Tag Archives: justice

Without a single vote from any Republican, today the U.S. Senate narrowly approved the nomination of Alison Nathan to the federal bench. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly: Nathan, an out lesbian, will be the second out lesbian federal judge with lifetime tenure in the country, joining U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Batts on the bench of the Southern District …

Pastor Harris Himes (above, at the microphone), the most well-known anti-gay activist in Montana, has been charged with six felony counts of theft and fraud related to a business scheme he allegedly orchestrated with another pastor. Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman said Harris Himes turned himself in Wednesday morning after learning that there was a warrant for his arrest. District …

After enduring ugly anti-gay attacks from Christianists during her nomination hearing, open lesbian Barbara Lenk has won confirmation to the Massachusetts Supreme Court. The Governor’s Council confirmed Lenk on a 5-3 vote. She is Governor Deval Patrick’s fourth appointment to the seven-member SJC, which issued the landmark 2003 ruling that made Massachusetts the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. Lenk, …

NYFD ladder trucks arrived in Times Square around 12:30am to the wild cheers of the ever-growing crowds. I tried to get down there myself to witness some history, but at this writing there’s about 200 people frantically waving for cabs along my block on the Upper East Side. NOTE: The above photos have been retweeted so many thousands of times …

Openly gay Massachusetts Supreme Court nominee Barbara Lenk endured some Christianist assholery yesterday during her marathon seven hour confirmation hearing. Lenk is married to a woman and therefore placing her on the state’s highest court will turn children gay. Or something. During her confirmation hearing before the Governor’s Council, some critics testified that her marriage is part of a broader …

The neo-Nazi organizers of the violent anti-gay riot that broke out during last year’s Belgrade Pride have been sentenced to prison. Over 200 people were arrested during the melee. The Higher Court in Belgrade has sentenced far-right organization Obraz leader Mladen Obradović to two years for organizing riots during 2010 Pride Parade. His wife Jelena was sentenced to a year …

On Friday a West Virginia jury refused to convict a man for spitting tobacco juice on Westboro Baptist Church leader Shirley Phelps-Roper. Westboro was in West Virginia last year to “celebrate” the deaths of miners killed in a cave-in. An officer assigned to patrol the event witnessed Spade spitting and arrested him. The officer testified he saw Spade spit on …

Yesterday Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill abolishing the death penalty in his state and commuting the sentences of prisoners on death row. Today Amnesty International updated their above map, which is interactive on their site. Among the 35 states still making executions, Texas has almost five times more prisoners on death row than the number two state, Virginia.

“Just had an intense day at jury duty. During voir dire we were asked who would not be impartial. I raised my hand and said, ‘Since I can’t get married or adopt a child in the state of New York, I can’t possibly be an impartial judge of a citizen when I am considered a second class one in the …

Grammy winning reggae star Buju Banton, whose work has been called “murder music” for its calls for the executions of gay men, has been found guilty of three federal counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Via the Jamaican Observer: The artiste was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine, attempted possession …

Some hefty justice has been doled out to the murderer of transwoman Ashely Santiago, whose brutally stabbed body was found in her Puerto Rico home last April. Michael Lavers reports at Edge News: A Puerto Rican man who confessed to murdering a transgender woman in her Corozal home received a 111-year prison sentence on Monday, Feb. 7. Primera Hora reported …

Yesterday Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death in his home just weeks after his photo was emblazoned on the cover of a local newspaper with the accompanying headline “HANG THEM!” The newspaper articles and Kato’s murder came after months of international outrage over Uganda’s proposed and still-pending “kill gays” bill, legislation that orders the death penalty for …

Daniel Rodriguez, 22, was yesterday sentenced to twelve years in prison for the brutal October 2009 gay bashing of Queens resident Jack Price, who spent days in a medically-induced coma after suffering two collapsed lungs, multiple broken ribs, spleen and liver damage. Rodriguez and his accomplice Daniel Aleman, 27, were captured on security cameras as they beat and kicked Price …

Two men charged in the brutal October 2009 gay-bashing of Queens resident Jack Price have pleaded guilty to hate crimes. Price, 49, spent days in a medically-induced coma after the attack left him with collapsed lungs, multiple broken ribs, and liver and spleen damage. Daniel Rodriguez, 22, of 502 115th St. in College Point, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count …

Jeromie Cancel (above right) has been found guilty in the murder of Manhattan college student Kevin Pravia, who was strangled in his apartment by Cancel after the part allegedly met to conduct a drug deal in Union Square. The defense had implied “gay panic” as a reason for the murder. Duncan Osborne reports at Gay City News: The trial opened …