bill of rights

Sessions Says to Courts: Go Ahead, Jail People Because They’re Poor

"Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions retracted an Obama-era guidance to state courts that was meant to end debtors’ prisons, where people who are too poor to pay fines are sent. These burdens fell disproportionately on African-Americans. The push to abolish debtors’ prisons will continue, as community advocates and local officials press on. It would be preferable, of course, for the federal government to fulfill its role as a leading protector of basic constitutional rights. Unfortunately, Mr. Sessions has made clear that under his leadership it will not."

Continue ReadingSessions Says to Courts: Go Ahead, Jail People Because They’re Poor

Black helicopters and ‘Ride of the Valkyries’: The war on pot in California

"Still fighting the culture wars, Reagan and his advisers decided early on that marijuana was the biggest drug threat facing the country. And so a couple of years into his first term, federal and California officials came up with a battle plan to target cultivation in the northern part of the state. The phrase 'battle plan' isn’t much of an exaggeration here."

Continue ReadingBlack helicopters and ‘Ride of the Valkyries’: The war on pot in California

How the Government Hides Secret Surveillance Programs

"Parallel construction is when law enforcement originally obtains evidence through a secret surveillance program, then tries to seek it out again, via normal procedure. In essence, law enforcement creates a parallel, alternative story for how it found information. That way, it can hide surveillance techniques from public scrutiny and would-be criminals. A new report released by Human Rights Watch Tuesday, based in part on 95 relevant cases, indicates that law enforcement is using parallel construction regularly."

Continue ReadingHow the Government Hides Secret Surveillance Programs

Gov’t rules Amish family must connect to public sewer, use electricity

"The Yoder family, like others of their sect, shun the use of electricity, especially when it is from the grid. For years, the Yoders have been fighting the sewer connection order because it requires them to install an electric grinder pump to shunt waste from their home into the Sugar Grove Area Sewer Authority's system in Warren County. Rejected was the family's argument that they should simply be allowed to keep using their outdoor privy, which lacks electricity and running water."

Continue ReadingGov’t rules Amish family must connect to public sewer, use electricity

Customs And Border Protection Clarifies: You Have No Rights While Traveling

"Their guidance claims the authority to search a traveler’s electronic devices 'with or without suspicion.' The guidance now claims passengers are 'obligated' to turn over their devices as well as passcodes for examination. If they fail to do so, agents can seize the device. That is all considered a 'basic search.' Agents must have suspicion in order to conduct an 'advanced search.' This includes copying information from devices, or analyzing them with other equipment. Finally, CBP agents can not 'intentionally' search information stored on the cloud, versus on the device’s hard drive."

Continue ReadingCustoms And Border Protection Clarifies: You Have No Rights While Traveling

Feds planning massive Northern California immigration sweep

"Federal officers would look to arrest more than 1,500 undocumented people while sending a message that immigration policy will be enforced in the sanctuary state, according to a source familiar with the operation. Officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, declined to comment Tuesday on plans for the operation. The campaign, centered in the Bay Area, could happen within weeks, and is expected to become the biggest enforcement action of its kind under President Trump, said the source, who requested anonymity because the plans have not been made public."

Continue ReadingFeds planning massive Northern California immigration sweep

The “Dark Side”: Secret Evidence, Illegal Searches, and Dubious Traffic Stops

"The DEA’s Special Operations Division is one of several tools the government uses to hide the origins of criminal investigations nationwide, in potential violation of constitutional protections. In a report released today, 'Dark Side: Secret Origins of Evidence in U.S. Criminal Cases,' Human Rights Watch documents the use of parallel construction by federal and local police agencies, finding the practice is used in the United States 'frequently and possibly even daily.'"

Continue ReadingThe “Dark Side”: Secret Evidence, Illegal Searches, and Dubious Traffic Stops