CIVIL RIGHTS NEWS ROUNDUP
I've been invited to do some news reporting over at the Knickerbocker News. Asked if I had any area that I preferred, I thought of a "civil rights" beat. I'm going to cull all of the news stories that I see on the various STOP the ACLU-related blogs, and post them over there every week or so. I will just cite the news sources, with a tip o' the hat to the blogs at the end. Here's my first post. Forgive that I didn't get the hat tips on this one, it's my first time doing this. I will go back and add them when I have more time.
From World Net Daily:
Prisoners advised of 'right' not to answer interrogators
U.S. military sources tell Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin that American Civil Liberties Union attorneys have been permitted to advise Guantanamo Bay prisoners, including Taliban and al-Qaida operatives, that they have the right not to answer the questions of interrogators.
In addition, the Pentagon has brought in a veteran staff attorney from the ACLU to serve as chief defense counsel in future military tribunals.
That story is breaking now at the premium, online, intelligence newsletter published by the founder of WND.
from WBAL 11
ACLU Defending Woman Accused Of Using Drugs While Pregnant
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are appealing the conviction of an Easton woman who was accused of endangering a child by using cocaine while she was pregnant.
Kelly Cruz, 30, was found guilty of a reckless endangerment charge Aug. 5 after waiving her right to a jury trial. She was ordered to serve 2 1/2 years in prison.
Cruz was charged in February, about a month after giving birth to a premature baby boy who tested positive for cocaine.
Defense attorneys had sought an acquittal, arguing there was never a risk of harm to another person – because a fetus doesn’t meet the definition of a person under state law. But a Talbot County judge ruled that the person who suffered the risk was the baby after it was born.
ACLU attorneys said prosecuting women for their actions during pregnancy is unprecedented elsewhere in Maryland and claim it is an attempt to create a new crime by charging pregnant women for harming their fetuses.
this is an AP wire report
ACLU sues over prayers at Cobb commission meetings
ATLANTA - Five Cobb County residents and the ACLU are suing Cobb County for overly sectarian prayers at county commission meetings.
The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU Wednesday in federal court in Atlanta, claims the prayers before commission meetings are too Christian. One prayer ended, "in the name of Jesus our savior," and dozens more since 2003 mentioned Jesus, according to the lawsuit.
The ACLU does not challenge the commission's right to pray before meetings, just that the prayers are overly Christian, offending the five plaintiffs.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified "nominal damages" and a court order for Cobb to stop the prayers.
"Citizens of all religions and non-religion should be welcome at government meetings," ACLU spokeswoman Maggie Garrett said in a statement.
A spokesman for Cobb County, Robert Quigley, said the commission prayers were in legal bounds because they're voluntary, they occur before meetings begin and because they're not always Christian.
"We ask a variety of different faiths from around our community to participate," Quigley said.
This abbreviated version is just a test. Any feedback is appreciated. I want to thank all of the great folks at STOP the ACLU, and hope to spread the word.
From World Net Daily:
Prisoners advised of 'right' not to answer interrogators
U.S. military sources tell Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin that American Civil Liberties Union attorneys have been permitted to advise Guantanamo Bay prisoners, including Taliban and al-Qaida operatives, that they have the right not to answer the questions of interrogators.
In addition, the Pentagon has brought in a veteran staff attorney from the ACLU to serve as chief defense counsel in future military tribunals.
That story is breaking now at the premium, online, intelligence newsletter published by the founder of WND.
from WBAL 11
ACLU Defending Woman Accused Of Using Drugs While Pregnant
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are appealing the conviction of an Easton woman who was accused of endangering a child by using cocaine while she was pregnant.
Kelly Cruz, 30, was found guilty of a reckless endangerment charge Aug. 5 after waiving her right to a jury trial. She was ordered to serve 2 1/2 years in prison.
Cruz was charged in February, about a month after giving birth to a premature baby boy who tested positive for cocaine.
Defense attorneys had sought an acquittal, arguing there was never a risk of harm to another person – because a fetus doesn’t meet the definition of a person under state law. But a Talbot County judge ruled that the person who suffered the risk was the baby after it was born.
ACLU attorneys said prosecuting women for their actions during pregnancy is unprecedented elsewhere in Maryland and claim it is an attempt to create a new crime by charging pregnant women for harming their fetuses.
this is an AP wire report
ACLU sues over prayers at Cobb commission meetings
ATLANTA - Five Cobb County residents and the ACLU are suing Cobb County for overly sectarian prayers at county commission meetings.
The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU Wednesday in federal court in Atlanta, claims the prayers before commission meetings are too Christian. One prayer ended, "in the name of Jesus our savior," and dozens more since 2003 mentioned Jesus, according to the lawsuit.
The ACLU does not challenge the commission's right to pray before meetings, just that the prayers are overly Christian, offending the five plaintiffs.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified "nominal damages" and a court order for Cobb to stop the prayers.
"Citizens of all religions and non-religion should be welcome at government meetings," ACLU spokeswoman Maggie Garrett said in a statement.
A spokesman for Cobb County, Robert Quigley, said the commission prayers were in legal bounds because they're voluntary, they occur before meetings begin and because they're not always Christian.
"We ask a variety of different faiths from around our community to participate," Quigley said.
This abbreviated version is just a test. Any feedback is appreciated. I want to thank all of the great folks at STOP the ACLU, and hope to spread the word.
Comments
The stories are fabulous that you caught them. Not fabulous on their merit! lol. May I make a suggestion? Use your own words. We don't want to be sued. :)
It is pretty easy. Read the whole story. Let it sink in. Write down on a piece of paper what you remember about it. Add or subtract from it.
How would you have written? Is there any bias in the reporting, either right or left? What are the facts? Ask those questions in your mind.
That is what you write down. Otherwise, you will have to quote it. Yuck! Some of it, yes. That is always good. That way, you can always say (codes)read more(codes). (or whatever you want to say like, "read the rest of the story" etc.)
I like the stories you captured. They are not usually reported. They would be a great addition. [I do this when I add commentary.] Either that, or I do this:
COMMENTARY:. lol. You may choose your own style, of course. I realize how hard it is to write a story without getting some of ourselves in it.
After you have written it, look it over. Is there bias? Is it fact? It does not have to be as the story itself. You can certainly add some of your own experience or facts to your stories.
Take for instance the prayer one. You could add how many times the ACLU has accused people of "praying" and remind people that the second half of the 1st amendment protects people from persecution. See? hehehe. Great job!