Monthly Archives: August 2009
Alvin in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll (aka Charles Dodgson) charmed the readers of Alice in Wonderland by placing logical fallacies in the mouths of bizarre characters. Poor Alice is barraged on every side by convoluted absurdities from twisted character like the March Hare, Tweedle Dum and Tweedly Dee and … Continue reading
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Vigilante Justice in Sumner, Mississippi?
Since this post was published, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee says the U.S. Justice Department is investigating this incident–story pasted at bottom of this post. Sumner, Mississippi in Tallahatchie County is best known as the town where … Continue reading
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Fort Worth Taser death ruled homicide
Since the Fort Worth Police Department started using Taser stun guns in 2001, four people have died. One of them was Michael Patrick Jacobs Jr, a 24 year-old black man suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. On April 18th Michael’s family … Continue reading
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Davis Case shows AEDPA went too far
Time Magizine’s David Von Drehle sheds some much-needed light on the Troy Davis story. Von Drehle projects a world-weary and slightly cynical view of the legal world. You don’t get the impression that he would shed a tear if Davis met … Continue reading
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Jena 6 students get some positive publicity
Jesse Ray (Jody) Beard, best known as the youngest member of the Jena 6, is finishing High School at a private boarding school in Connecticut. CNN recently interviewed Jesse Ray and Alan Howard, the NY attorney who has taken the young man under … Continue reading
Filed under "Social Justice", Jena, Racial reconciliation
Civil Rights tremors rumble through Montgomery County
(This post is part of a series of posts concerning the tragedy that has divided a Mississippi town. The entire series can be found here.) Stacey’s Cafe in Winona, Mississippi did a roaring business back in 1961 when middle class southerners still traveled by bus. White … Continue reading
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The Devil’s Logic: when innocence doesn’t matter
Is it legally acceptable for the Supreme Court of the United States to tacitly endorce the execution of an innocent man? Antonin Scalia thinks it is. Consider this remark from his dissenting opinion in the Troy Davis case: “This court has never … Continue reading
Filed under "civil rights", Criminal justice reform, Faith, Uncategorized
Supreme Court gives Troy Davis an Evidentiary Hearing
Breaking News. The Supreme Court has just called for an evidentiary hearing in the case of Troy Davis. This is a highly unusual deviation from legal business as usual. As I have explained elsewhere, American courts are remarkably adverse to re-opening cases … Continue reading
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Grits contrasts Texas and California prisons
Over at Grits for Breakfast, Scott Henson has an excellent post contrasting racially segregated California prisons with the Texas system which has been racially integrated since federal Judge William Wayne Justice laid down the law decades ago. A riot at California’s Chico prison has … Continue reading
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The Poor Can’t Afford Diamonds
This post was submitted by Friends of Justice founding member, Dr. Charles Kiker. “The poor can’t afford diamonds either.” I know it’s not polite to speak disparagingly of the dead, but that was William F. Buckley’s response a couple of decades or so … Continue reading
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