U.S. Supreme Court

Kamala Harris Tells U.S. Supreme Court Proposition 8 Must Be Overturned

In the state of California, same-sex marriage is illegal. You, the voter, made the law against gay unions happen. (Good move, people). So, of course, as the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the constitutionality of the matter, the state Attorney General's office is defending your will. Right? Oh hell no ... More >>

Sonia Sotomayor Chats With Eva Longoria: 7 Inspirational Take-Aways

Much as been made of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's rise from a poor girl from the Bonx to an Ivy League-educated assistant district attorney for New York and eventual judgeships before becoming the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice in 2009. In her recently-released best-selling memoir ... More >>

Villaraigosa Changes Democratic Platform to Include God, Jerusalem

When L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepted chair duties at the Democratic National Convention, he probably didn't realize it would turn into an actual hot seat. A few gavels here, a nice speech there and -- boom -- you have a new job in the Obama White House. Not so fast:

Marijuana Law Would Give California Dispensaries a Chance Against Federal Prosecution

When feds bust down the doors of medical marijuana dispensaries in California and -- lo and behold -- find cannabis, operators can be liable for some serious time behind bars. Medical pot is legal in California, you say. True, but the federal government doesn't recognize it. To them pot shop owners ... More >>

Marijuana Advocates Want to Judge The Judges Running For Office in L.A.

In the wake of a national poll saying 56 percent of likely American voters favor legalizing marijuana, the group NORML Women's Alliance plans to hold candidates' feet to the lighter. The organization will be asking candidates for L.A. County Superior Court judge what they think of medical marijuana ... More >>

Supreme Court: L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca Can Be Held Responsible for Jail Violence on His Watch

Like the "Teflon Sheriff" he is, Lee Baca has been doing his darndest to slip his good name off an inmate-stabbing lawsuit that names Baca as a defendant. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals turned him down last summer, but the sheriff didn't stop there. He marched his don't-blame-Baca paperwork all t ... More >>

Supreme Court: L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca Can Be Held Responsible for Jail Violence on His Watch

Like the "Teflon Sheriff" he is, Lee Baca has been doing his darndest to slip his good name off an inmate-stabbing lawsuit that names Baca as a defendant. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals turned him down last summer, but the sheriff didn't stop there. He marched his don't-blame-Baca paperwork all t ... More >>

Dustin Lance Black's Play 8, Starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt

Clooney, Pitt, Kevin Bacon and Martin Sheen power a fundraiser reading

Medical Marijuana Ban in L.A.? City Officials Botched Regulation, Now Want Prohibition

Medical weed ban heads to City Council

Corporations Are Not People, L.A. City Council Unanimously Declares (Stephen Colbert Begs to Differ)

Colbert is going to be mad at the L.A. City Council.​The L.A. City Council today voted to support the idea that corporations do not share the rights of individual Americans under the U.S. Constitution. Occupy L.A. demonstrators were in the house when the council took its vote. The move come ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensaries Near Homes Could be Outlawed Under Proposed California Law

​Marijuana supporters say a California bill that would ban pot shops from residential areas is a buzz kill. SB 847 faces a crucial vote in the state assembly's Health Committee on Tuesday and the activists are reaching out to supporters in hopes they'll call key legislators and urge them to b ... More >>

Decision Overturning Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Prop. 8, Stands, Federal Judge Says

​Updated at the bottom with reaction from Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the American Foundation for Equal Rights. One small step for mankind today as Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware said it was okay that a gay jurist struck down Prop. 8 -- the California law banning same-sex marriage. The g ... More >>

Prisoner Release Sees 450 California Convicts With 'High Risk For Violence' Accidentally Let Out

Patrick HealyZachariah Lehnen, accused in Culver City double homicide, was free on non-revocable parole.​As state officials grapple with this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling ordering California to unleash 33,000 prisoners within the next two years there's some evidence today that maybe correc ... More >>

Porn on L.A. Library Public Terminals Gets Serious Debate in City Hall

merrick_monroeNot an L.A. library branch (but could be).​Ah, L.A. City Hall, always tackling the Big Issue. Like cat declawing and an Arizona business boycott that has no teeth. And now the accidental, over-the-shoulder viewing of internet porn at public libraries is a matter of serious inqu ... More >>

Constitutional Right to Sex

Dana Rohrabacher, Freelance Diplomat, To Investigate Obama State Department

Dana Rohrabacher​With Republicans sweeping to power in the House of Representatives, local counter-revolutionary hero Dana Rohrabacher has been put in charge of investigating President Obama's foreign policy. Should be fun.Thanks to Wikileaks, we also learned this week about Rohrabacher's freelanc ... More >>

