Balloon Juice - Activist Judges! Archives

Even though constitutional challenges usually cost around a million bucks, the HCR challenge is going to be a bargain for everyone. Luckily for the twenty states involved, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum volunteered to do most of the work, and he got a sweetheart deal on outside counsel:

McCollum has assigned seven people within his office to handle the work, and hired the Washington, D.C., law firm Baker and Hostetler to represent the states. McCollum, who is running for governor in Florida, lobbied for the firm as recently as 2006.

Its lawyers, David Rivkin and Lee Casey, have lowered their hourly fee to keep costs under $50,000. Rivkin normally is paid $900 an hour, said Ryan Wiggins, a spokeswoman for McCollum.

It’s touching to see a politician and two lawyers set aside crass personal interest to defend the Constitution.

A Tale of SacrificePost + Comments (33)

But I think I do:

The Supreme Court struck down a federal law Tuesday aimed at banning videos that show graphic violence against animals, saying it violates the right to free speech.

The justices, voting 8-1, threw out the criminal conviction of Robert Stevens of Pittsville, Va., who was sentenced to three years in prison for videos he made about pit bull fights.

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But Roberts said the law could be read to allow the prosecution of the producers of films about hunting. And he scoffed at the administration’s assurances that it would only apply the law to depictions of extreme cruelty. “But the First Amendment protects against the government,” Roberts said. “We would not uphold an unconstitutional statute merely because the government promised to use it responsibly.”

Personally, I think people who abuse animals should be slowly beaten to death over a period of weeks with a sock filled with quarters, but I agree with Roberts.

I Hate to Agree With This RulingPost + Comments (101)

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

We still have time to mess this up!

Maybe you would prefer that we take Joelle’s side in ALL CAPS?

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Books are my comfort food!

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Fight them, without becoming them!

Republicans would impeach Biden if he bit into a whole Kit Kat rather than breaking the sections apart.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

People are weird.

In my day, never was longer.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

A Tale of Sacrifice

I Hate to Agree With This Ruling