[E]ven more regret­table than the failure to either follow or unequiv­o­cally overrule the cited cases is the character of the “rule” which is now promul­gated: the majority assert that hence­forth “a statute or other rule of law will be char­ac­terized as substantive or proce­dural according to the nature of the problem for which a char­ac­ter­i­zation must be made,” thus suggesting that the court will no longer be bound to consistent enforcement or uniform appli­cation of “a statue or other rule of law” but will instead apply one “rule” or another as the untram­meled whimsy of the majority may from time to [ . . . ]

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According to this CNN​.com article, Gibbons had been charged under Article 125 of Sudan’s consti­tution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred. According to the Sudanese Embassy in Canada [pdf], Article 125 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Sudan (1998) reads: Article 125 Popular Defense Force The Republic of Sudan may establish a volunteer Popular Defense Force from among the Sudanese people for national defense, to maintain national security, or to assist any regular forces. The Popular Defense Force shall be under the command of the National Armed Forces or the Police and shall promote defense, security [ . . . ]

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Ari Armstrong, the Software Nerd, and Gus Van Horn have recently discussed so-​​​​called “Blue Laws.” Ari discusses the Denver Post’s editorial support for a Colorado legislative push to overturn that state’s Sunday alcohol sales prohi­bi­tions. Software Nerd mentions the Supreme Court’s decision in Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Mass., Inc., 366 U.S. 617 (1961). Gallagher is one of three cases on Blue Laws (specif­i­cally Sunday Closing laws, requiring certain busi­nesses to close on Sundays, often including alcohol and liquor retailers), decided on the same day in 1961. Gallagher and Braunfeld v. Brown, 366 U.S. 599 (1961) both concern Blue Laws [ . . . ]

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Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church have, for some time now, been traveling the country protesting at the funerals of American soldiers killed in the line of duty. Back in 2006, they protested outside the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, who was killed in action at the age of 20. See this article, the original complaint, and Monica’s (of Spark a Synapse) post on the same topic for the unpleasant details. English as a language lacks invec­tives of suffi­cient force and color to condemn this kind of behavior in the terms justice demands. However, has WBC done anything properly [ . . . ]

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