I really loved how much Daubert was cited in this. The idea that science, data, rigor, publishing, peer review and academic credentials have merit over gut feeling and compilation of other people's ideas was refreshing in an era where educated "elites" are looked down upon ( Read more... )

In the winner of this year's "which writ of cert will the Supreme Court take that shocks 'stina the most" contest, the SCOTUS blog reported this tidbit this morning. The Supreme Court, taking on the emotionally charged issue of picketing protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in wartime, agreed Monday to consider reinstating a $5 million ( Read more... )

Two items to review ( Read more... )

Ok, so having now seen the "can't name a supreme court case other than Roe" interview. I give a little slack. It's not like she was asked to name ANY ruling. Just a ruling that she disagreed with.

So all the people yelling out Bush v. Gore or Brown v. Board of Education probably weren't all that helpful. I probably would have gone with Plessy v ( Read more... )

There aren't any guns in my house. That isn't necessarily from any particular ideological principle on my part. I mean, I grew up around guns, as my dad is an avid duck and dove hunter (read: he sits in the bushes a lot with a gun in his hand waiting for a bird to fly by). He has a few shot guns and a few rifles, all, I believe, are at the ( Read more... )

Heller Opinion. Haven't read it yet, but given the majority, I assume we can all be armed to the teeth. 

Stuck in training all day today. In a computer lab.

Unsurprised by the big SCOTUS rulings today. Haven't had time to read the opinions, but wondering about whether the people who bitch about judicial activism in the 8th amendment case will also be bitching about it in the Valdez case.

Will check in from time to time today...

This, from the Scotus Blog is a really, really cool document (if you're a Supreme Court nerd like I am) that breaks down this year's session. It ends at the end of the month, so we're pretty close to getting the session over and done with. As always, the big cases come out towards the end of the session ( Read more... )

172 page opinion. Sheesh.

I haven't even started reading yet, but I'm hopeful that they stuck their analysis to the California Constitution rather than the US Constitution. I really would rather not have the US Supreme Court review this, despite the fact that the majority in Lawrence is still there ( Read more... )

In an interesting timed non-decision, the Supreme Court figured out what's on my mind today: A Houston-area nurse has lost her U.S. Supreme Court bid to gain access to test-tube embryos she and her ex-husband created before their divorce ( Read more... )