Free Republic

Judges back clean-up of US party funding By Alec Russell in Washington (Filed: 12/12/2003) The United States Supreme Court has endorsed sweeping reforms to curb the influence of money in American politics. The judgment spoke of "corruption and in particular the appearance of corruption" throughout the political process. Endorsing a law curbing the donating of huge unregulated sums, the court ruled that rooting out corruption justified limits on free speech and on free spending by parties and candidates. But the five-to-four vote reflected the polarisation of views over the law, which has inspired an unlikely alliance of opponents from the...

Many took time off from work, and all ran the gantlet of Houston's torn-up downtown streets to get there. Several admitted they would rather be somewhere else. But the 200 or so people who showed up for jury duty on a recent Thursday morning were motivated by something deeper. "It's really a hassle," said Johnny Cowan. "I came in from 15 miles out and had to fight the traffic and try to find the place. But if we didn't have juries, we wouldn't have the justice system we have. So I guess we can get past the hassles." Turns out,...

A federal appeals panel in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday sharply tested the right of Alabama's Supreme Court chief justice to keep a two-ton Ten Commandments monument in the state judicial building. One judge on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said if the panel accepted an argument made by Alabama Chief Justice Roy S. Moore, courthouses around the state could be decorated with murals depicting the life and death of Jesus Christ and the words "What Would Jesus Do?" inscribed above the benches. "Its implications are staggering," Judge Edward E. Carnes said of Moore's argument. Moore's lawyer, Herbert W....

Kerry says justice system becoming too political By Amy Lorentzen, Associated Press, 3/8/2003 23:34 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Sen. John Kerry said Saturday he is concerned about the politicization of America's judicial system. The Massachusetts senator, one of nine Democrats vying for his party's presidential nomination, used a speech at a Drake Law School banquet to highlight what he called a disturbing trend in the system. He said a number of rights are being threatened because of politics mingling with the legal system, including President Bush's push to get conservative judges appointed to the bench. ''I don't believe we need...

<p>Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thank you for watching us tonight.</p> <p>An absolute disgrace in the murder trial of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam. That is the subject of this evening's Talking Points memo.</p> <p>According to a report in The San Diego Union Tribune, convicted killer David Westerfield's attorneys, Steven Feldman and Robert Boyce, knew their client was guilty.</p>

Back in the early 1970s, the hippie culture chanted "down with the establishment." Today, they are the adults -- teachers, reporters, lawyers, judges, legislators, and they make up the membership of dozens of foundations and non-government organizations -- affecting the establishment. And still, each group, in its own way, seems to be working to dismantle our American establishment. As far as the average American citizen is concerned, our judicial system has become lethargic, cumbersome and ineffective at protecting our rights. Often, the judicial system appears little more then the playground for corrupt lawyers and their partners, the judges. One case...