Loss of Freedom Archives - Page 8 of 33

New Push for Repeal of Stand Your Ground Laws

It was big news last week when prosecutors charged George Zimmerman with second-degree murder in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. But Zimmerman could walk free if a judge decides his actions fall under Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which gives broad leeway to people to shoot in self-defense. There is no way to undo what happened in the Zimmerman-Martin encounter, but some good can still come of it: it could lead states to repeal their misguided “stand your ground” laws.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

George Zimmerman to Keep Quiet Pending Special Prosecutor’s Findings in Trayvon Martin Case

today.msnbc.msn.com: “A special prosecutor is set to present her findings from the investigation into the Trayvon Martin shooting as early as Tuesday.”

To read more about Mr. Zimmerman’s plans to avoid additional publicity until those findings are made clear, click here.

7 Rules for Recording Police

Reason.com: “Courts are expanding rights but cops are cracking down. Find out how to keep your footage, and yourself, out of trouble. Last week the City of Boston agreed to pay Simon Glik $170,000 in damages and legal fees to settle a civil rights lawsuit stemming from his 2007 felony arrest for videotaping police roughing up a suspect. Prior to the settlement, the First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that Glik had a “constitutionally protected right to videotape police carrying out their duties in public.” The Boston Police Department now explicitly instructs its officers not to arrest citizens openly recording them in public. Slowly but surely the courts are recognizing that recording on-duty police is a protected First Amendment activity. But in the meantime, police around the country continue to intimidate and arrest citizens for doing just that. So if you’re an aspiring cop watcher you must be uniquely prepared to deal with hostile cops”

Arizona Internet Censorship Bill On Hold

Phoenix New Times: “Arizona’s House Bill 2549, which was labeled by one critic as a “bill to censor electronic speech,” has been stopped, according to one of the bill’s sponsors.

As we’ve already mentioned twice before, the bill was never transferred to the governor, contrary to the numerous media reports saying it has. The bill was amended before it passed the Senate, meaning it was returned to the House — where it’s apparently been stopped.

State Representative Vic Williams tells New Times that legislators have received quite a bit of “legitimate concerns” — and illegitimate concerns — about the bill, and Representative Ted Vogt has stopped the bill from moving forward so everyone can figure it out.”

Amnesty International Finds Arizona Prisons Abuse Solitary Confinement as Punishment

AZCentral.com: Arizona’s state prisons overuse solitary confinement in cruel, inhumane and illegal ways, particularly for mentally ill prisoners and juveniles as young as 14, the human-rights group Amnesty International charges in a report to be released today.

According to the report, which is to be delivered to the governor and state lawmakers, Arizona prisons use solitary confinement as a punishment more than most other states or the federal government.