U.S. Supreme Court

John McCain Bucks the NRA, Supports Expanding Background Checks for Gun Sales

Republican Senator John McCain announced today his support for an amendment that calls for an expansion of the federal background-check system for gun sales, an amendment that's specifically being targeted for defeat by the National Rifle Association.According to all the newspapers in Washington, th ... More >>

Debra Milke's Overturned Conviction for Killing Son in '89 to be Appealed by AZ Attorney General Tom Horne

Debra Milke, on Death Row since her 1990 conviction for conspiring to have her 4-year-old son killed in 1989, won't be released from prison anytime soon. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Milke's conviction yesterday, raising the possibility that she could be set free in 30 days ... More >>

Phoenix PD to Recognize 50th Anniversary of Arresting Ernesto Miranda, of "Miranda Warning" Fame

In a couple of weeks, the Phoenix Police Department will recognize the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous arrests in the department's history -- that of Ernesto Miranda.You probably recognize Miranda's name by the "warning" named after him that lets an arrestee know he has the right to remai ... More >>

Bill Montgomery's Ghost of Christmas Present: Injustice

If there were a law against keeping parents from their children for no good reason on Christmas, or any other day, then Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, and many of his functionaries, would be guilty as charged. Currently, neither the county attorney's office nor the Maricopa County Sheri ... More >>

Will SB 1070 Be Enforced "In Harmony With the Constitution and Civil Rights"?

As the so-called "papers please" provision of Senate Bill 1070 was cleared for use yesterday, Governor Jan Brewer issued a statement reminding the public that there are also laws "barring racial profiling" practices by police."It is not enough that SB 1070 be enforced. It must be enforced efficientl ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Mexican-Bashing E-mails Slammed By Randy Parraz, Others

See Also: Russell Pearce's Racism "Discovered" by Arizona's Media Former Senate President Russell Pearce's racist e-mails, recently made public by the ACLU, were slammed today by politicians and activists at the Arizona State Capitol. Around 20 members of Citizens for a Better Arizona, the group t ... More >>

SB 1070 Fuels a Movement of New Voters

New Voting Laws Could Take Out Obama This Fall

SB 1070 Challenge by Friendly House to Proceed; Arizona's Motions to Dismiss are Denied

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton has denied the state of Arizona's motions to dismiss a legal challenge to SB 1070 by Friendly House, a social-service agency for immigrants.The Friendly House lawsuit is a separate action from the challenge to SB 1070 by the U.S. Justice Department being considered b ... More >>

SB 1070 on Blast by Hip Hop Artists Shining Soul

Click-clack/Where your papers at?/We under attack/Fight back/It's warOne of the best songs to put Senate Bill 1070 and the whole police state mentality that reigns in Arizona on blast is "Papers," by the Phoenix hip hop duo Shining Soul.With the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to rule on SB 1070 by the ... More >>

SB 1070 Oral Arguments Wrap Up in Supreme Court; Some Believe Court May Uphold Part of the Controversial Law

Just as oral arguments wrapped up at the U.S. Supreme Court over SB 1070, Arizona's controversial immigration-enforcement law that essentially criminalizes an undocumented immigrant's presence in Arizona, Congressman Paul Gosar made an appearance on MSNBC. Gosar is running for a seat in Arizona's c ... More >>

SB 1070 Protest March Led by Puente Starts at 3p.m.

It's like 2010 all over again, with the Phoenix-based civil rights group Puente leading an anti-SB 1070 protest with a "march route [that] exposes collaborators in Arpaio's human rights crisis."As you can see on the map, the demonstration begins at 3p.m. at Phoenix's Civic Space Park, 424 N. Central ... More >>

SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray of Hope

There's one general conclusion I have after reading and re-reading the transcript of Wednesday's oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court over Arizona Senate Bill 1070: Latinos and their allies cannot rely on the federal government or the courts for a long term solution to the overt bigotry ... More >>

SB 1070 Arguments Loom As Mexican Immigration to U.S. Slows To Standstill

Don't know if the Pew Hispanic Center intentionally released its fascinating, statistics-based report on the in-flux state of illegal immigration just prior to tomorrow's U.S. Supreme Court arguments on controversial Arizona SB 1070, but the timing has provided the respected non-profit with maximum ... More >>

SB 1070 Redux: Phoenix Police Department Criticized for Post-1070 Operations Order

