Justice/Civil Liberties

Two men indicted for their role in exploiting undocumented workers during a 2010 oil spill cleanup have pleaded guilty to multiple immigration crimes. An investigation by The American Independent’s former sister site Michigan Messenger uncovered the exploitation of undocumented workers – mostly from Central America – during the cleanup following a July oil spill in Marshall, Michigan.

The Colorado State Department of Corrections has been ordered to reveal details about how it carries out executions. This follows a state-wide conversation begun by Governor John Hickenlooper regarding the necessity and efficacy of state-sponsored lethal sentences.

A bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would require the Department of Defense to conduct an internal review of policies and prosecutions related to military members living with HIV. The amendment would be the first time Congress has voted on HIV-criminalization matters since the passage of the 1990 Ryan White CARE Act, which required states to certify they had a process to prosecute deliberate transmission of HIV.

States began adopting laws criminalizing certain conduct of people living with HIV back in the late 1980s. Now, more than 30 states carry HIV-specific criminal statutes, laws that were passed in response to fear harvested in the early years of the epidemic.

A Maryland lawmaker and a handful of local advocates have started the course to repeal the state’s HIV-specific criminal law. Efforts to repeal HIV criminalization laws are under way in several states, including as Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington.

The federal Justice Department is investigating Denver – which touts itself as “one of America’s most accessible cities” — for failing to provide sign-language interpreters for deaf prisoners.

PACHA is also requesting that state and federal authorities review the cases of persons convicted under such laws and overturn convictions if deemed appropriate. The group is calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to “issue a clear statement addressing the growing evidence that HIV criminalization and punishments are counterproductive and undermine current HIV testing and prevention priorities.”

With a bill to repeal the death penalty likely to be introduced in the 2013 Colorado Legislature, there are bound to be philosophical arguments about the merits of capital punishment. One thing that seems beyond debate, though, is that ending the death penalty could save Colorado taxpayers a lot of money.

A member of the first federal commission to look at the HIV epidemic says it is “probably past time” for states to revisit their HIV-specific criminal laws.

Virginia’s health commissioner resigned Thursday, citing recent legal interpretations regarding abortion clinic regulations that she said prevented her from doing her job.
Karen Remley, who was appointed health commissioner by Gov. Tim Kaine in 2008, oversaw the state Board of Health while it considered strict new regulations for Virginia’s abortion provide...