Lawful Assembly

Today we talk about the Supreme Court case in Idaho and the Ten Commandments in classrooms in Louisiana.

Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking, The Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate,(Vintage Books, 2013), 218-219.

Michael L. Radelet, Hugo A. Bedau, Constance Putnam, In Spite of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases, (Boston, Northeastern University Press, 1992).

Glenn L. Pierce and Michael L. Radelet, "Death Sentencing in East Baton Rouge Parish, 1990-2008," LOUISIANA LAW REVIEW, 71:647-73

Drew Hawkins and Maya Miller, "Book bans are on the rise in the Gulf South. Here's what's being challenged in Louisiana," October 6, 2023.

Death Penalty Information Center:

"Innocence Database (Louisiana)"

"Louisiana Death Penalty Staggeringly Error-Prone, Racially Biased"

"Facts About the Death Penalty"

We recorded on Juneteenth so we talk about the history briefly. We also discuss the recent supreme court rulings.

"The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth:" https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth

Biden Executive Orders:

Links: White House Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-keep-families-together/

Opinion | Is the Supreme Court Running Out the Clock on Trump's Immunity Case? - The New York Times

Supreme Court Maintains Broad Access to Abortion Pill Mifepristone - The New York Times

Supreme Court Ruling on Bump Stocks Could Open Door to More Lethal Weapons - The New York Times

Supreme Court Rejects Trump-Era Ban on Gun Bump Stocks - The New York Times

For more information on how the free black Chicagoans and the abolitionists assembled to inspire the Chicago City Council to oppose the Fugitive Slave Act, see "A Clear View from the Prairie: Harold Washington and the People of Illinois Respond to Federal Encroachment of Human Rights," 29 S. Ill. L. J. 285 (Fall, 2004/Winter, 2005), https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2997657

We talk about the Appeal To Heaven flag on Justice Alito's vacation home and the new executive order on immigration.

Craig's op-ed in the ACCU Update (Summer 2012), "The Messenger Matters" can be found at:

https://works.bepress.com/craig_mousin/36/

Dina Nayeri's quote can be found in The Ungrateful Refugee, What Immigrants Never Tell You, (NY: Catapult, 2019), p. 262.

NIJC National Policy Director Heidi Altman's quote is in Michael Shear's "To Restrict Migrants, Biden Leans on Trump's Favorite Immigration Law,' June 4, 2024, The New York Times. It can be found at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/us/politics/biden-migrants-trump.html?searchResultPosition=4

Today we talk about the election Interference / hush money case and the 34 felony counts against a former president.

Here are the articles referenced:

Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case - The New York Times

May 31, 2024 - by Heather Cox Richardson

This obscure N.Y. election law is at the heart of Trump's hush money trial

Posts misrepresent New York judge's instructions to jury in Trump hush money trial | AP News

We urge you to comment on the proposed rule that would permit the federal government to make decisions about potential bars to asylum eligibility in the credible fear interview during the initial meetings with an asylum seeker. You can comment regardless of your background or experience. Even if you have not worked with asylum-seekers, your background, your family history, or your faith or personal convictions may provide evidence of why this proposed rule should be rescinded.

This link will permit you to follow the template to comment. Personalize it and send it in before June 12. We have also provided some additional resources that you can cite to make your comment unique to your argument. You may also cite our earlier podcast with its arguments as part of your argument.

The template from the Immigrant Justice campaign can be found at: https://immigrationjustice.quorum.us/campaign/asylum-bars/

The proposed federal rule can be found at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/13/2024-10390/application-of-certain-mandatory-bars-in-fear-screenings

The National Immigrant Justice Center's statement on the proposed rule:

https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/nijc-denounces-new-biden-rule-adding-restrictions-already-compromised-asylum-system

HIAS opposes new policies that restrict asylum:

https://hias.org/statements/hias-opposes-new-policies-restrict-asylum/

Lawful Assembly podcast opposing the proposed federal rule:

https://www.lawfulpod.com/restrictions-to-an-already-compromised-asylum-system/

We cover multiple stories this week here are the articles:

