The Solomon Amendment

Ken AshfordSupreme CourtLeave a Comment

The Supreme Court is going to review a lower court decision invalidating the Solomon Amendment. The amendment denies federal funds to schools that do not allow military recruiters on campus. Justices will review a lower court ruling in favor of 25 law schools that restricted recruiters in protest of the Pentagon’s policy of excluding openly gay people from military service. … Read More

Legislating From The Bench

Ken AshfordCourts/LawLeave a Comment

When the President came out against "legislating from the bench" did that mean he’s no longer supporting Janice Rogers Brown? Here’s the Alliance for Justice’s writeup: Justice Brown’s disdain for government runs so deep that she urges “conservative” judges to invalidate legislation that expands the role of government, saying that it “inevitably transform[s]… a democracy … into a kleptocracy.” Following … Read More

Dumb DeLay Quote Du Jour

Ken AshfordRepublicans, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Amazingly, Tom DeLay is going after Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.  Apparently, DeLay is ignorant of the fact that Kennedy was a Reagan appointtee, and while occasionally a "swing vote", he is undisputably right-of-center. But DeLay really steps in the steamy hot Texas cow manure when he says this: “We’ve got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not … Read More

Monkey Cops

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

A punchline is needed for this. Mesa police want to add monkey to SWAT teamAssociated PressApr. 16, 2005 03:10 PM MESA, Ariz. – The Mesa Police Department is looking to add some primal instinct to its SWAT team. And to do that, it’s looking to a monkey. "Everybody laughs about it until they really start thinking about it," said Mesa … Read More

False Dichotomy – A Rant

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, GodstuffLeave a Comment

Take a look at this poster: Now what is it saying? It is saying that in order to serve as a judge, you must abandon your Christian faith, because you cannot do both, yes? Apparently, the right wing is in favor of the idea that judges should be able to follow their faith over what judges are supposed to be … Read More

Daffy Dobson

Ken AshfordGodstuff, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Apparently the Christian Right Wrong doesn’t think it is batshit enough as it is, so along comes James Dobson to rectify the situation.  If you listen to his recent show here (advance the time stamp to 22:52), you will hear Dobson compare the "black-robed men" (meaning the Supreme Court) to the "men in white robes, the Ku Klux Klan". Gee, … Read More

Hey, I’m No MacGyver, But . . .

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

It always struck me as odd, this story about the lady who found a finger in her Wendy’s Chili. I mean, everybody heard the story, and went "Ewwwwww…".  But the question nobody asked (it seemed) was . . . Whose finger was it? One would assume that somewhere there would be a Wendy’s person with four fingers somewhere, right?  Or … Read More

Florida Law and the Right to Kill

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

No, not another post about Schiavo.  It’s about this: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) – People in Florida will be allowed to kill in self-defense on the street without trying to flee under a new law passed by state politicians on Tuesday that critics say will bring a Wild West mentality and innocent deaths. The Florida House of Representatives, citing the need … Read More

Laura K. Pahl Is A Plagiarist

Ken AshfordCrime1 Comment

Laura K. Pahl, a student on the Dean’s list at Lewis University, is going to discover — probably within the next 24 hours (if not already) — that she got severely taken for a ride. A little mean?  No, not in my opinion.  Back in the pre-Internet days, if we had a paper due the next morning, we pulled an … Read More

A Terri Schiavo FAQ

Ken AshfordAssisited Suicide/Schiavo, Courts/Law, Health CareLeave a Comment

THE FOLLOWING IS LIFTED VERBATIM FROM FOOTBALL FANS FOR TRUTH, WHO DID THE WORK SO I DON’T HAVE TO: Confused about the differing stories in the Schiavo case? Wondering about who to believe? Here’s some answers to common questions. I strongly recommend Abstract Appeal’s Terry Schiavo’s Information Page as an unbiased source of information from a Florida lawyer who has … Read More

Supreme Court Sez No

Ken AshfordAssisited Suicide/Schiavo, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Breaking news . . . Supreme Court Won’t Hear Schiavo Case 18 minutes ago By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to order Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube reinserted, rejecting a desperate appeal by her parents to keep their severely brain-damaged daughter alive.

Schiavo Latest

Ken AshfordAssisited Suicide/Schiavo, Health Care, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Actually, there is remarkably little to say.  The debate rages on, and the debate about the debate rages on.  Meanwhile, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals panel affirmed the lower court’s decision to replace the feeding tube, and the Schindlers are now appealing to the full panel of the 11th Circuit.  The next stop after that, and probably the last … Read More