There are two types of evidence at a trial: direct and circumstantial. One, if believed, directly proves a fact; the other allows a fact to be inferred. In court a trial is held to determine specific facts and the legal implications of those facts. In a criminal trial, the question is if the defendant broke […]
The Government May Be “Shut Down” But The Constitution Is Hard At Work
October 1, 2013 by
Despite a century long[1] effort to eviscerate and ignore the Constitution, the government “shut down” demonstrates the document’s stubborn staying power. As the news media works to “analyze” who will get the blame, no one mentions that the goal of the Constitution was to limit government by dividing power. Though those in office will not […]
Obamacare Contraception Mandate Reaches Supreme Court
September 20, 2013 by
On August 3, 2011 the Department of Health and Human Services and the Internal Revenue Service jointly issued what has become known as the contraception mandate. This required all employer health plans, including religiously based hospitals, schools, charities and private employers, to offer: “…all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and […]
Considerations in Filing a Claim in the BP Oil Spill Settlement
August 22, 2013 by
Please Note: The Final and Firm Deadline for filing a claim is: June 8, 2015 For more information use the contact form at the end of this article. The April, 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill affected nearly every industry around the Gulf of Mexico. Individuals, non-profit institutions and businesses not directly associated with […]
Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman and the Founders’ Faith in Grand Juries
July 18, 2013 by
“I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution…” Thomas Jefferson The death of Trayvon Martin during an altercation with George Zimmerman prompted calls for a national discussion about race relations that went all the way to […]
US Constitution’s First Amendment: Right to Petition for Redress of Grievances
July 1, 2013 by
The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights addresses five rights. The limits on government interference with religion, speech and the press were the result of the uniquely American experience. The right to peaceable assembly was a needed protection to exercise the first three. The First Amendment’s fifth right will come as a surprise to […]
The BP Oil Spill Court Approved Settlement Process
May 4, 2013 by
Please Note: The Final and Firm Deadline for filing a claim is: June 8, 2015 For more information use the contact form at the end of this article. On April 20, 2010, a blowout, explosion, and fire occurred aboard the Deepwater Horizon, an offshore drilling rig, engaged in drilling activities on the “Macondo Well” off […]
Boston Marathon Bomber, Miranda Warnings and the Public Safety Exception
April 21, 2013 by
Law enforcement’s goal of taking Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect #2, [1] Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, alive was commendably achieved. A principle reason for this goal was to question Tsarnaev about further potential dangers to the public. The FBI has announced its intent to question him “extensively” prior to reading him Miranda warnings, relying upon the “public safety” exception […]
US Supreme Court Considers Challenge to Voting Rights Act
February 28, 2013 by
In 1965 Congress enacted and Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The VRA was intended to deal specifically with roadblocks in place in certain states to voter registration by Black Americans. Certain provisions of the Act were originally set to expire in five years, but were renewed in 1970, 1975, 1982, and most […]
The Sword of Liberty: Constitutional Education and Adventure
Book Review: The Sword of Liberty by Loren J. Enns1 Thomas Jefferson expressed the sense of the Founders of the American Republic: “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…” 2 The Constitution’s Article V reflects this principle, providing […]