Rebecca K. Smith

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So far Rebecca K. Smith has created 44 blog entries.

September 2015

Federal court affirms constitutional right to criticize police

By |2017-08-18T12:57:57-07:00September 23rd, 2015|Categories: Articles, Info|Tags: |

Last week, a federal court in New York affirmed the First Amendment right to criticize police using profane language. In the case, Barboza v. D’Agata, the federal court in the Southern District of New York addressed a case in which an individual received a speeding ticket in the town of Liberty, New York. He agreed to pay the ticket by mail, but first decided to make his feelings clear by crossing out the town’s name “Liberty” and writing “Tyranny” on the ticket, and then writing, in all capital letters, “FUCK YOUR SHITTY TOWN BITCHES.” He then sent in his payment with this special personalized message.

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Federal courts affirm civil liberties in Washington D.C. and Michigan

By |2015-09-15T14:18:00-07:00September 15th, 2015|Categories: Articles, Info|Tags: , |

Last week, federal courts in Washington D.C. and Michigan issued orders affirming the civil liberties of deaf prisoners and suicidal individuals who call police for help during a mental health emergency. In Washington D.C., a federal court held that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires prisons to affirmatively provide appropriate communication services for deaf inmates. In Michigan, a federal court held that police officers ignored the protections of the 4th Amendment when they responded to a potentially suicidal individual by breaking windows and throwing tear gas canisters into his home, and ultimately shooting and killing him.

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New federal policy requires search warrants for stingray cellphone surveillanc

By |2016-12-05T18:09:07-08:00September 7th, 2015|Categories: News|

Last week the U.S. Department of Justice announced a new policy that all federal law enforcement agents must obtain a search warrant prior to using a “stingray” for cell phone surveillance. Until last week, there was no policy in place requiring federal law enforcement officials to obtain a search warrant prior to conducting this type of surveillance.

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August 2015

DOJ challenges Idaho’s criminalization of homelessness

By |2015-08-21T10:30:23-07:00August 21st, 2015|Categories: Articles, Info|Tags: |

This month, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in a federal lawsuit challenging the City of Boise, Idaho’s ban on sleeping in public. The plaintiffs argue that bans on sleeping in public violate their constitutional rights because there is inadequate shelter space available in Boise to accommodate the City’s homeless population.

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Youth rise up to address climate change

By |2019-05-16T18:24:15-07:00August 11th, 2015|Categories: Articles, Info, News|Tags: , , |

Last week, at the Next Generation Climate Justice Action Camp (NGCJAC), a diverse group of youth and adult organizers met in Southern Oregon to share tools and stories and prepare the next generation of climate justice organizers for the work that is to come.

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Federal court finds jail for immigrant children unlawful

By |2016-12-05T18:09:16-08:00August 4th, 2015|Categories: Articles, News|Tags: |

Last week, a federal court in California held that holding immigrant children from Central America in jail during their immigration proceedings was unlawful because it violates the terms of a nation-wide policy established almost 20 years ago. The court found that the failure to release children, the failure to keep children in a non-secure and licensed child care facility, and the deplorable conditions of holding cells all violate the terms of the government’s own policy on detention of immigrant children.

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July 2015

Federal court rules that same sex parents must both be listed on birth certificate

By |2015-07-21T12:32:48-07:00July 21st, 2015|Categories: Articles, News|Tags: , |

Last week, in Roe v. Patton, a federal court in Utah ruled that Utah must recognize a same-sex married couple as the legal parents of their child from birth. Under Utah state law, if a woman becomes pregnant with donated sperm, her husband is automatically recognized as the father even though he is not the biological father. In Roe, the federal court found that this same law must apply equally to a same-sex married couple.

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Federal court rejects Washington football team trademark registration claim for using disparaging term

By |2016-12-05T18:09:20-08:00July 15th, 2015|Categories: Articles, News|

Last week, in Pro-Football Inc. v. Blackhorse, a federal court in Virginia rejected a professional football association’s claim that it is entitled to trademark registration for the “Washington Redskins” logo. The court found that the "R" word may disparage a substantial number of Native Americans. Therefore, the term cannot be registered as a trademark under federal law.

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Victory for veterans:

By |2015-07-06T13:30:20-07:00July 6th, 2015|Categories: Articles, News|Tags: |

Beginning in 1942, the U.S. government approved the use of human subjects in experiments to test its chemical and biological weapons. The human subjects were tens of thousands of members of the U.S. armed services that the government intentionally exposed to these chemical and biological agents. The experiments lasted for decades.

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