Yesterday, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Democratic members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a forum on the impact of the government shutdown and sequestration on the provision of justice in the United States. Participants in the forum were: James R. Silkenat, president of the American Bar Association; the Honorable W. Royal Furgeson, Jr., a retired federal district judg... Read more »
Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement concerning the shutdown of the federal government, including the federal Judiciary: “Following the election of the Republican majority to Congress in 2010, we have careened from one manufactured fiscal crisis to another. At midnight last night, House Republicans forc... Read more »
Today, all of the Democratic members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) calling for hearings on gun violence. A copy of this letter is attached and the body of the message can be found below: --- September 20, 2013 Chairman Bob Goodlatte House Judiciary Committee 2138 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Goodlatte: Afte... Read more »
(DETROIT) – This Saturday, September 7th, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) will be holding a forum to discuss legal and other implications of Detroit’s bankruptcy filing. The forum will be held at the Fellowship Chapel in Detroit at 3 pm, and will be moderated by acclaimed scholar and commentator Professor Michael Eric Dyson. Participants in the forum will include key public officials, lega... Read more »
Fifty years ago in 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King inspired a nation by declaring a vision of an America where all men were created equal and entitled to the promises of the Constitution. Yesterday, thousands gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington that marked the turning of the tide in the civil rights movement. Following the events, C... Read more »
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit challenging the strict voter identification law implemented by the state of Texas in the wake of suspension of the Section 5 preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act. In its complaint, DOJ alleges that the voter ID provision was adopted with discriminatory purpose, and will have the result, of denying or abridging the right to vote... Read more »
Today, further details about the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance program were made public in press accounts. Specifically, it was reported that internal NSA’s reports show that the agency repeatedly ran afoul of privacy rules. Following these public revelations, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y... Read more »
(DETROIT) – Today, a federal judge ruled in the case of Floyd v. City of New York that the city’s “stop and frisk” policy is unconstitutional. After this ruling, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement: “Today’s federal court decision striking down New York’s stop-and-frisk policy is a victory for individual liberty and equal justice under the law. “The Court found t... Read more »
Today, Attorney General Eric Holder delivered an important speech at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting in San Francisco. He spoke about the issue of overcrowding in federal prisons and the policies that have led to this problem. He said that, “too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long and for no good law enforcement reason.” He also stated that, “widespread incarcerati... Read more »
