D.C.'s Firearm Restriction Upheld: Tony Mauro reports on Blog of Legal Times, that Judge Ricardo Urbina has upheld the D.C. firearm ordinances enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in D.C. v. Heller. In this case, Dick Heller challenged the District's firearms registration process, its ban on assault
weapons, and its prohibition of "large capacity ammunition feeding
devices," claiming they violated the Second Amendment. Judge Urbina's decision stated that the right to bear arms is "not unlimited," and cited Justice Antonin Scalia's acknowledgment that Heller did not "cast doubt" on a range of firearms regulations. An attorney representing Heller said he would be surprised if they did not appeal.
Correlating Criminal Records with Car Accidents: On New York Times Freakonomics Blog yesterday, Eric A. Morris posted on "a hidden force" that may interconnect criminal aggression and bad driving. According to a study by Marianne Junger, Robert West, and Reinier Timman that examined police data of 1531 persons involved in car accidents to determine if the reckless driver in each crash had a criminal record. The study revealed that persons who displayed risky traffic behavior leading to the accident had an odds ratio of 2.6 for having a police record for violent crime; of 2.5 for vandalism, 1.5 for property crime, and 5.3 for having been involved in traffic crime. The authors attribute the apparent link between lawlessness and risky driving to "a general disregard for the long term adverse consequences of [one's] actions [which] could be labeled risk-taking, impulsiveness, or lack of self-control."
South Carolina Moves to Reduce Inmates: Doug Berman writes on Sentencing Law and Policy that "significant proposed changes to South Carolina's sentencing laws seem to be close to becoming a reality." According to an article by Seanna Adcox in the Sun News, the South Carolina Senate approved a bill designed to reduce the number of people in prison. The bill deletes mandatory minimum sentences for a first conviction on simple drug possession, allows the possibility of probation or parole for certain second and third drug possession convictions, and removes sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine possession. The bill also allows for home detention for third-offense driving under suspension, and changes the status of two dozen crimes from nonviolent to violent - including sex crimes involving children.
Upcoming Court Actions: Ed Whalen reports on NRO's Bench Memos, that he has been "reliably informed" that Goodwin Liu's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing will be rescheduled for mid-April. (Update: It's April 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET.) Howard Bashman also links to a report that Arizona Federal Judge Mary H. Murguia has also been nominated to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston reports that court watchers can expect opinions from the U.S. Supreme Court next Tuesday and Wednesday. Orders will be released on Monday.
Correlating Criminal Records with Car Accidents: On New York Times Freakonomics Blog yesterday, Eric A. Morris posted on "a hidden force" that may interconnect criminal aggression and bad driving. According to a study by Marianne Junger, Robert West, and Reinier Timman that examined police data of 1531 persons involved in car accidents to determine if the reckless driver in each crash had a criminal record. The study revealed that persons who displayed risky traffic behavior leading to the accident had an odds ratio of 2.6 for having a police record for violent crime; of 2.5 for vandalism, 1.5 for property crime, and 5.3 for having been involved in traffic crime. The authors attribute the apparent link between lawlessness and risky driving to "a general disregard for the long term adverse consequences of [one's] actions [which] could be labeled risk-taking, impulsiveness, or lack of self-control."
South Carolina Moves to Reduce Inmates: Doug Berman writes on Sentencing Law and Policy that "significant proposed changes to South Carolina's sentencing laws seem to be close to becoming a reality." According to an article by Seanna Adcox in the Sun News, the South Carolina Senate approved a bill designed to reduce the number of people in prison. The bill deletes mandatory minimum sentences for a first conviction on simple drug possession, allows the possibility of probation or parole for certain second and third drug possession convictions, and removes sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine possession. The bill also allows for home detention for third-offense driving under suspension, and changes the status of two dozen crimes from nonviolent to violent - including sex crimes involving children.
Upcoming Court Actions: Ed Whalen reports on NRO's Bench Memos, that he has been "reliably informed" that Goodwin Liu's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing will be rescheduled for mid-April. (Update: It's April 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET.) Howard Bashman also links to a report that Arizona Federal Judge Mary H. Murguia has also been nominated to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston reports that court watchers can expect opinions from the U.S. Supreme Court next Tuesday and Wednesday. Orders will be released on Monday.
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