Elisabeth Semel Believes Capital Punishment Is a Human Rights Issue

The Forum at Grace Cathedral, Nov. 2, 2008, Hosted by Alan Jones
http://www.gracecathedral.org/mp3/forum/for_20081102.mp3

“There are any numbers of treaties which most nations have entered into—and the United States has entered into a number of them—treaties that have the goal of reducing racism, treaties that have the goal of upholding the dignity of human life, treaties that prohibit excessive punishment. And each of those treaties has led the majority of countries in the world to come to the conclusion, also over the course of time, that capital punishment … is not tolerable.”

David Kirp Explains Why Schools Are Powerful Symbols in Political Campaigns

The New York Times, Nov. 2, 2008 by Jesse McKinley
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/weekinreview/02mckinley.html?_r=1&sq=Berkeley&st=cse&scp=6&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

“Schools are still there as part of the story because whatever their politics, families are conservative when it comes to their kids,” said David L. Kirp, a professor of law and public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. “No family regards their kids as a social experiment.”

Aaron Edlin Studies Statistical Impact of One Vote

Associated Press, Nov. 2, 2008 by Seth Borenstein
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iA4MRezQq9V8k54OBj1Pym6P2fkwD94729BO0

“If you’re in New Mexico, you have a better chance of having your vote matter than winning the New York Lottery,” said study co-author Aaron Edlin, a professor of economics and law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Christopher Edley Warns Polling Places Under-Equipped in Poor Neighborhoods

The Record, Nov. 2, 2008 by Chris Edley
http://www.northjersey.com/opinion/moreviews/33709679.html

“Voting is a fundamental right, but as I saw on the Carter-Ford commission and again as a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, Election Day resource disparities have enormously different racial and class impacts that are based on the dynamics of power and poverty.”

Jesse Choper Suggests Prop 8 Won’t Nullify Same-Sex Marriages

San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 1, 2008 by Bob Egelko
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/31/MNOU13P1GT.DTL&tsp=1

UC Berkeley law Professor Jesse Choper said the court might well conclude that retroactively nullifying a marriage would violate a couple’s right to due process of law or violate the constitutional ban on interference with contracts.

Charles Weisselberg Clarifies State and Federal Definitions of ‘Conviction’

KTUU-TV, Oct. 31, 2008 by Jason Lamb and Rebecca Palsha
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9276292

A professor of Law at Berkeley Law School, Charles Weisselberg said the term “conviction” can be used in two different contexts. “We’ll often hear the word conviction when the jury returns a verdict of guilty,” said Weisselberg. “That’s the most common and well-understood use of the word. But in federal court, a conviction isn’t made final in the trial court until the person has been sentenced.”

Christopher Edley Warns Long Poll Lines May Disenfranchise Voters

NPR, Tell Me More, Oct. 31, 2008 with Host Michel Martin
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96373763

“People died, people bled to get voting rights. And to have this election, the quality of this election, the enthusiasm that so many voters feel about this election, imperiled because of maladministration would be deeply tragic, especially when it’s easy to fix.”

Jesse Fried Opposes Ban on Corporate Bonuses for Rank and File

ABC World News, Oct. 30, 2008 by David Muir
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=6150746

“These investment bankers would just leave the company,” said Jesse Fried, author of Pay Without Performance. “They’d go work at a hedge fund or one of the banks that’s not getting an infusion of money from the U.S. government.”

Joan Hollinger Says Prop 8 Will Not Apply Retroactively to Same-Sex Marriages

Los Angeles Times, Oct. 30, 2008 by Maura Dolan and Jessica Garrison
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-marriagelaw30-2008oct30,0,3560871.story

“I would think both under federal and state constitutional principles you can’t have a retroactive application that would result in a removal of what had been recognized and protected as a fundamental right,” said Joan Hollinger.

Jason Schultz Supports Ruling to Limit Patent Types

cnet news, Oct. 30, 2008 by Erica Ogg
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10079859-38.html

“We’ve seen a rise in the number of lawsuits against tech companies in the IT area specifically. Many are very questionable patents, and the patent office is overwhelmed,” said Jason Schultz…. “It will reduce the number of patent applications which are filed in the IT space—especially by these questionable entities or companies trying to patent trivial things.”