The Justice Beat (August 10, 2017)
This week:
Sanctuary city update, aka Chi-town v. Jeff Sessions; Harsh legal penalties for juvenile offenders; Gender in the military and at school; Equitable health care; Norms and legal procedures
Sanctuary cities
1. Chicago is suing Jeff Sessions over the DOJ’s “sanctuary cities” policy. Mayor Rahm Emanuel stated the case plainly: the policies require cities to choose between individuals’ constitutional rights and funding for law enforcement.
2. In a related article penned by CrowdJustice staff, we examine the discussion people AREN’T having about sanctuary cities: whether sanctuary cities may incur civil liabilities in the event that an undocumented immigrant commits a crime.
Juvenile penalties
3. A public interest law practice represents nearly 100 Missouri prisoners who, while juveniles, received life sentences without possibility of parole. They are fighting what they call “persistent racial injustice” in not providing these individuals fair hearings.
4. SCOTUS has played a significant role in shaping the circumstances under which juveniles convicted of crimes can be sentenced to life without parole or death. A summary of several cases clarifies recent precedent that has been set.
Equitable health care
5. Real Alternative Inc. argued that its religious beliefs should exempt it from the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate. A split 3rd Circuit US Court of Appeals disagreed in the latest ruling in the ongoing debate impacting access to healthcare.
6. A young woman who was unable to access abortion services in Northern Ireland has applied to have her case heard in the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that it is discriminatory for the UK not to offer these services in this territory.
Gender and identity
7. As noted in last week’s newsletter, Donald Trump’s tweets on transgender people in the military stemmed questions regarding the legal enforceability of tweets. We take a closer look at the history of the military’s treatment of transgendered people.
8. An eight-year-old transgender student is suing her school for discrimination.The suit argues the school made the student wear a boy’s uniform, didn’t allow her to use the girls’ restroom, and allowed fellow students to bully her.
9. The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund filed suit against Amazon on behalf of a transgender woman and her husband. The suit alleges the couple endured harassment and abuse while employed at one of the company’s shipping facilities.
Norms and laws
10. A political activist faces potential jail time for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury. She argues grand juries enable the government to intimidate activists and gather intel on protest movements, without allowing access to their lawyers.
11. The House of Representatives has only ever impeached 19 individuals. While most of those impeached have been presidents or judges, the Constitution gives the House the power to impeach “all civil Officers of the United States.”
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