The Phoenix human rights group Puente is planning a press conference and rally for Friday March 9, to protest the Phoenix Police Department's current operations order on immigration enforcement, which allows crime victims and witnesses to be questioned about their immigration status.The operations o ... More >>

SB 1070: Two More Sections Enjoined by Judge Susan R. Bolton

With oral arguments scheduled to take place April 25 before the U.S. Supreme Court on Arizona's breathing-while-brown statute Senate Bill 1070, Arizona District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton today enjoined two sections of the law she had not previously put on hold in 2010, when she stymied the mo ... More >>

Jan Brewer Invited to Testify Before Senate Subcommittee on SB 1070. Governor's Apparently Not Thrilled With The Idea

​New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer sent a letter to Governor Jan Brewer yesterday, asking her to give testimony before his Senate Subcommittee on Immigration about Senate Bill 1070.According to a release from Schumer's office, the point of Brewer's testimony would be "to hear whether she ... More >>

Representative Kimberly Yee Wants to Tell You When You Can Have An Abortion

​Republican Arizona Representative Kimberly Yee has taken a page out of fagala-phobic abortion bully Trent Franks' book, and is taking it upon herself to attempt to dictate when women in Arizona can have an abortion.Yee introduced a bill into the Arizona Legislature yesterday that would ban aborti ... More >>

Feds Want Court to Dismiss Jan Brewer's Lawsuit Against Medical Marijuana

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's lawsuit against medical marijuana is on the ropes following today's motion to dismiss by the U.S. Justice Department.​ Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's lawsuit against the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law should be dismissed by the court, says the U.S. Ju ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court Denies Stay of Execution for Arizona Kid-Killing Child Molester Richard Bible

Arizona Department of CorrectionsKid-killing child molester Richard Bible is scheduled to die manana.​Kid-killing child molester Richard Lynn Bible is running out of time. He's set to be put to death tomorrow for murdering a 9-year-old girl, and today, the United States Supreme Court denied him a ... More >>

Execution Date Set for Arizona Killer More Than 25 Years After Being Convicted of Murdering 13-Year-Old Girl

Arizona Department of Corrections Donald Edward Beaty​An execution date finally has been set for an Arizona killer convicted of murdering a 13-year-old girl as she collected money for her paper route at a Tempe apartment complex in 1984.After nearly 26 years on Death Row -- o ... More >>

Russell Pearce Denied by 9th Circuit on 1070; Judge Susan Bolton's Injunction Remains

Pearce and his nativist allies were served a defeat today by the Ninth CircuitState Senate President Russell Pearce, Governor Jan Brewer, and the forces of nativism here in Arizona and nationwide have suffered a crushing blow. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has today upheld District Court Judge ... More >>

Jan Brewer and Tom Horne's Silly Rebuttal To the Ninth Circuit

Horne, born in Canada to Nazi-fleeing parents, knows better...or shouldGovernor Jan Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne have issued a joint press release denouncing the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' 2-1 decision today upholding District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton's injunction of four ke ... More >>

"Clean Elections" Matching Funds Provision Seems Doomed in U.S. Supreme Court

​The United States Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday to determine whether Arizona's "Clean Elections" system -- most notably, the "matching funds" section of the law -- violates the U.S. Constitution, and based on initial reports about the hearings, things aren't looking good for its su ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Matching Funds Arguments. Decision Not Expected Until June

​The United States Supreme Court is listening to arguments today to determine whether Arizona's "Clean Elections" system violates the Constitution.The system was a hot topic during last year's election cycle because several candidates -- including Governor Jan Brewer and former Treasurer Dean Mart ... More >>

Westboro Baptist Bozos Have Right to Protest Funerals, Supreme Court Rules

​The United States Supreme Court ruled this morning that groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-gay/anti-logic bunch of twerps known for protesting the funerals of soldiers killed overseas, are protected under the first amendment, regardless of how disgusting their message may be.You ... More >>

Clean Elections Matching Funds Case to be Heard by U.S. Supreme Court

​The U.S. Supreme Court announced this morning that it will decide on whether Arizona's "Clean Elections" system violates the Constitution.The system was a hot topic during this year's election cycle because several candidates -- including Governor Jan Brewer and former Treasurer Dean Martin -- we ... More >>

9th Circuit Court Mulls SB1070 Following Hearing; Judges' Questions Analyzed by Media

​ An hour-long hearing at the U.S. 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco signals a mixed bag for both supporters and opponents of Arizona's harsh anti-illegal-immigrant law. A story in the Washington Post claims that "deep skepticism" by one judge about the Obama Adminstration's ch ... More >>

Regarding Birthright Citizenship, What Is It About the U.S. Constitution That Nativists Don't Understand?

