constitutional rights

The Associated Press has a profile on the federal and state judges who have been striking down bans on same-sex marriage: "Collectively, these judges are diverse — white and black, male and female, gay and straight, some appointed by Democratic presidents and some by Republicans. However, they seemed to draw common inspiration from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2013 that ordered the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages ... But the judges' opinions — often embellished by soaring language — reflected a yearning to be on what they had come to see as the right side of history."

The New York Times' Adam Liptak writes on the difficulties in protecting the constitutional right to have counsel paid for in criminal cases when you can't afford your own lawyer. For example, in Washington, a federal judge has found two cities violated the constitutional right to counsel by having lawyers handle 500 cases at a time. The judge has imposed a federal monitor to improve the situation. In Texas, a pilot program is starting to allow defendants to pick their own lawyers among a pool of qualified counsel.
 

December will be a big month in New Jersey, but not just because of the holidays. Legislators are going to try to override Governor Chris Christie's veto of a law that would authorize same-sex marriage, the Associated Press reports. The governor suggested that it should be put on the ballot for voters to decide. Republican leaders said members of the party can vote on the veto-override legislation as they see fit, the AP also reports. Assembly Member Declan O’Scanlon, who will vote in favor of the override said, “The narrative that the governor strong-arms Republicans in the Legislature is false."