Gavel Drop: More Pushback Against Criminalizing the Poor
In both Virginia and Missouri, efforts are underway to end practices of jailing people over outstanding court fees.
Welcome to Gavel Drop, our roundup of legal news, headlines, and head-shaking moments in the courts.
At Slate, Dahlia Lithwick reports on a new federal class action suit targeting a Virginia scheme that, advocates claim, bilks the poor by suspending the driver’s license of those unable to pay certain court fees.
Jennings, Missouri, has agreed to pay almost $5 million to nearly 2,000 people who were put in jail because they couldn’t afford to pay the court fines and fees that they owed.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments in a Republican challenge to restoring the voting rights of formerly incarcerated people. At issue is whether the Virginia Constitution allows the governor to restore those voting rights en masse or on a case-by-case basis.
Congratulations to the Washington Supreme Court for appointing its first woman clerk. Ever. In the history of the court. Slow clap for y’all.
The American Prospect interviewed NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Ilyse Hogue on what pro-choice advocates see as the coming fights over abortion rights and access post-Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
Nina Martin has a great read on four of the ways research has changed the abortion debate.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) has agreed not to enforce a state campaign finance law, which conservative groups like Right to Life say violates the First Amendment by requiring nonprofits to report supporters’ private information.
Rewire alum Aimee Arrambide has co-authored an op-ed with Gloria Totten about Texas’ new frontier in harassing women: requiring fetal remains to be cremated or buried.
Amanda Marcotte writes about the Center for Medical Progress’ smear campaign against Planned Parenthood and how it succeeded only in embarrassing conservatives.
Check out the National Abortion Federation’s timeline of the Center for Medical Progress attacks against abortion providers.
Even the generally conservative Wall Street Journal thinks the Republican refusal to hold hearings and a vote on Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court is terrible for democracy.