Jan Brewer and Dean Martin Can Say Adios to Matching Funds; Supreme Court Rules to Halt Clean Elections -- For Now, Anyway

​The U.S. Supreme Court this morning put a halt to the matching funds portion of Arizona's Clean Elections program.The decision blocks matching funds for publicly funded candidates until the Supreme Court can hear the case -- or unless it ultimately decides not to grant review. That almost certain ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Latest Unconstitutional Measure, Illegal Re-Entry

Meaner than a junkyard dog, Hispanic-hater Russell Pearce has got more unconstitutional legislation in the hopper todaySomething wicked this way comes, and no, it ain't Macbeth, it's state Senator Russell Pearce's latest unconstitutional legislation, SB 1394, which is scheduled to be discussed in th ... More >>

August 4 In Blogs: Sheriff Joe, Souls of Mischief, Metro Brasserie, and John McCain

​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Sheriff Joe Arpaio Inspires Children's Crusade Against Him This Friday, August 7 Up on the S ... More >>

Underwear the Safest Place for Students to Hide Contraband, Says Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

The U.S. Supreme Court decision to declare a strip-search of an Arizona student unconstitutional also "announces the safest place to secrete contraband at school," says Justice Clarence Thomas. Just stick those drugs in your skivvies. Don't you love when a government official makes things clear f ... More >>

Arpaio’s Avondale Sweep a Bust, Pima County Sheriff Wants to Check School Kids’ Immigration Papers, and Chris Simcox Takes on McCain

Pastor Claims Abuse at Border Patrol Checkpoint on Interstate 8

  A local Baptist pastor who was left bloodied and indignant Tuesday night after a stop at the Border Patrol's checkpoint on eastbound Interstate 8 wonders in a recent video, "Why is this happening in the United States of America?" New Times readers who remember our February 2008 ... More >>

ACLU Demands Peoria School District Allow Kid to Wear "Rainbows are Gay" Wristband

The American Civil Liberties Board of Arizona is threatening action against the Peoria Unified School District after an eighth-grade student was prohibited from wearing a "Rainbows are Gay" wristband. The 14-year-old gay student was told to wear the wristband inside out or quit w ... More >>

Deez Nutz: Philip Berg, Barack Obama Birth Certificate Challenger and 9/11 Nutjob

Get over it, nutbars. Come January 20, he'll be the Prez, and there's nothing you can do about it. Weird how the extremes of the far right and far left end up playing patty cake with each other in this country. Take, for example, Philadelphia lawyer Phil Berg, a former Pennsylvania assistant attor ... More >>

Border Patrol checkpoints near Yuma nab hordes of pot users headed back from the beach

Courting Death

U.S. Supreme Court says don't short-change death clients

Polygamy's Odyssey

A brief history of the Mormon tenet

Bound by Fear: Polygamy in Arizona

For decades the state has let a feudal colony of fundamentalist Mormons force underage girls into illegal polygamous marriages

Judging Stanley

Justice Stanley Feldman has ruled the Arizona legal scene for years. But now he's gone. And Governor Janet Napolitano has some important decisions to make.

Habla Di, Habla Da, Strife Goes On

Federal ruling in bilingual-education lawsuit goes unheeded by state officials

This Just In

What's up with BOMEX?

MisJudged

U.S. District Court Judge Carl Muecke ruled on the letter of the law, but his liberal views and tough courtroom style made him the judge that conservatives love to hate

Extra Censory

In Arizona, high school administrators can decide what may or may not be published in student newspapers. They are not bashful about protecting their own interests.

Babbitt's Interior

As the White House flips and flops, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt takes his environmental losses and victories in stride. Is his stoicism a necessary virtue or a political vice?

Flashes

THE LIFE BEHIND A RACIAL MISTAKE

GIVE ME THAT OLD-TIME CONSTITUTION

THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND INDUSTRY OVER PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS HAS TAKEN ON A RELIGIOUS FERVOR