2008-05-29

commotiocordis: (Seven/B'Elanna)
2008-05-29 12:09 am
Entry tags:

(no subject)

I just realized that I started writing Cuddy/Jessica Devlin (from Shark) fic at some point. I wonder where that went? Was thinking about it because evidently in my websurfing-while-listening-to-the-showage, I missed Hudson Leick in one of the episodes (2.13--Bar Fight). Which I want to now go and rewatch, but evidently CBS only keeps the last episode or two up on their watch online thing and I don't care enough to (re?)download it for the little part she must have (if it was bigger, methinks I would have noticed). So I started thinking about how I'm going to miss that show (because I am--came for Jeri Ryan, stayed for James Woods; I totally loved the whole show), and wondering if there was any fic for it (though there's not really anybody to pair up, unfortunately--it didn't run long enough to get any of that really going save some established stuff between one of the mini!lawyers and their detective helper and the loverly wittytastic banter between Jessica and Stark), and then went "Wait. I've got fic for it!" Except not, as I only ever got a titchy bit of something done, and I'm pretty sure it had to do with/was inspired by a particular episode, and figuring out which episode that was to rewatch it and hopefully pick up on my train of thought is going to be difficult. Still, hurrah for remembering things.
commotiocordis: Green on black, an animated depiction of a normal heart rhythm on an ECG monitor. (Default)
2008-05-29 03:00 am
Entry tags:

(no subject)

From an AP news article: New York to recognize out-of-state gay marriage

State agencies, including those governing insurance and health care, must immediately change policies and regulations to make sure "spouse," "husband" and "wife" are clearly understood to include gay couples, according to a memo sent earlier this month from the governor's counsel.

Sounds good. Prolly "Partner A" and "Partner B" like in MA and like CA is talking about doing (last I heard). Some new printer fees, but as long as they remember to recycle the old ones and not just trash them, we're cool.

The memo [State agencies, including those governing insurance and health care, must immediately change policies and regulations to make sure "spouse," "husband" and "wife" are clearly understood to include gay couples]states that failure to include gay marriages in the dispensing of state services such as health care benefits could violate state human rights law.

YES.

The appellate judges determined that there is no legal impediment in New York to the recognition of a same-sex marriage.

Umm, duh.

The state Legislature "may decide to prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriages solemnized abroad," the ruling said.

*keyboardmash*! Does nobody read the Constitution anymore? How are they interpreting the full faith and credit clause? More importantly, and on a broader/longer scale, why hasn't the Supreme Court stepped in and gone "Whoaguys, lookit here, the Constitution says you have to recognize legal proceedings from other states!" *shakes head* And you know it just goes back to what I was saying before: the liberal judges (meaning Stevens, Souter, Breyer, and Ginsberg) won't take on a gay marriage case because they're afraid they'll (I use 'they' loosely, as obviously they're not the ones arguing the case) lose and set civil rights back like nothing else. The conservative ones (meaning the other 5 8) won't take on a case because even though they know they could probably win, they don't want the challenge of having to come up with a way to write an opinion that says "Yeah, we know the Constitution says we can't do this. But, erm, gays are icky."

In practice, this movement as a whole is a win. In underlying legal message, this is a FAILFAILFAIL that they're acting like you have to change policy to do something that constitutionally they're already supposed to be doing.

Sigh. *hands out copies of the Constitution*

Edit: *is reading Constitution law stuff* Isn't it funny how when you enjoin something, it becomes an injunction? Ahh, English.
commotiocordis: Green on black, an animated depiction of a normal heart rhythm on an ECG monitor. (Criminal Minds)
2008-05-29 02:02 pm
Entry tags:

(no subject)

It's so cool how lawyers can write up the same things to sway you in one direction or another.

I'm still reading ConLaw stuff, now on that child rape/capital punishment case that's before SCOTUS right now. Reading the petition for cert (the alleged rapist--Kennedy--'s side), I was totally sold that not only was the whole thing a total reversal of previous court decision in Coker v. Georgia and a bunch of others, the guy shouldn't be executed because a) he's borderline mentally retarded and b) looking at everything presented, there's not nearly enough evidence to even find him guilty of it in the first place--the girl only began to implicate the stepfather after her mother switched sides following having custody taken away for refusing to subscribe to prosecution's theory of the case (the stepfather being the rapist)!

Then I switched to the response to the petition and started reading the other side of the case, where they talk about what actually happened in the investigation more--something very much glossed over in the petition. And after reading that--mostly just from the footnote where they talked about how the girl had to get major surgery to stop the bleeding (though the timing doesn't seem to match up--the girl was still hemorrhaging when EMS arrived, but that was two hours after the guy called to get his carpet cleaned of bloodstains?) because the "perineal body was torn all the way from the posterior fourchette, where the vagina normally ends, to the anus. Additionally, a laceration to the left wall of L.H.’s vagina separated her cervix from the back of her vagina, causing her rectum to protrude into her vagina"--I was about ready to march down there and kill the guy myself. Or, you know, just inflict similar injury. I'm not so much a fan of the death penalty as I am forcible and anesthesia-less castration and penectomy with fingernail clippers for rapists.

Just makes you think. I was totally up in arms, this guy didn't do it and you can't execute him even if he did, until I flipped to the other side's brief.