Past Top Stories
A collection of all the lead stories and graphics once featured on the homepage, this section chronicles some of the major issues the Brennan Center has been involved in over the past year.
Sep. 30 – Out now, Voter Purges is one of the first systematic examinations of voter purging, a practice—often controversial—of removing voters from registration lists in order to update state registration roll. After a detailed study of the purge practices of twelve states, Voter Purges reveals that election officials across the country are routinely striking millions of voters from the rolls through a process that is shrouded in secrecy, prone to error, and vulnerable to manipulation. To read more, click here. CBS Evening news recently aired a report on Voter Purges—video clip found here, for the written article, click here.
Justice Benjamin of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia refused to recuse himself from the appeal of the $50 million jury verdict in Caperton v. Massey, even though the CEO of the lead defendant spent $3 million supporting his campaign for a seat on the court while preparing to appeal the verdict against his company. After winning election to the court, Justice Benjamin cast the deciding vote in the court's 3–2 decision overturning that verdict. With former Solicitor General Theodore Olson as counsel of record for the Petitioners, this case could soon be before the Supreme Court. In a recent editorial, the NY Times calls for Massey to be added to the Court's docket.
June 12 – In a huge blow to the Bush Administration, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo Bay detainees do have a right to habeas corpus and may challenge their detention in court. The Center's Jonathan Hafetz filed an amicus brief in the case Boumediene v. Bush. This opinion will bear heavily on the nation's detention policy in the post-Bush era. ¶In the related cases of Munaf and Omar, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of their right to habeas corpus but allowed their transfer to a foreign jurisdiction. ¶After studying both decisions, the Brennan Center released the following. Additional media reaction posted here.
June 6 – At Newsweek.com, Brennan Center Director Michael Waldman sets his sights on harnessing the recent surge in voter participation. Assuming the trend carries through to November, how can we make sure this moment of rare public engagement is not just an aberration? Use the energy to fix voting, for good. "Starting next year," he writes, "the country should move to a system of universal voter registration, in which every eligible citizen can vote." Universal voter registration is one of seven bold ideas to revitalize our democracy found in A Return to Common Sense out this month.
May 29 – Today, the Brennan Center filed a brief asking the District Court of Washington DC to uphold subpoenas issued by Congress against W.H. Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former Counsel Harriet Miers. Highlighting the importance of countering the latest subversion of our system of checks & balances, this brief brings together four diverse groups across the political spectrum. The House Judiciary Committee is investigating what role the White House had in firing U.S. Attorneys. Bolten and Miers have refused to testify or provide necessary documents because the President has claimed executive privilege. Failure to uphold the subpoenas could set a damaging precedent. Read entire press release here.
May 22 – The Senate Judiciary Committee held "Closing the Justice Gap: Providing Civil Legal Assistance to Low-Income Americans." At this hearing, Rebekah Diller, Deputy Director of the Brennan Center's Justice Program, delivered testimony defending meaningful access to the courts and urged congress to maintain a fully funded Legal Services Corporation. Her complete testimony may be downloaded here. The Brennan Center publication, "Access to to Justice: Opening the Courthouse Door," can be found here.
April 30 – After election debacles in 2000 and 2004, recent developments in the Sunshine State threaten to keep tens of thousands of eligible voters from getting to the polls in 2008—burdens on registrations drives, failure to protect voters from arbitrary purges, and efforts to make the voter ID requirement more onerous. As conditions mount against voters' ability to cast ballots, particularly in minority communities, some are asking if Florida will be this election's Florida.
April 28 – Ruling on Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Indiana's strict voter ID law by a 6–3 vote. Indiana's law, the most restrictive in the nation, could disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters. Despite the Court's approval, the negative impact of ID laws should still give other states pause before passing similar legislation. Read the Brennan Center's response here.
April 2 – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business lobby, recently helped kick Justice Louis Butler—Wisconsin's first and only black Supreme Court Justice—off the bench. The campaign against Justice Butler also included a despicable race-baiting advertisement that was roundly criticized by state and national groups. ¶ Moneyed groups spending millions, effectively buying seats on state judicial benches, is not just grist for John Grisham's latest bestseller, it's part of a national trend recently highlighted by a Brennan Center op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. A new Brennan Center report, Fair Courts: Setting Recusal Standards, seeks to protect due process in the courts. Click here to be directed to the Fair Courts initiative page.
March 11 – For almost five years, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-marri has been imprisoned without charge in virtual isolation at the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig in South Carolina. Tortured. Subjected to degrading treatment. Denied his basic rights and religion. In a case that may be destined for the Supreme Court, Jonathan Hafetz argues against the President's right to classify suspects as "enemy combatants," while challenging the conditions the government detains al-marri in. Click here for the latest on Al-Marri v. Pucciarelli.
February 1 – Executive Privilege. State Secrets. Extraordinary Rendition. Torture Memos. Presidential Signing Statements. America's system of checks and balances is eroding. Released today, "Twelve Steps to Restore Checks and Balances" proposes specific reforms designed to keep the nation secure and free, as the Constitution's Framers intended.
January 7 – CRAWFORD V. MARION COUNTY went before the Supreme Court on January 9th. Determining which Americans are able to exercise their right to vote and which ones are not, the Indiana voter ID case is the most important voting rights case since Bush v. Gore. Indiana's law is the most restrictive in America and will disenfranchise many eligible voters.