Monday round-up

Justice Scalia made headlines with his comments last week at the Federalist Society’s annual dinner.  In an interview with Jan Crawford of CBS News, the Justice admitted that, if offered the opportunity, he would have considered becoming Chief Justice after the death of the late Chief Justice Rehnquist in 2005.  Justice Scalia explained, however, that he “wouldn’t have liked [the position],” because of the pressure he would have felt to build consensus on the Court.  The Justice also discussed his attendance (or lack thereof) at the State of the Union Address, which he described as a “juvenile spectacle.”  The Associated Press, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Blog of Legal Times, and Crime and Consequences Blog have coverage and commentary.

On Friday, the Senate approved a bill – crafted in response to the Court’s decision last Term in United States v. Stevens – that criminalizes the sale or distribution of so-called “crush” videos. JURIST reports that the “the revised legislation more narrowly defines what constitutes a crush video, excluding videos depicting ‘customary and normal veterinary or agricultural husbandry practices,’ as well as videos of hunting, fishing or trapping.” The Associated Press (via the Washington Post), the Blog of Legal Times and the First Amendment Law Prof Blog also provide coverage.  At PrawfsBlawg, Howard Wasserman expresses doubt that the statute will pass constitutional muster, but in a second post he offers a reluctant defense of the revised statute.

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Posted in: Round-up

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