Instances of race-based hair discrimination are not uncommon. Chastity Jones is part of a long list of roadblocked cases alleging race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. However, as court decisions and Congress appear optimistically receptive to change, cases like hers may now receive a national legal reckoning. Jones was... Read More about Hair Discrimination Pivots from the Courts to Congress
Senate judiciary meetings for President Donald Trump’s newest nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, have concluded, with a committee vote set for October 22. The proximity of her potential confirmation to the upcoming election sparked immediate controversy, including several calls for Barrett to recuse herself from... Read More about The Election: Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Considering Recusal
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, filing a claim against the negligent driver with his or her insurance company can be an intimidating process. Insurance company adjustors and lawyers can manipulate you into making inconsistent or damaging statements that hurt your case. They can also seriously undervalue your... Read More about Should Undocumented Immigration Status Keep Someone from Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in California?
The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. There were some who thought that Congress should elect the President. Others thought that it should be left up to a popular vote. The Electoral College was a compromise. The Electoral College is a group... Read More about Electoral College Overview
Florida is one of 18 states in the U.S. with a system in place to directly involve the public in passing amendments to the state constitution. Over the years, this form of “direct democracy” has helped introduce meaningful legislation with powerful participation from the people themselves, rather than depending solely... Read More about Behind the “Dark Money” Funding Florida’s Biggest 2020 Ballot Initiative
One would struggle to argue that 2020's presidential election is a normal one for the United States. Between the coronavirus pandemic and racial unrest, this year is undoubtedly historic. It is worth remembering that even in our relatively short national history, the American people have weathered other unusual and even... Read More about Could Mail-In Votes Lead to Constitutional Violations of an Election Timeline?
The U.S. Constitution lays out some bare guidelines for voting in elections, but states carry most of the weight themselves. The Constitution does not guarantee voting as a right, exactly, and the consequences of that omission have rippled over the years. According to Section 2 of Article IV, states are... Read More about Counting America’s Votes, Then and Now
Christopher Marlowe has, perhaps, stepped ever so slightly to stage left in order to make room for a guitarist named Randy Wolfe—or, as he was known, Randy California. But, just as William Shakespeare will eternally clutch the most pertinent spotlight with Marlowe in the shadows, Wolfe and his band Spirit... Read More about Led Zeppelin Prevails in Copyright Dispute as Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case
The Constitutionality of No-Knock Warrants: A Potentially Deadly The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individuals' rights against "unreasonable searches and seizures." It also establishes that law enforcement may only obtain a warrant when they have probable cause. Of course, as is often the case with the Constitution,... Read More about The Constitutionality of No-Knock Warrants: A Potentially Deadly Search and Seizure Tactic
With November 3 approaching, most of the country is focused on the big names of the 2020 general election, and the words “split roll” aren’t set to dominate the headlines anytime soon. But in California, those words are all the more significant in light of the onslaught of pandemic updates,... Read More about California’s Tax Reckoning: The Facts Behind Proposition 15
With the death of liberal and feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsberg just weeks before the Presidential Election, the Supreme Court is taking center stage in the media. President Trump wasted no time in selecting a judge to fill the empty seat. Liberals across the nation are struggling to come to... Read More about Packing the Supreme Court: Will the Passing of RBG Lead to an End of the Nine?
In 2018, Florida voters filled out their ballots with a special referendum: whether or not the over 150 years-old state law dictating felon disenfranchisement should stand. With over ten percent of eligible adults in Florida rendered ineligible to vote due to the law, which required an often-years-long process of applications... Read More about Florida Felon Disenfranchisement
On August 31, California passed a bill that would make fake, racist 911 calls a hate crime that could result in fines and even jail time. Lately, there have been documented instances where predominantly white people have called the cops on people of color for doing everyday activities like bird... Read More about California Passes Bill Making Fake, Racist 911 Calls a Hate Crime
In California, a law has been passed enabling prisoners who have worked in fire camps while incarcerated to become full-time firefighters after their release. Eligible ex-convicts must be nonviolent offenders. Once they are released, their criminal records will be expunged, allowing them to become firefighters more easily. This bill was... Read More about California Inmate Firefighters Can Now Become Full-time Firefighters Upon Release
Cook County, Illinois, and Massachusetts both have assault weapons bans in place. These bans are based on a national assault weapon ban that expired in 2004 when Congress did not renew it. Cook County enacted its ban in 2007. The Massachusetts ban has been in place since 1998. Cook County’s... Read More about Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cases about Cook County, Illinois, and Massachusetts Assault Weapons Bans