Mayor Bloomberg's response to groups upset they've been forced to stop holding religious services out of schools? Deal with it. After being backed up by federal courts, New York finally kicked religious groups out on Sunday and Mayor Bloomberg was not apologetic about it. But unlike when he was talking about pedophiles in schools, Bloomberg seems on the right side of this argument. more ›

A group organizing a nationwide protest to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has been prohibited from demonstrating outside the Federal Courthouse on Pearl Street tomorrow. The group, Move to Amend, is now suing the federal agency in charge of issuing the permit and demanding an injunction that would allow an estimated 200 protesters to peaceably assemble. And what reason were they given for the permit denial (below)? An official with the Government Services Administration explained it was because of "a morning citizenship swearing in, and a 4:00 p.m. installment of a federal judge." Yeah, can't they pick a day to protest when no one's around to witness it—especially not impressionable new Americans? more ›

A 64-year-old Bulgarian immigrant and Hoboken, NJ resident is fighting the local bureaucracy over what he calls an "unconstitutional and irrelevant ticket" for disorderly conduct on a PATH train. And it stems from looking at a heavily tattooed woman. more ›

Proving that Mayor Bloomberg enjoys dancing on the razor's edge of public opinion, Hizzoner told reporters yesterday that he doesn't believe the Occupy Wall Street tents set up in Zuccotti Park are considered protected speech. "I'm 100 percent in favor of protecting—1,000 percent in favor—of giving people rights to say things, but also we have to protect those who don't want to say anything," Bloomberg said. more ›

A federal judge blocked a recently passed law that requires "crisis pregnancy centers" to disclose whether they offer abortions and whether there's licensed medical care. Judge William Pauley called the law "unconstitutionally vague," noting, "This court presumes a threat of irreparable harm to plaintiffs’ first amendment rights." more ›

A federal judge in Virginia has found that part of President Obama's health care reform is unconstitutional. CNN reports, "U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson struck down the 'individual mandate' requiring most Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014, "An individual's personal decision to purchase -- or decline purchase -- (of) health insurance from a private provider is beyond the historical reach [of the Constitution]. No specifically constitutional authority exists to mandate the purchase of health insurance." (link to ruling)The Justice Department is expected to appeal the ruling. more ›

In the year, ahem, 1984, law enforcement agencies were given a so-called "public safety exception" to the Miranda rights law, enabling them to interrogate suspects without reading them their rights if they believe a threat is imminent; i.e. the "ticking time bomb" scenario. In the wake the high-profile arrests of the failed Times Square car bomber and the failed Christmas bomber—who were both read their rights after some interrogation—Attorney General Eric Holder is asking Congress for even more flexibility when interrogating terrorist suspects. On ABC's "This Week," Holder said: more ›

There is a predictably partisan "debate" raging over the arrest of the American citizen who reportedly "made statements implicating himself" in the attempted Times Square car bombing. Because investigators read suspect Faisal Shahzad his rights (eventually), Republicans like John McCain and Joe Lieberman have jumped at the opportunity to paint the Obama administration as terrorist-huggers. On the other hand, Democrats like Rep. Adam Smith say you don't need to toss out Constitutional protections to pursue terrorists. Then there's Glenn Beck, who has just shocked the world by saying something rational: more ›

Demonstrators are suing the city after the NYPD rejected their application to protest charter schools and school closings directly in front of Mayor Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse. The plaintiffs claim the NYPD "unconstitutionally and without any legal basis" denied their application to march single file on both sides of 79th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenue on Jan. 21. "Our voices haven't been heard, so we thought that the best way for the mayor to hear us would be for us to take our voices to his block," said protester Julie Cavanagh. more ›

According to some annoying clause in the Constitution, Hillary Clinton (pictured) cannot be secretary of state because she was a member of the Senate during a time when the salary for secretary of state was increased. It's called the "Emoluments Clause," and previous administrations, starting with Nixon, have gotten around it by simply passing a bill reducing the salary to its previous level. Senate Democrats are working on that, but according to the Times, it's unclear whether they can pass it during a lame-duck session next week. Judicial Watch insists Obama should drop Clinton like a bag of dirt and "select someone who is eligible for the position." But let's face it, one pesky Constitutional clause has about as much of a shot at surviving the Clintons as David Gest had in court against Liza Minelli. Thank you! more ›

The Supreme Court ruled that Washington D.C.'s ban on handgun ownership is unconstitutional; per the Times; the five of the court's nine justices found "the Constitution protects an individual’s right to have a gun, not just the right of the states to maintain militias." more ›