Chesterfield kills controversial warrantless-search proposal
The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last night to kill a controversial proposal that would have enabled county inspectors to enter rental units without first obtaining a warrant.
Under the proposed ordinance, building owners in designated districts would have been required to allow inspections of the interior of their properties once notified by county officials. If they or their tenants refused, the owners could be punished with a fine of up to $2,500 for the first offense, with harsher punishments for continued violations. Read more
Criticism nixes juror-ID shield
A committee of the Virginia Supreme Court has withdrawn a controversial proposal to make jurors anonymous in all state court criminal trials. The committee’s apparent turnabout comes as a result of strong criticism from open government advocates, who argued that allowing the public to know jurors’ identities is an essential part of a fair and accountable judicial system.
The Virginia Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Rules of the Court first proposed making all juries anonymous earlier this year, but the measure soon drew fire from the ACLU of Virginia, the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, and the Virginia Press Association. Citing legal precedents, the ACLU promised to challenge the rule in court if it were adopted. Read more
ACLU launches education effort on college-student voting rights
With the voter registration deadline approaching, the American Civil Liberties Union has sent an electronic flyer to approximately 400 college campus organizations at 33 Virginia colleges, encouraging students to take advantage of a new State Board of Elections’ policy permitting them to register to vote in the jurisdiction where they attend college.
The flyer also lets students know that the ACLU is prepared to assist them if they encounter any difficulties in the registration process. Read more
State News
Friday, July 10
- Judge throws out suit against Roanoke TV protestor
Thursday, July 9
- ACLU fighting jail censorship of religious materials Read more
Kent Willis | Virginia Fusion Center’s assessment of terrorist threat begs for assessment of Fusion Center
Recently an alarming document titled 2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment appeared on the Internet. Produced by the Virginia Fusion Center, it is chocked full of assertions about terrorist activities in the state that will leave readers trembling with fear (if they believe it) or infuriated by governmental incompetence and prejudice (if they don’t believe it). Read more
In the News
- Local News: Waynesboro PD investigating cab burglary, posted Monday, 10:35 a.m.
- Economy: Gas prices stable, posted Monday, 10:15 a.m.
- State News: Blogger can complain about dirt pile on developer’s property, posted Monday, 10:10 a.m.
- Local News: VDOT road work schedule, posted Monday, 10:15 a.m. Read more
Kent Willis | Remembering Jack Kemp for another passion: Voter-restoration reform in Virginia
Posted by afp on May 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with aclu, american civil liberties union, jack kemp, kent willis, voting rights