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NYC to pay $17.5M for forcing Muslim women to remove hijabs for mugshot
New York City has agreed to pay $17.5 million in a class action lawsuit led by two Muslim women who say their religious rights were violated when police forced them to remove their hijabs for mugshots after they were arrested. The preliminary financial settlement, which still needs to be approved by a district court judge, was filed […]
Future of WA public defense funding unclear after judge tosses lawsuit
Washington’s county-level governments are still seeking a way to get the state to pay more to support public defense. A judge in Thurston County recently dismissed a lawsuit that sought to increase the state’s share of the burden. Judge Allyson Zipp agreed with the lawsuit’s premise that public defense in Washington faces serious challenges. But […]
Minnesota Felon Voting Rights Law Faces High Court Scrutiny
The Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a closely-watched case challenging the state’s new law that restored voting rights for felons on probation or supervised release. Voting Rights Restored for 55,000 Ex-Felons Passed by the state legislature last year, the law allowed around 55,000 Minnesotans who had been stripped of their voting […]
Tennessee bill would make illegally blocking roadway a felony
A Tennessee bill would increase the penalty for blocking a road to a felony instead of a misdemeanor. Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, said the bill is intended to stop vehicles from blocking traffic and creating dangerous situations. The bill also would include protests that block a street. “We have a lot of problems with drivers […]
District court judge resigning during judicial standards complaint
A legally embattled state district court judge is stepping down from the bench in early April, creating a vacancy in Montana’s 20th Judicial District. Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath notified Gov. Greg Gianforte on March 21 of Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher’s intent to vacate her seat. Gianforte has the legal authority to fill empty spots […]
Congress wants to give all federal inmates an ID when they leave prison
Thousands of inmates leave prison every year without identification — a necessity for getting back into society. Now a bipartisan proposal in Congress seeks to ensure that federal inmates are given a valid, accepted form of identification when they finish their sentence and leave prison. The proposal is part of an effort to help former […]
Local Bill HF3761 Seeks to Improve Inmate Outcomes through Increased Prison Visitation Rights
Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-St. Paul) has sponsored a bill, HF3761, aimed at increasing prison visitations to improve post-release outcomes for inmates. The bill is based on a Minnesota study showing lower recidivism rates among inmates who received visitors. It suggests that medical and mental health professionals should have unrestricted visitation rights, similar to lawyers. A […]
The United States Changes How It Categorizes People by Race and Ethnicity. It Is The First Revision in 27 Years
For the first time in 27 years, the U.S. government is changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity, an effort that federal officials believe will more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage. The revisions to the minimum categories on race and ethnicity, announced Thursday […]
Montana Supreme Court declares 2021 voting laws unconstitutional
In a highly anticipated ruling Wednesday, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s finding that four laws passed by the 2021 Legislature violate the fundamental rights of voters outlined in the Montana Constitution. The court’s 125-page opinion closes out an appeal filed in November 2022 by Republican Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen seeking the reinstatement of laws struck […]