What We’re Reading: a daily round-up of quick hits, clips, and opinion pieces touching on key issues of democracy, justice, liberty and national security.
New York state courts are now experiencing the $170 million cut from their budget, which has already caused shorter hours of operation for many courts, and layoffs of 1,151 employees. Is access to justice being shortchanged?
After a two year debate over a Muslim congregation, the City Council of Lilburn, GA approves the construction of a mosque by a 3–1 vote.
Reader’s Digest outlines how Americans have changed since 9/11, from how Americans accept “personal impositions to prevent terrorism” to the number of Americans who volunteer.
“The 12-member supercommittee needs to find its $1.5 trillion in spending cuts from somewhere — and that means treading on the jurisdiction of some very powerful committee leaders who may not be happy to have ceded a significant amount of authority on perhaps the biggest spending cut bill in American history,” reports Politico.
A former criminal justice consultant provides his view on alternative methods of incarceration, which could lead to less overcrowded jails, cost savings, and overall improvement to the justice system.
The Senate Judiciary Committee selects four judicial nominees, but leaves the remaining nominees in the dark before the August recess.