By Eric Alan Berg | Published July 16, 2010 | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Tags: Constitution, equal protection, Gay Marriage, Marriage, state rights | Comments Off on Ruling Questions Constitutionality of Ban on Same Sex Marriage
Ruling Questions Constitutionality of Ban on Same Sex Marriage
Why are same-sex couples, who are legally married in their state, not afforded the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples? A federal judge in Massachusetts recently addressed this issue in his rulings on two cases. In the first case he ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional as it infringes on a state’s Read More
Read MoreDeportation Not Imminent for Legal Immigrants with Minor Drug Offenses
Legal immigrants recently caught a break when the Supreme Court ruled that they should not face automatic deportation for being convicted of minor drug offenses. Before the ruling, legal immigrants faced automatic deportation for an aggravated felony. However, the question was if minor drug charges should be considered an aggravated felony. The justices answered this Read More
Read MoreDebate Continues Over California’s Sex Offender Laws
While Chelsea’s Law recently cleared its first legislative committee, new legislation is being proposed that would require registered sex offenders to carry marked driver’s licenses. If passed, California would be the third state to have this requirement, joining Delaware and Louisiana, which already require the marked licenses. While the bill in California is only in Read More
Read MoreReassessing California’s Three Strike Law
In the state of California, a non-confrontational burglary, petty theft, and a minor drug infraction could land a person in prison for life. This is possible because of California’s three-strike law passed in 1994. The law was billed as keeping career criminals who commit serious crimes out of society for life. However, in California the Read More
Read MoreNo More Life Sentences for Juveniles
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles convicted of non-homicide offenses may no longer be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, as this sentence goes against the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling makes states provide a juvenile with “some realistic opportunity to obtain release” if a life Read More
Read MoreDebt Collection Causing Clogged California Courts
“96,000 consumer debt–collection cases were filed in 2009 in three California counties alone”, according to the Federal Government Accountability office. This is a 20% increase from the previous five years. With the economy in shambles, it us expected that increasingly more individuals will default on a debt. At the same time, it is also becoming Read More
Read MoreWhat to Do if You Suspect a Spouse is Cheating
Infidelity seems to be at the forefront of Hollywood as well as the world of professional sports, and Tiger Woods and Jesse James are only two of the latest celebrities to be in the news for their extramarital affairs. From Tiger’s infamous car crash in November that led to the revelation of his affairs to Read More
Read MoreDebate Over California’s Sex Offender Laws
How safe are our children from sex offenders? While no parent wants to think about the possibility of his or her child being in danger, it is the reality, and one that parents prepare for. It is also a reality that lawmakers prepare for. Laws such as Megan’s Law and Jessica’s Law are in place Read More
Read MoreAren’t Laws Meant to Make Us Safer?
Traffic laws and criminal laws are in place to make the world we live in a safer place, but what happens when a law does the opposite? That is the question many of California’s residence are asking in relation to a new California law that allows the early release of prisoners. According to lawmakers, the Read More
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