Subject: U.S. Supreme Court

• A Bad Day for Bush, and maybe waterboarding

  The Supreme Court today ruled the Bush administration must do one of those things it is always extremely reluctant to do: obey the law. By a vote of 5-3, the Supremes said the administration can't proceed with its plans to try prisoners at Guantanamo Bay before military tribunals. Writing for the majority, John Paul Stevens (appointed by President Ford) declared the planned tribunals were illegal under both US law and the Geneva Conventions. Over at SCOTUSblog (SCOTUS may sould like a skin dise

  June 29, 2006

• The Tortuous Path

  George Bush has fundamentally reshaped the "conventional wisdom" of American political life in a way that most presidents can only dream of. Ronald Reagan elicited only agreement, at least rhetorically, that "the era of big government is over." George Bush has elicited agreement that "those claiming to have been tortured by the United States have no rights that the United States is bound to respect" in any ordinary legal sense, as by having to show up in court. America will be paying for that re

  September 22, 2006

• Hughcifer Unhinged

  When it came to this election, Hugh Hewitt, our favorite unintentional radio comedian, fought a long, hard battle against reality. One expects no less from him. He took extraordinary measures to blind and deafen himself, even engaged in a little body-snatching from the Democratic political graveyard, in his attempt to hammer the world into the shape of his strange little fantasy-- a three seat gain for Republicans in the House of Representatives. And even though Hewitt couldn't make reality d

  November 8, 2006

• Think for Yourselves, Young Folks, so Long as You Think Like Me

  You know what's funny? We ask our young adults to throw themselves into the youth versions of established adult institutions—your governmental bodies, your newspapers, etc.—but when the kids dare express dissent or themselves in a way that rubs the ruling class the wrong way, the adult overlords crack down on the kids. Case in point: the Orange Coast College student government. For whatever reason, the student body officers decided they would no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance be

  December 4, 2006

• Parsing Sentences (Penal edition)

  In a nice bit of timing, on Friday the Times featured Todd Spitzer's rejection of an attempt to rationalize California's criminal sentencing process and take politics out of it, and today the U.S. Supreme Court declared the state's Determinate Sentencing Law unconstitutional. The Associated Press reports: The Supreme Court struck down California's sentencing law Monday, reaffirming limits on judges' discretion and presaging shorter sentences for thousands of state prisoners. The 6-3 ruling in

  January 22, 2007

• Update-a-palooza

  A variety of stories lurching forward this morning… It looks like the most special of all special elections is finally over, and Janet Nguyen is the new First District Supervisor, winning by a total of 3 votes.   Superior Court Judge Michael Brenner rejected Trung Nguyen's claim that the election's recount was performed in an illegal manner.  The winning Nguyen is scheduled to be sworn in tomorrow at the Board of Supes weekly meeting.  There are dark rumblings that th

  March 27, 2007

• Love That Dirty Water

  Troubling news from American Rivers, the 75,000-member strong nonprofit that is trying to save and restore our nation's rivers: The Supreme Court of the United States today handed down a divided decision in the Rapanos and Carabell cases that will lead to confusion on the ground and grave risk for the health of streams and rivers. A centrist opinion by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy now stands as the only impediment to four justices pushing to roll back significant protections of the Clean Water Ac

  June 19, 2006

• Ask a Mexican Wins Same Award As Brad Pitt!

  Buried deep in the pages of something called the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer was an Associated Press dispatch revealing that your favorite wab is amongst the winners of this year's Civies, an award given out by the Americans for More Civility, a group of exactly two people. In announcing my honor, the organization said that the Mexican "offered something novel to the immigration debate: a few laughs ..." Other winners this year included retired Supreme Court judge Sandra Day O'Connor and Brad Pit

  February 17, 2008

• Another Case of Pathetic OC Judge Work

  In addition to subscription drops, ridiculously wasteful advertising schemes, constant management blunders and savage cuts to the newsroom budget, The Orange County Register is battling a wage-and-hour class-action lawsuit filed by the good folks who deliver the newspaper to homes and businesses each morning. Those carriers claim the Register improperly classified them as independent contractors to avoid providing meal breaks, overtime pay, minimum wage and other benefits. I'm not here to take a

  September 30, 2008

• Shot in the Arm

  April 1, 1999

• The Year in Rebuke

  January 4, 2001

• Ready to Inhale

  May 3, 2001

• Prop 8: No Way in Hell Is This Over

  I spent my Election Night trying to find non-existent parking outside Hamburger Mary's in Long Beach. The celebration inside sure looked like fun, though, but I don't think I would have stuck around past midnight to watch all the tears turn from Obama joy to Prop 8 despair. Failing that, I instead drove up Cherry to another gay bar, Pistons, the local leather/bear hangout, to check out the scene - which really wasn't much, just a handful of guys shooting pool. I left when a couple of inebriates

  November 5, 2008

• Why Isn't Wiley Drake Suing God Over Inauguration?

