U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Whether Second Amendment of U.S. Constitution Applies to the States

The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted certiorari in the case of McDonald v. Chicago and will decide whether the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution applies to the States. Last year, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court struck down a District of Columbia firearm restriction. The Heller Court held for the first time that the Second Amendment is an individual right unconnected with service in a militia. While the Court held that the Second Amendment applies to the federal government, it left open the question as to whether it applies to the States. You can read the NY Times article on the McDonald case here.

UPDATE: Investigation Continues in Boat Crash Case That Injured Congressman Rehberg

Law enforcement has issued a subpoena for the medical records of the operator of the boat, state Sen. Greg Barkus, that crashed and injured Congressman Rehberg and company in late August. Read the Missoulian article here.

UPDATE: Montana's News Station has a page that is updated periodically with news on this case. Rehberg's back to work, prosecutor alleges that Barkus was drinking on the night in question, and law enforcement is awaiting the results of Barkus' blood alcohol concentration from the Montana crime lab. You can find the page here.

YouTube of Attorney's Oral Argument in Aid-in-Dying Case

Here is a link to plaintiff/respondent's oral argument before the Montana Supreme Court in the aid-in-dying case previously discussed on this blog.

Bozeman Police Officer Resigns Following Facebook Controversy

Officer Cody Anderson has resigned from the Bozeman Police Department as a result of controversial statements he allegedly made on his Facebook page. Read the Bozeman Daily Chronicle's story here.

Justice Stevens Retiring?

New speculation emerges that U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens may be retiring. Typically, a Supreme Court Justice hires at least four law clerks. Justice Stevens has only hired one. Read the NY Times Article here.

Montana Supreme Court to Rule on Aid-In-Dying / Treatment to End Life Case

An article appearing yesterday in the NY Times does a decent job of summarizing the controversy and significance of the pending Montana Supreme Court case regarding aid-in-dying / treatment to end life. Interested groups have filed no less than 20 amicus curiae briefs on both sides of the issue. The article discusses Montana's unique constitution and the heightened individual privacy and dignity protections that Montanan's enjoy.

UPDATE: Oral arguments were held in this case yesterday. Read the Billings Gazette article here.

Utah Gets Tough With Texting Drivers

Check out this NY Times article regarding Utah's laws regarding texting and driving. The article cites studies that show that talking on a cellphone is as risky as driving with a .08 BAC and texting is at least twice as dangerous.