So says the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Davis v. State, decided Wednesday: The First Amendment guarantees the freedoms of religion and association. It protects an individual’s right to join groups and to associate with others holding similar beliefs. However, the Constitution does not erect a per se barrier to the admission of evidence […]
Archive | 2010
What Am I Scared of?
A reader writes, with the subject “I’m puzzled,” Not a single word on The Volokh Conspiracy wrt the accusations against the Civil Rights division of the Justice Dept. What are you guys scared of? I can’t speak for my colleagues, but here are three things I’m scared of: Looking like a fool when I opine […]
Taking Stock of Comstock
By Ilya Somin on October 1, 2010 2:56 pm in Federalism, Health Care, Individual Mandate, Necessary and Proper
My recent Cato Supreme Court Review symposium article on United States v. Comstock is now available on SSRN. The case has important potential implications for the litigation over the constitutionality of the Obama health care plan. Here’s the abstract: Those who argue that the federal government has nearly unlimited authority often cite the Necessary and […]
“Save The Words”
An amusing and educational site, though I advise you against using the words in actual attempts to communicate.
Supreme Court Preview for the Coming Term
Paul Clement, Adam Liptak, Jeffrey Rosen, Kannon K. Shanmugam, Kenneth L. Wainstein, and Rachel Brand discussed this in a Federalist Society event at the National Press Club on Wednesday (video at link).
Video Games and the First Amendment:
As Eugene noted a while back here on the VC, he helped author (and I co-signed) an amicus brief in the case of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Ass’n, to be heard by the Supreme Court this Term (oral argument set for Nov. 2), urging the Court to affirm the Ninth Circuit’s holding that the California […]
That Good Ol’ American Can-Do Spirit:
Here’s one of the more depressing news items I’ve come across in a while. I am fortunate enough to be able to spend a good deal of my time in the hills of southern Vermont and, as someone who uses inter-city train transportation a great deal (I also spend a lot of time commuting between […]
$10,000 Scholarship for College / Graduate Student Blogger
The application due date is October 21; see here for more details, but here are the requirements: * Your blog must contain unique and interesting information about you and/or things you are passionate about. No spam bloggers please!!! * U.S. citizen or permanent resident; * Currently attending full-time in post-secondary education in the United States; […]
History of Names, in England, Ancient Greece, and Elsewhere
A very interesting London Review of Books essay; thanks to Brian Hughes for the pointer.
More J Street Scandal
Contrary to J Street denials, the Washington Times uncovers evidence that J Street facilitated meetings between Judge Richard Goldstone–author of the “Goldstone Report” on the war in Gaza which is considered unfairly hostile to Israel across all but the very extreme left of both the Israeli and American Jewish political spectrums–and members of Congress. Jeffrey […]
Spanish Government Imposing 100,000-Euro Fine for Anti-Homosexuality Ads?
This apparently happened in July, but I only heard about it a few weeks ago. Here is part of a summary from an advocacy group, the European Centre for Law and Justice: Spain’s Ministry of Industry, the government department responsible for regulating telecommunications and audiovisual media, fined Intereconomía, a Christian-inspired multimedia communication group, which owns […]
What Were They Thinking–The Supreme Court in Revue, OT2009
As some of you know, for a few years (with a big hiatus when I was in the gummint) I have done semi-humorous and often factual Supreme Court Term-end wrap-ups. Well, I did my fourth this year, but because of a busy summer (and fall) at my day job, it looks like it won’t be […]
Sibling Visitation
May a state give siblings — usually adult siblings — a right to visitation with a child, over the parents’ objection? The issue is discussed in In re D.C. & D.C., decided yesterday by the New Jersey Supreme Court. That case involved prospective adoptive parents (currently foster parents, but an adoption request is pending), but […]
Judge Vaughn Walker Decides to Become An Advocate
Read about it here. Old news, perhaps, but still interesting.
But Is It Art?
St. Louis’s Comprehensive Sign Control Regulations regulate the display of “signs” — including on private property, and not limited to commercial ads — and define sign this way: “Sign” means any object or device or part thereof situated outdoors which is used to advertise, identify, display, direct or attract attention to an object, person, institution, […]