Congress

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Judiciary Committee, has just hand delivered a letter signed by 65 of her Democratic colleagues asking Speaker Boehner to reconsider his decision to bring to the Floor the Contempt Citation against Attorney General Eric Holder. The Congresswoman released the following statement:

Politics, more than legal analysis, dictate how U.S. Supreme Court justices decide cases, a recent poll says. A New York Times/CBS poll asked whether Supreme Court cases were decided by legal analysis or personal/political bias. With 76% believing the current Supreme Court justices allow personal/political views to decide the cases, only 13% believed Court’s decisions were based on legal analysis.

Protesters. Politicians. Pundits. Arizona’s immigration law brought these huddled masses to the marble walkway of the U.S. Supreme Court. A state law meant to quell illegal immigration was argued before a receptive Court. Arizona wants to imbue local police with immigration power previously held only by the federal government. Police would be empowered to stop, frisk, strip search, and detain, for hours or days, men, women, and children, based on suspected illegal immigration status.

     Can corporations kill or commit acts of torture? Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court was presented with this issue. The U.S. Supreme Court has already given corporations a First Amendment right of free speech in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Based on the Court’s decision in Citizens United, a corporation must be allowed a voice in the political arena. But, can a corporation - not its employees or stockholders – be civilly liable for torture and murder?