  We've previously told you about Buena Park pastor Wiley Drake suing to prevent Barack Obama from being inaugurated as president of the United States on Jan. 20 and, if that fails, suing to stop U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts from delivering the oath of office to Obama. For good measure, Drake has tried to prevent Rick Warren from giving Obama's invocation by warning the wrath of God will strike his fellow Orange County pastor.But one even higher authority somehow escaped Drake and

  January 5, 2009

• Letters From OC Weekly Readers

  September 18, 2008

• Local Obama-Phobe Seeks And Annoys Justice

  Thanks to commenter "Doubtful" for bringing extraordinary news to our attention: Dr. Orly Taitz, our Mission Viejo/Rancho Santa Margarita dentist turned political activist, has embarked on a crusade to harass members of the Supreme Court of the United States.Last Friday, Taitz got up at 3 in the morning to journey to the University of Idaho, where Chief Justice John Roberts gave a speech followed by a Q&A session. With tenacity and, presumably, the will of God, Taitz managed to be the first

  March 16, 2009

• Iowa Gay Marriage Ruling Means Everything or Nothing

  The Iowa Supreme Court's overturning of the law banning same-sex marriage in that state either bolsters the arguments of those pushing for gay marriage in California or has nothing to do with the issue here. It depends on who you ask.National Center for Lesbian Rights legal director Shannon Minter:"The fact that two state supreme courts--including now a court in the heartland of our country--have now followed the California Supreme Court's holding on that issue underscores very powerfully that t

  April 3, 2009

• Buena Park Pastor Wiley Drake Believes He Still Has a Prayer of Unseating Barack Obama

  December 18, 2008

• Check Out

  April 25, 2002

• Letters

  September 7, 2006

• A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

  August 25, 2005

• Diary of a Mad County

  December 2, 2004

• Down With George Bush The Usurper

  November 18, 2004

• Diary of a Mad County

  May 6, 2004

• After This, Tomatoes

  March 4, 2004

• Persecution of a freedom fighter

  July 31, 2003

• Letters

  April 3, 2003

• Diary of a Mad County

  March 27, 2003

• A Third Reprieve

  November 21, 2002

• Diary of a Mad County

  November 7, 2002

• Reality Check

  September 26, 2002

• Golden Smog

  May 17, 2001

• Just Build More Roads

  March 15, 2001

• Rifling Victorias Drawers

  August 17, 2000

• Andrea Lafferty: Still Going Wrong

  The froth foaming out of the mouth of Andrea Lafferty, spewing hate about her opposition to an anti-hate bill in Congress, had not even hit the D.C. sidewalk when events forced her to switch topics to President Barack Obama's unannounced replacement for retiring U.S. Supreme Court justice David Souter. Having absolutely no knowledge about the subject did not keep the pie hole from opening on the face of the Washington-based executive director of the Anaheim-based Traditional Values Coalition beg

  May 4, 2009

• Chapman Law Dean Shifts From One Controversy to Another

  Photo by Christopher VictorioJohn C. Eastman (right) listens as John Yoo debates at Chapman last month.The last time you read a Navel Gazing post that mentioned John C. Eastman, dean of Chapman University's School of Law, it was in reference to him teaming with the university's visiting law professor and Bush White House "torture memo" author John Yoo in April to debate two other Chapman law profs in Memorial Hall about presidential power in wartime. One thing Eastman rejected that day was a gov

  May 7, 2009

• Behold John Bolton and His Moustache at Balboa Bay Club

  John Robert Bolton, the neocon's neocon, laps up the hosannas of fellow knuckle-draggers May 28 when he is the special guest of the World Affairs Council of Orange County. The nonprofit, 500-member council--which since its 1967 founding has hosted Prince Andrew, Vicente Fox, Hans Blix and several other international newsmakers--expects 250 to turn out for Bolton and his moustache tormenting the wait staff at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.Bolton has been employed by several Republican pres

  May 15, 2009

• Cypress College Recognized for Muzzling Free Speech

  Photo by Gregory MiguelA hand-cuffed activist is led away from an anti-abortion protest at Cypress College last year.The independently funded Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression cites the administration of Cypress College on its 18th annual list of the "best" Muzzlers of Free Speech.Officials at the northern Orange County community college campus land at No. 6 "for calling police to arrest members of the pro-life group 'Survivor' claiming that they were creating a distu

