Criminalizing

Homeless Woman vs. Grants Pass: Supreme Court to Decide Landmark Case on Criminalizing Survival

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Portland, Oregon – Ed Johnson, a prominent lawyer and tour guide at the U.S. Supreme Court in the late 1980s, is set to return to the iconic building on April 22. However, this time he won’t be giving tours. Johnson, the director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center, will be involved in arguing “Grants Pass v. Johnson,” a significant case that could shape how cities address the issue of homelessness. In this case, Johnson will be representing Gloria Johnson, a homeless woman who alleges that the Grants Pass police attempted to force her out … Read more

New York State Considers Scrapping Century-Old Law Criminalizing Adultery

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New York, USA – A century-old law criminalizing adultery may soon be repealed in the state of New York. Introduced in 1907 to deter divorces, the law has seldom been enforced, with only about a dozen people charged since 1972 and five resulting in convictions. New York assemblyman Charles Lavine has sponsored a bill to repeal the law, describing it as nonsensical and outdated. Supporters argue that it is time to move away from viewing intimate relationships between consenting adults as immoral. The bill has already passed the state assembly and is expected to be … Read more

Massachusetts Senators Take Stand for Equality, Voting to Strike Down Outdated Laws Criminalizing Love and Sexuality

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Boston, Massachusetts – The Massachusetts state senate has made a significant step towards modernizing its legal system by passing a bill aimed at striking down outdated laws from its statute books. Although the US Supreme Court ruled anti-sodomy laws as unconstitutional in 2003 and Massachusetts has recognized same-sex marriage since 2004, certain sections of state law still contain discriminatory restrictions on consensual sexual interactions among adults, according to state lawmakers. These archaic laws not only criminalize sodomy and “unnatural acts,” but also include penalties for using religious terms such as the “Holy Name of God” … Read more