LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

'The judge ruled that preventing the group from meeting at the school was a violation of its right to free expression. '

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

The South Dakota initiative would create a special grand jury to hear complaints against judges based on an open-ended list of possible grievances. The list specifically includes not only crimes such as graft but certain flaws in reasoning, such as ignoring evidence and "sophistry."

The grand jury would have power to set aside judges' immunity from civil suits by the people they rule against. It also could levy fines or hand down indictments, subjecting judges to criminal proceedings before special trial juries with the power to sentence as well as convict. After three missteps, a judge would be disqualified from holding office.

The initiative author is Ron Branson, a Baptist minister, a former minor Republican party official in Los Angeles County and a frequent unsuccessful litigator in the state and federal courts.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY polypolyglot)

The December issue of Mother Jones magazine focuses on the intersection of religion and politics. I thought it might be of interest to many of us here.