By: Jessica Colburn The Second Amendment, while hotly debated, is not well understood because the language of the Amendment is unclear and old, specifically 227 years old. Here, we shed some light on what is meant by the language of the Second Amendment, including the phrases, “a well-regulated militia” and “the right of the people … Continue reading PIAC Gun Control Series: The History of the 2nd Amendment
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PIAC’s Gun Control Series: How to Stop Gun Violence (or at least have less)?
By: Robert Bryson and Ridgeway Woulfe This is Rob and Ridgeway. We’ll be spearheading PIAC’s Gun Control Series, with contributions from others along the way. This series will provide a thorough data and legal-based analysis for the issues that arise in the gun debate. Before we begin the series, however, we wanted to take the … Continue reading PIAC’s Gun Control Series: How to Stop Gun Violence (or at least have less)?
How Stand Your Ground Laws Allow Implicit Bias to Legalize Death
By: Ridgeway Woulfe and Robert Bryson The entire country, and most of the world, is familiar with George Zimmerman and his acquittal of charges after killing black teenager Trayvon Martin. At the time of Zimmerman’s arrest, the debate concerning “stand your ground” laws surged. By the time Zimmerman was acquitted, over 30 states had stand … Continue reading How Stand Your Ground Laws Allow Implicit Bias to Legalize Death
12 Scams to Watch Out for this Tax Season
By: Robert Bryson Tis the season … to file your taxes! No, this isn’t an article about how and why you can avoid paying taxes. Instead, it is an article about the icing on the cake, fraud schemes that victimize thousands of people every year. Below I will go over the 12 most common schemes … Continue reading 12 Scams to Watch Out for this Tax Season
California Supreme Court Expands the Public Records Act to Include Emails Sent Between the Private Accounts of Public Officials, If the Emails Concern Public Business
By: Robert Bryson City of San Jose vs. Superior Court (Smith) 2017 2 Cal.5th 608 The Public Records Act (“PRA”) is the California equivalent of the federal Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) which mandates that government communications and records (aside from a few exceptions) are public property and disclosable to any member of the public … Continue reading California Supreme Court Expands the Public Records Act to Include Emails Sent Between the Private Accounts of Public Officials, If the Emails Concern Public Business
Counterpoint: Jerry Brown Denies Parole to Leslie Van Houten, Charles Manson Follower and Convicted Murder Shows Some Crimes Cannot Be Redeemed and Not Everyone is Eligible for Parole
By: Robert Bryson Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding California policies is that it is always progressive, it is always a leader, an example for the rest of the country and the world. But, that simply isn’t true. California is as much the founder of voluntary workers’ compensation in the United States as it … Continue reading Counterpoint: Jerry Brown Denies Parole to Leslie Van Houten, Charles Manson Follower and Convicted Murder Shows Some Crimes Cannot Be Redeemed and Not Everyone is Eligible for Parole
Point: Governor Jerry Brown’s Denial of Parole to Leslie Van Houten, Charles Manson Follower and Convicted Murderer, Shows the Limits California’s Progressive Approach to Criminal Justice
By: Ridgeway Woulfe On January 19, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown denied parole to 68-year-old Leslie Van Houten, marking the second time he has done so despite the state’s parole panel recommending release both times. Van Houten has been, and now continues to serve a life sentence for murders she committed when she was 19 … Continue reading Point: Governor Jerry Brown’s Denial of Parole to Leslie Van Houten, Charles Manson Follower and Convicted Murderer, Shows the Limits California’s Progressive Approach to Criminal Justice
Where’s the Beef? How Current Defamation Laws are Already What Donald Trump says He Wants
By: Ridgeway Woulfe Since before his electoral college victory, President Trump has emphasized his intention to restructure libel laws to remove the protections currently in place. He has called the current state of the laws a “sham” and says his solution is that “when somebody says something that is false and defamatory … Continue reading Where’s the Beef? How Current Defamation Laws are Already What Donald Trump says He Wants
Voter Fraud: What is at stake in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute?
By: Robert Bryson and Jessica Colburn In our journey down the rabbit hole of voter fraud, we have discussed how voter identification laws are still a thing, and whether voter fraud even happens. We also talked about Trump’s commission on voter fraud and its ultimate decommissioning. Most recently, we considered the delicate balance between encouraging … Continue reading Voter Fraud: What is at stake in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute?
Curbing Fraud vs. Encouraging the Vote: What is more important?
By: Robert Bryson This post will be the fourth in a five-part series examining “voter fraud,” its impact on elections, steps taken to curb it, and it will end with an analysis of Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute which is the Supreme Court case scheduled for arguments January 10, 2018 that will determine if … Continue reading Curbing Fraud vs. Encouraging the Vote: What is more important?
Public Interest Advocacy Collaborative 