from such ravages—particularly the two days of closures.
But not LA.
McDonald suggests that we should be cutting the GRYD gang programs instead, which I don’t agree with. (He has other suggested cuts as well.) But it’s one among a few small quibbles with an otherwise important story that should be read and contemplated—and then talked about—by all who care about the health and well being of our very precious, very desperately needed libraries.
PS: Did I mention that library usage is going up, not down, in the troubled economy? Consider it mentioned.
NYT DAVID CARR PRATTLES ON IN A CLUE-FREE MANNER ABOUT STEWART AND COLBERT’S OCT 30 MARCHES
There are some interesting points to be made regarding the dueling “I Have a March” announcements Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert made on their respective shows on Thursday night, but NY Times media critic David Carr didn’t make them in his annoyingly condescending and insight-free Sunday column on the matter.
If for some reason you don’t know about the Stewart/Colbert Oct 30 marches on the national mall, watch the videos here.
(Even if you do know about the marches, you should watch the videos.)
AND SPEAKING OF LIBRARIES, BEHOLD THE HIGHLAND PARK BOOK BOOTH!
This is brilliant. I think we should each start one in our own neighborhoods. (And if you do, please send a photo, okay?)
<strong(This photo was posted by the LA Review of Books—a new literary website launching in January 2011.)
Photo: Bettmann/Corbis
You have to admit that we’re dealing with more ethical issues today when we talk about sexual orientation or gender bias in the workplace than the constitution’s framers would ever have thought about in a largely agrarian and largely self-professing Christian society. They wouldn’t have had women in workplace or gay rights to think about really at all back then.
Good point. That be the truth, Joe. Hence a living Constitution.
“Intense Probation” for someone who is convicted of a second degree robbery, like that actually takes place? If the safety of society takes second place to the cost of incarceration for felons you’ll see the crime rate climb but gee whiz won’t we all feel good about how nice we play together?
Publicly presenting the cost for incarcerating (or other options) a convicted felon would help to situate the war on crime in a more realistic way. When we see a hard, cold money number perhaps we will begin to ask ourselves: What are we really paying for here? If protection, then why are two-thirds of those released continuing to commit crimes? Doesn’t make me feel very protected. If rehabilitation, why are such feeble attempts being made in this area. I suspect that the pricey commodity is retaliation; the unspoken emotional issue that generates the large, expensive, relatively ineffectual prison machine whose paradigm is chiefly punishment. If I am not off base here perhaps we will ask ourselves how much are we willing to pay to get even?
Here’s the dirty secret police won’t tell you: Extra police and stiffer sentences is NOT guaranteed to make society safer. In fact, it simply doesn’t. Never has.
^^^^^^^^^^
And that info. comes from where? No source cited.
Here’s a fact. The crime rate is down across the country. The DOJ and FBI statistics back that up.
It seems by some people’s logic, no cops makes communities just as safe as having lots of cops.
It’s not all about getting even Clark, though some of that is in the mix. What would get you “even” if someone killed one of your loved ones? Trying to figure out the cost of his imprisonment or execution should matter to someone in that case?
Fuck that, crime is down and we have tons more assholes on the streets that need to be locked up. Open your eyes to the reality thats here and quit dreaming so much. It will keep you safe and healthy in the long run.