Kamala Harris Declares Victory, Announces Transition Team

Kamala Harris​Kamala Harris declared victory this morning in the razor-close race for attorney general. With almost all the ballots counted, Harris is leading L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley by 73,102 votes.Proving right off the bat that she will be a different kind of A.G., Harris announced a ... More >>

Prop. 8: California Does Not Have To Defend Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Court Rules

​The state of California does not have to defend Prop. 8, the law the prohibits same-sex marriage, in court, leaving open the possibility that a recent court decision overturning the ban will stand. The state's 3rd District court of appeal on Thursday ruled that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and ... More >>

L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich Disses Prop. 8 Ruling

​In this, the land of the liberal, home of the labor union, and arguably most pro-gay-rights metropolis this side of San Francisco, a guy like Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich could feel out of place. But Antonovich, whose website features a photo of him wearing a cowboy hat and ... More >>

Brown Wants Return Of 'Desperate Housewives' Art Taken By Nazis During World War II

Norton Simon Museum​California Attorney General Jerry Brown on Wednesday said he filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing in favor of a Connecticut woman's legal attempt to get two paintings looted by Nazis during World War II. One of the pieces, "Eve," appears to be the inspiration f ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court To Take Up Case Of Jailed L.A. Attorney

Full Disclosure NetworkRichard Fine.​The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of imprisoned Tarzana attorney Richard Fine, who contends he has been held in Los Angeles County Jail for more than a year as retaliation for calling for pay cuts for county judges. Fine argues that he's being held ... More >>

Supreme Court Ruling On Campaign Cash Puts Rest Of U.S. In Line With California

​The U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week that overturned restrictions on corporate and union spending on political campaigns mirrors the free-flowing, cash-for-politician-support-groups system already in place in California. " ... The decision appears to create a national system that mirrors ... More >>

Queer Town: Prop. 8 Trial Re-Enactment Video Ready for Preview

Los Angeles filmmaker John Ireland and his team have posted a preview of their Prop. 8 trial re-enactment project, which will be posted on YouTube and the Web site www.marriagetrial.com.John Ireland ProductionsL..A. filmmaker John Ireland​Last Sunday, L.A. Weekly first broke the news about the dai ... More >>

LAPD Police Union Blasts Rule Limiting Cops' Use Of Tasers

​The union representing rank-and-file Los Angeles Police Department cops on Wednesday decried a U.S. district court ruling that severely limits officers' use of Tasers to subdue suspects. The decision, states the Los Angeles Police Protective League, "has us scratching our heads in disbelief. ... More >>

The John Birch Society Is Back!

Scrolling down a list of things to possibly do today, I came across an announcement for an appearance by John Birch Society president John McManus, who'll be in North Hollywood tonight talking about "America's Economic Meltdown." The John Friggin' Birch Society! A wave of heady nostalgia swept over ... More >>

False Witnesses in Oleanna and The Crucible

Bitch hunts of the American theater

Guantánamo’s Final Days

America prepares to shutter the infamous prison camp, and jihad looms

The Decency Chronicles

Filth and parental control, 1960s-style

Judge Kozinski Gets Judged

He lawyers up, while the panel investigating the porn dustup has yet to begin

“It’s All Deviant!” Judge Alex Kozinski logs onto Trouble.com

The Beverly Hills lawyer who blew the whistle on Judge Alex Kozinski’s Web site, which featured both explicit sexual pictures and possibly illegal MP3 music files, had been approaching newspapers about the story since January of this year.

Eminent Domain Targeted by Propositions 98 and 99

Radically different ideas target the government practice of taking homes

WeHo Reacts to California Supreme Court Gay-Marriage Ruling

God bless Gavin Newsom

A Toke for the High Court

Stress for the medical-weed movement

Blessed by the Devil

Orange�s dirty deal threatens to brush away the priest scandal

Foul Justice

After 10 years, critics of Three Strikes may get another chance with voters

Brave Newsom World

Gay Marriage Mania

The Yoke of Men�s Opinions

Rough Justice

Admission to the Feast

Generation X law students, affirmative action and the lonely battle for equity

Freedom From the Test

Letters

Derailed Dreams

Bus Riders Union is bad for L.A.'s transit future

The Other War

Porn Jitters

Maybe W. can�t spell �pornography�

Silent Times

With the election over, no more wimpy campaign editorials threaten clear thinking

Capitol Creeps

Now look what they�re trying to pull

More Endorsements

For Sale: Votes

Campaign-finance reform no sure thing

Killing Joke

For jurors, Kelly trial lasted way too long

Sanity Check

Court weighs Kelly's mental state; Lungren presses execution date