Samuel Alito's snide denial of his Jan. 6 flag is just as ugly as flying it in the first place

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin Calls On Samuel Alito To Recuse From Jan. 6 Cases

Key Senate Democrat doesn't plan to probe Justice Alito over upside-down flag

Louisiana becomes 1st state to require the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms

As conservatives put religion in schools, Satanists want in, too

Trump trial judge scolds attorney Robert Costello: From the transcript - The Washington Post

Today we talk about the protests on college campuses and Craig tells a story similar to today, when he protested the Vietnam War.

Articles used:

Report on some of the agreements negotiated on college campuses in Spring 2024. Report on all universities destroyed in Gaza during this war. MLK, Jr. "Beyond Vietnam" speech. NPR story on Dr. Orest Ranum's files burned Orangeburg Massacre Kent State Deaths Since the recording of this podcast on civil disobedience, we have learned that the Prisoners of Conscience that have served time for crossing the line at the then Ft. Banning, Georgia was under-reported in this episode. The SOAW website states that, "Since the beginning of the movement, 300 people have collectively served over 100 years in federal prisons and county jails, with another 50 people serving probation and house-arrest sentences." https://soaw.org/soa-watch-then-and-now

This week we talk about a proposed rule from the Biden Administration that may change asylum proceedures and allow adjudicators to turn away people without proper research on their background.

Read the proposed rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/13/2024-10390/application-of-certain-mandatory-bars-in-fear-screenings Read the NIJC's breakdown: https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/nijc-denounces-new-biden-rule-adding-restrictions-already-compromised-asylum-system

Contact your Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Contact your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Craig's paper he mentions: Health Inequity and Tent Court Injustice Next week we should have a call to action with templates for you to help submit your comment. Watch this space!

We contiune to listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf

https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf

https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/23-939%20Brief.pdf

There is a mistake in this podcast. Cecil mentions Article 3 of the consistution. It is actually article 2.

We listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf

https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf

Photo by: Michael Vadon

Here is Craig's opening paragraph framework:

Although this unscripted podcast began as a discussion of difficult conversations, it soon veered into how to engage in conversations about racism and war. We soon realized that the tools needed to engage fully may differ when conversations occur with friends, within a family, a community, a library board, a university, or a national dialogue. We acknowledge that the tragedy of slavery in this nation and the ongoing debates on how to resolve the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow have caused substantial harm to individuals and communities. We offer this podcast as an initial effort to broaden the conversation. One podcast's ideas for one type of dialogue, however, can never address all issues. We will offer subsequent podcasts to seek multiple opinions and ideas of how to seek the common good and a more perfect union.

Resources for Ongoing Dialogue: Rhonda MaGee, The Inner Work of Racial Justice, Healing Ourselves and Transforming our Communities Through Mindfulness, (Tarcherperigree, N.Y., 2019), 29. She writes, "This is a moment of racial discomfort. Such moments are common in a world shaped by racism. I deserve kindness in the moment. And I offer kindness to others impacted by this movement as well."

Andrea Medea, Conflict Unraveled, Fixing Problems at Work and in Families, (Pivot Point Press, Chicago, Il, 2004), (citing Rev. Bevel at p.64).

Kerry Patterson et. al., Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes are High, Second Edition, (McGraw-Hill, 2002), (shared pool at p. 22).

Agents of Change: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3325282/ We mistakenly identified one of the universities in the podcast. Agents of Change tracks the responses from San Francisco State and Cornell University.

"Stumbling Upon a Signed Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo:" http://alleghenyarchivesmedia.com/blog/2019/1/3/stumbling-upon-a-signed-pulitzer-prize-photo

Roger Fischer et al., Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (3rd Edition) (Penguin Publishing Group, 2011).

Douglas Stone et. al., Difficult Conversations, How to Discuss What Matters Most, (Penguin Books, N.Y., 2000)