July 14, 2017
POUR VOUS, GRANDMÈRE ET GRANDPÈRE
|Late yesterday, Hawaii federal judge DERRICK K. WATSON declared that grandparents and other extended relatives are exempt from PRESIDENT TRUMP’Stravel ban. Once again, the judge stopped the administration from implementing the controversial EO the way the White House wants it. Watson wrote that it’s “common sense” that grandparents are “the epitome of close family.” This judgement follows the State Department’s decision to exempt close family members from the ban, a category which it identified as including spouses, parents, parents-in-law, children, sons-and-daughters-in-law, fiancés and siblings of hose already in the United States. That list did not include grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins, brothers- or sisters-in-law. Judge Watson’s decision essentially says that these designations contradict the Supreme Court’s order.
GO HAWAII GO
|In The Washington Post, Ilya Somin agrees with JUDGE WATSON’S verdict and says, “Overall, this decision is a clear victory for Hawaii on the major disputed issues.” He continues, “The Trump administration may appeal it to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. But I would be surprised if the appellate court ruled much differently than Judge Watson did.”
DID YOU THINK THIS WOULD BE EASY?
|“PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S effort to reshape influential U.S. courts by stocking them with conservative judges faces at least one significant impediment: some of the courts best placed to thwart his agenda have liberal majorities that are likely to stay in place in the short-term.” That’s Lawrence Hurley with Reuters explaining that it ain’t so easy for the president to make a considerable, conservative dent on the federal judiciary. Why? Because PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA was able to make enough appointments to leave a very strong liberal foothold on the courts.
CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE LIVING'S EASY
|ON THE ROAD
|On September 11, JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG is scheduled to appear at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre as a part of a Roosevelt University program focusing on themes of law, social justice and the American Dream.