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North Carolina federal judge finds felony disenfranchisement law is unconstitutional

JURIST

A federal judge in North Carolina found on Tuesday that the state’s 147-year-old voting law is unconstitutional. US District Judge Loretta Biggs found that a state law, which prevents convicted felons from casting a vote, violates the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.

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Pennsylvania Supreme Court to decide constitutionality of mandatory life imprisonment for felony murder

JURIST

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear an appeal from Derek Lee, a man convicted of second-degree murder who is challenging the state’s law requiring mandatory life prison sentences for those found guilty of the offense who did not intend to kill.

Felony 231
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Advocacy groups file lawsuit to block Alabama law criminalizing absentee voting assistance

JURIST

SB 1, signed into law last month, criminalizes requests or collections of absentee ballots for someone other than close relatives. The Bill specifically targets Alabamians who pay for assistance in the absentee ballot process, which could result in a felony punishable by up to 20 years.

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Texas Officially Makes Performing Abortion a Felony

The Crime Report

Texas’ trigger law has officially gone into effect, making performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to life in prison and a civil penalty of not less than $100,000, plus attorney fees, with only narrow exceptions to save the life of a pregnant patient, reports the Texas Tribune.

Felony 98
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Los Angeles district attorney charges city councilmember with embezzlement and perjury

JURIST

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gasc ón announced formal charges against Los Angeles Councilmember Curren Price Jr. According to the felony criminal complaint , the state charges Price with two counts of conflict of interest. on Tuesday. The case is in the Superior Court for the State of California for the County of Los Angeles.

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California bill would exclude juvenile crimes from Three Strikes law

JURIST

California Assembly Member Miguel Santiago and the Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc ó n unveiled Assembly Bill 1127 on Friday, which would exclude juvenile crimes from applying under the California Three Strikes law once the person reaches adulthood. If it counts as a third strike, a life sentence may be given.

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Washington State Faces Defense Attorney Shortages

The Crime Report

Franklin County in Washington state is facing a lawyer shortage as newly booked inmates are not being assigned defense attorneys for the last two months, Cameron Probert reports for Tri-City Herald. Judges also have the power to assign private law firm attorneys, with the counties having to foot the bill.