  April 10, 2009

• John Yoo Stars in a Most Civilized Debate on Torture

  Photo by Christopher VictorioAs John Yoo makes his case, John C. Eastman is hard at think.Two days after Barack Obama's chief of staff said the administration was not inclined to back prosecutions against Bush lawyers who signed off on torture, the president backed off that statement today, saying he would leave that up to his attorney general. If this reversal bunched John Yoo's BVDs, he sure wasn't showing it inside Chapman University's Memorial Hall, where the controversial UC Berkeley law pr

  April 21, 2009

• When Benicio del Toro Got Mad at Gustavo

  Photo by my chicaI originally wasn't going to post about this because it has no relevance to Orange County, but my jefe insists: I had a run-in with actor Benicio del Toro at last week's American Film Institute tribute to Michael Douglas. The context of why I was on the red carpet in the first place is found at the excellent gossip blog Crazy Days and Nights, but below is the part about Benicio:The guy reeked of arrogance from a mile away, grinning behind sunglasses. The only thing I know about

  June 16, 2009

• Meet Orly Taitz, Queen Bee of People Obsessed With Barack Obama's Birth Certificate

  June 18, 2009

• Wiley Drake Gets the Keith Olbermann Stamp of Disapproval

  Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Pastor Wiley Drake of First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park has been previously recognized for interfaith gestures, helping the less fortunate and sheltering the homeless on church property despite threats from lawsuits, neighboring residents and city code enforcement.He's also lashed out against gays, Disneyland, gays, the Clintons, gays, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, gays and, of course, homeless gays wearing mouse ears,

  July 15, 2009

• [¡Ask a Mexican!] Is Sotomayor the Right Shade of Brown for the Mexican?

  July 23, 2009

• Teaching Museum Uses Adventure Films to Help Fund Mendez v. Westminster Exhibit

  Jonathan Copp, RIP.​What do the plucky Museum of Teaching and Learning, an internationally acclaimed film festival and the landmark Mendez v. Westminster School District case of 1946 have in common?All three could learn you something.The Fullerton-based Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL) is struggling to survive amid the economic mess we find ourselves in. It's pinning its hopes on its annual summer social--which this year features selected short films from the Adventure Film Festival--to

  August 20, 2009

• Banned in 1990, 'Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story' Lives On in Bootlegs and a UCI Prof's Book

  August 20, 2009

• Why Won't Loretta Sanchez Return a Blogger's Phone Call?

  It's fascinating to see the double standard that Orange County politicians employ with bloggers in these days of a flat media landscape. While blogs such as Red County and The Liberal OC are virtual megaphones for, respectively, conservative and liberal operatives and politicians (some even contribute articles), independent-minded blogs frequently find themselves in the same corner as the Weekly: when they ask for a quote or interview, ignorance. Dana and Don Papi Pulido: return our calls one da

  June 3, 2009

• Free Speech Triumphs Over Gestapo in OC!

  Oppression didn't end in 1945​Folks are always complaining that Congress and state legislatures should not be allowed to meet except for a couple of weeks a year. It's an idea to help curtail the nanny-state notions of politicians of both major political parties. Good enough. But what about city councils?Take the San Clemente City Council, for example. It decided that it could outfox the U.S. Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court rulings that rigidly prevent the government from restricting free

  October 2, 2009

• The Top Five Artistic Depictions of Orly Taitz

  Clockwork Coker sent me this Photoshop job he saw posted on Crooks and Liars:​ It's the "Taitz-Tanic," see. Lou Dobbs is being targeted by Media Matters for his questions about Barack Obama's eligibility for the presidency, while Laguna Niguel's attorney/dentist Orly Taitz has recently faced a number of public setbacks in her quest to remove Obama from office. Hence, the ship's sinking.With her unrelenting drive and flair for... drama... Taitz does sometimes seem like a movie character. Or a c

  September 23, 2009

• To Rohrabacher's Delight, Supreme Court Considers Freedom for Uighurs

  Photo by D. Robinson/Voice of AmericaCongressmen William Delahunt and Dana Rohrabacher with Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer.​Much to the chagrin of the Obama administration and applause of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), the U.S. Supreme Court said today it will consider whether judges have the right to release into the U.S. detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who have been determined not to be a terrorist threat.It's not that the Surfin' Congressman wants former terror suspects flock

  October 20, 2009

• OC's Famous Desegregation Case Finally Gets Its Historical Due, But One Family Feels Left Out

  November 5, 2009