Tyler was committed briefly in the 1980s following his divorce. A recent psychiatric evaluation found that he now has no sign of mental illness. He has since remarried and not suffered from depression. With these facts in mind, Judge Danny Boggs wrote: “The government’s interest in keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill is not sufficiently related to depriving the mentally healthy, who had a distant episode of commitment, of their constitutional rights.”   read more

The appellate court found the law to be “ideological in intent.” The statute also constituted a violation of free-speech rights, according to Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, who was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan. “Transforming the physician into the mouthpiece of the state undermines the trust that is necessary for facilitating healthy doctor-patient relationships and, through them, successful treatment outcomes,” Wilkinson wrote in the opinion.   read more

The false testimony came from Sandra McElroy, who claimed to have seen Brown charge Wilson before the shooting. However, McElroy’s story was found to have many holes in it when questioned prior to her grand jury testimony. She also as a history of mental illness and making racist remarks. Nonetheless, McCulloch called her twice to testify before the grand jury. He has said she “clearly wasn’t present” at the shooting scene and "recounted her story right out of the newspaper.”   read more

A letter on Jim Hood’s AG stationary that slammed Google for aiding piracy reportedly was copies from text from MPAA lawyers. Hood held a press conference last week, accusing Google of theft of secrets from the Sony leaks. “I want to talk about a story that’s been pushed out by a large corporation called Google. I mean, they pushed this story out. They rifled through the emails that were stolen from Sony. And, you know, I equate it to rifling through someone’s stolen property,” he said.   read more

A panel appointed by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan to assess blame for the CIA’s intrusion into Senate Intelligence Committee computers has—no surprise—found that those who broke into the computers shouldn’t be punished. Those investigated by the CIA panel claimed they’d been given the go-ahead to break into the Senate computers by Brennan himself.   read more

Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, there have been 1,394 executions in the United States, 518 of them in Texas. There are currently more than 3,000 people on Death Row. In 2014, 80% of the executions were carried out by three states: Texas, the perennial leader; Missouri; and Florida. Only seven states executed anyone.   read more

For the first time since the 1970s, female Peace Corps volunteers will receive federal assistance for abortions, granting them the same coverage as those in other federal programs. As part of the omnibus spending bill adopted by Congress, medical coverage for Peace Corps volunteers will include abortion in cases of rape, incest and life endangerment.   read more

George Stinney Jr., who was black, was charged with murder for the death of 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames, who were white. Judge Carmen T. Mullen of Circuit Court didn’t rule on the merits of the prosecution’s case because of the lack of transcripts and case files. However, she noted the violations of Stinney’s rights   read more

All three are also considered political, rather than career Foreign Service, appointments. John Estrada, President Barack Obama’s choice for Trinidad and Tobago, has waited the longest of anyone: 504 days. He is a former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the highest-ranking enlisted Marine, and a native Trinidadian. After leaving the service, he worked at Lockheed Martin as a senior manager.   read more

When the Satanists wanted to put up an angel being consumed by flames, the state Department of Management Services rejected the display, saying it was too offensive. The unholy rollers claim Florida is denying them their constitutional rights under the First Amendment, citing the 1994 Supreme Court decision in Rosenberger v. University of Virginia, the upshot of which was the government cannot selectively choose from among religious-based efforts.   read more

Obama’s executive move protects a region that provides 40% of the nation’s wild-caught seafood and which supports up to $2 billion in commercial fishing every year. Bristol Bay is the natural habitat for numerous endangered species, including walruses, seals, sea otters, seals, and several species of whales. “It’s something that’s too precious for us just to be putting out to the highest bidder,” Obama said in announcing his decision. Environmental groups lauded the move.   read more

Freedom declared bankruptcy after the accident in which 10,000 gallons of the industrial chemical MCHM leaked into the nearby Elk River. The toxic chemicals broke through an aging tank in the plant, which is on the river bank upstream from the county’s municipal water intake. “A survey by two state agencies and the [CDC] later concluded that a fifth of the area’s households that were surveyed had individuals who experienced symptoms consistent with exposure to the chemical,” said the Times.   read more

Corinthian Colleges, described as “one of the most abusive and deceptive for-profit college companies” in the country, was on its way to going out of business when student loan collector ECMC said it wanted to buy it. Officials in the U.S. Department of Education approved the deal in which ECMC will pay $24 million for 56 campuses operating under the names Everest and WyoTech. David Halperin says that ECMC stepping in to assume control of the schools is a “terrible mistake.”   read more

These days, many students are looking at the cost of a legal education and getting serious sticker shock. Top schools easily demand $55,000 a year for tuition, and the “low end” options cost in the $40,000 range. Furthermore, many law graduates aren’t getting jobs as lawyers after they finish school and pass the bar exam. Currently there are fewer U.S. jobs for attorneys, thanks to growing online legal services and outsourcing of positions to other countries.   read more

“While we recognize Senator Coburn’s reputation as a budget hawk, clearly the minor cost of this bill would have a tremendous payoff to help save lives in our community," said IAVA founder Paul Reickhoff. "This isn’t about spending new money – it’s about honoring the commitment we owe to the men and women who put on the uniform. With the suicide crisis continuing, it is unconscionable for a lone Senator to block a fair vote and for Congress to leave Washington without dealing with this crisis.”   read more

New York businessman George Tsunis blundered his way through his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year. Under questioning from senators, Tsunis mistakenly labeled Norway’s prime minister a “president” and insulted the Progress Party, accusing it of spewing “hatred” and being “fringe elements” in Norwegian politics. Senator John McCain, whom Tsunis supported in 2008 to the tune of $50,000, excoriated his former supporter during confirmation hearings.   read more