SCOTUS

Some self-defense for medical providers after high court turns down handgun case

Posted on February 22nd, 2012 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , .

Two men wearing clown masks and wielding handguns burst into the Creme de Canna medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Cruz Feb. 2, forcing employees to turn over the contents of the safe before fleeing. The hit mirrors one on Dec. 15, when two men wearing carnival masks held up the city's Herbal Cruz dispensary. (San Jose Mercury News, Feb. 2) The heists come amid growing concerns about gunplay in the West Coast cannabis industry, exacerbated by the frequent refusal of local authorities to issue concealed handgun permits to medical marijuana users. Such policies by mostly rural counties on the West Coast and elsewhere were dealt a blow by the US Supreme Court's recent refusal to hear an appeal of a lower court decision upholding the rights of permit-holders who use cannabis legally under state law.

Crack cocaine sentencing reform takes effect

Posted on November 2nd, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

cocaineThis week, more than 12,000 people—85% of them Black—now serving time for crack cocaine offenses will have their sentences reviewed by a federal judge under terms of the Fair Sentencing Act, passed in August of last year. The reform bill reduced the 100-to-1 disparity between minimum sentences for crack and powder cocaine to 18-to-1. On Nov. 1, those already serving time became eligible for a hearing to consider reducing their sentences under the new changes.

High court upholds order to reduce California prison population

Posted on May 24th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , .

CaliforniaThe US Supreme Court ruled on May 23 to uphold an order requiring California to release up to 46,000 prisoners to remedy overcrowding in the state's prisons. The ruling in Brown v. Plata calls on California to reduce its prison population from more than 200% of design capacity to 137.5% of capacity within two years. The 5-4 decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy finds that the extreme overcrowding of the California prison system is causing inmates to receive inadequate medical care in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Supreme Court deals blow to Miranda rights

Posted on June 2nd, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , .

policeIn a 5-4 decision in the Michigan murder case Berghuis v. Thompkins, the Supreme Court's conservative majority further eroded Miranda rights for criminal suspects June 1.

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