Courts & Law

California grand jury investigating Arizona-based dark money ‘Kochtopus’ groups

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

When last we heard about the Arizona-based "Kochtopus" dark money group Center
to Protect Patient Rights, founded by GOP operative Sean Noble, California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) was ramping up its investigation into “the largest contribution ever disclosed as campaign money laundering in California
history.” The Arzona political media has largely made this story disappear.

It now appears that a grand jury has been convened, and the butts of "Kochtopus" dark money contributors are beginning to pucker.

Peter H. Stone at The Daily Beast reports today in an Exclusive: California Grand Jury Probing Shadowy Money Groups:

A grand jury is now involved in a high-stakes California probe that is
looking into whether a PAC and three so-called dark-money
groups—including one with ties to the billionaire brothers Charles and
David Koch—broke a campaign disclosure law by funneling $11 million from
secret sources to influence ballot initiatives in the state’s 2012
election, The Daily Beast has learned.

Attorney General Eric Holder’s speech to the NAACP convention

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the annual convention of the NAACP on Tuesday, and in the wake of the George Zimmerman trial in Florida, he addressed the legitimate concerns of African-Americans that simply being a black male in America renders them a "criminal suspect." Attorney General Eric Holder denounces ‘stand your ground’ laws:

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. strongly condemned “stand your
ground” laws Tuesday, saying the measures “senselessly expand the
concept of self-defense” and may encourage “violent situations to
escalate.”

* * *

“These laws try to fix something that was never broken,” Holder told cheering delegates of the annual convention of the NAACP,
which is pressing him to file civil rights charges against Zimmerman.
“The list of resulting tragedies is long and, unfortunately, has
victimized too many who are innocent.”

The attorney general, who
is the first African American ever to hold that position, drew parallels
between his own life and the claims of many here that Zimmerman
racially profiled Martin after spotting the teenager walking through his
father’s neighborhood in a hooded sweatshirt. Martin was African
American. Zimmerman’s father is white, his mother Peruvian.

Holder
recalled being pulled over twice by police on the New Jersey Turnpike
as a young man and having his car searched, “when I’m sure I wasn’t
speeding.” Another time, he said, he was stopped by law enforcement in
Georgetown while simply running to catch a movie after dark.

NRA apologists defend ‘stand your ground’ laws

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I posted about this the other day: the Washington Post reports, Everything
you need to know about 'stand your ground' laws:

The National Rifle Association lobbied hard for the measure, while law enforcement officials like Miami’s police chief opposed it.

* * *

Since Florida became the first state to pass an explicit stand your ground law, more than 30 others
have passed some version of it, with the help of a group called the
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a organization that
promotes conservative bills. Here’s a 2012 map of stand your ground laws nationwide.

W-Shooting

In the wake of the Florida case, we can expect an increase in calls to repeal or at least revisit the laws across the country.

I have been waiting to see how long it takes before the push-back begins from the "happiness is a warm gun" crowd at the NRA. Today we hear from "Ms. NRA," Governor Jan Brewer in the senior division, and from "Miss NRA," Arizona Republic columnist Joanna Allhands, in the junior division.

Questions for Martha McSally: What is your position on same-sex marriage?

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Blog for Arizona's Pamela Powers Hannley wrote a richly detailed post about Martha McSally in October 2012, after McSally avoided giving her an interview that she had scheduled with her campaign. Martha McSally: Warrior woman hides from questions, constituents, inconsistencies.

As I recall, Pamela was criticized for her reporting on McSally's annulment of marriage in Santa Cruz County, and "Rumor has it that McSally and Henry had a sham marriage of convenience." And then there was this:

There are multiple rumors on the Internet about McSally being a Lesbian. I don't care if she is gay and is in the closet. I do care
if she had a sham marriage to avoid being outed– since Don't Ask Don't
Tell was in full swing in the late 1990s. I also care about this issue
because McSally's rhetoric is decidedly anti-gay— particularly
when it comes to gay marrriage– yet another "cookie cutter" Republican
issue. Is McSally another one of those Republicans who talks loudly
against gays and then turns out to be one?

I for one do not care what a person's sexual preference is, but I do care if a candidate for office is "pulling a Mehlman."

California Supreme Court denies request to reinstate Proposition 8

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The California Supreme Court has denied a request by backers of Proposition 8 to reinstate the measure. California High Court Refuses to Revive Gay Marriage Ban:

Proposition 8 supporters filed a lawsuit July 12 asking the
state’s high court to order county clerks to enforce the gay-marriage ban, claiming the measure was still valid because a
U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month didn’t find it was
unconstitutional. They sought an immediate injunction
reinstating the law while the lawsuit proceeds.

* * *

The court denied the request for an injunction reinstating the law in a one-sentence filing that didn’t give a reason.