newsweek:

Artists invited the inmates at Illinois’s Tamms supermax prison to request one image of anything in the world, real or imagined—and then they photographed it. Like this photograph of a prisoner’s aunt’s house. 

milwaukeestat:

A shameful first place for Wisconsin. More fine reporting from Urban Milwaukee’s Bruce Murphy:

No state comes close to Wisconsin in imprisoning black males. The study found that 12.8 percent, or 1 in 8 of African American working age men, were incarcerated. That rate is 32 percent higher than the second worst state, Oklahoma, and nearly double the national average of 6.7 percent (or 1 in 15).

No system worth preserving should have to fear that, if an accused is permitted to consult with a lawyer, he will become aware of, and exercise, these rights. If the exercise of constitutional rights will thwart the effectiveness of a system of law enforcement, then there is something very wrong with that system.

Dangerous and unconstitutional legislative restrictions, unceasing harassment, threats of violence and fearful doctors having to hide their identities for self-protection: this is what it means to be on the front line of trying to deliver legal and necessary reproductive health care to women in Wichita and other parts of the country where zealous right-wing politicians and activists on the political fringe currently hold sway.

A woman living here has registered to vote, thereby assuming responsibility of citizenship.

Election day, Wisconsin!  Head to the polls by 8:00 tonight!  And remember, you can register to vote right at your polling place.  

Please consider voting Ed Fallone for Supreme Court Justice and Tony Evers for State Superintendent. 

Find your polling place here.

(via questionall)

For more information, check out some of Mother Jones’ coverage of this issue.

motherjones:

Here’s the full audio of today’s DOMA oral arguments at the Supreme Court. Stay tuned for analysis from our own Adam Serwer.

There are two kinds of marriage: full marriage, and the skim-milk marriage.

Roggensack declined to recuse in a case where one party was represented by Donald Schott, an attorney who had represented her in a 2008 proceeding before the Government Accountability Board. She has also refused to disclose whether she received Schott’s services for free or at a reduced rate. And when lawyers for the losing side filed a motion saying Roggensack should have recused herself, she actually participated in a decision ruling that she didn’t need to recuse.

Her behavior received national attention. “Roggensack’s participation in judging her own conduct showed astounding disregard for legal ethics and every litigant’s right to impartial justice,” The New York Times declared.

Please consider voting Ed Fallone for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice on April 2nd.  And remember, you can already vote early at your Municipal Clerk’s office.

Fallone for Justice.

April 2nd.  Mark your calendars and make a plan to vote!

[L]awyers in criminal courts are necessities, not luxuries. The right of one charged with crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.

If you’re caught with an ounce of cocaine, the chances are good you’re gonna go to jail. If it happens repeatedly, you may go to jail for the rest of your life, but evidently if you launder nearly a billion dollars for drug cartels and violate our international sanctions, your company pays a fine and you go home and sleep in your bed at night.

(via diegueno)

In case you missed it: The Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act this week and Justice Scalia referred to the act as a “racial entitlement.” 

This is not someone who should have a badge.