Author Archives: Marty Ryan

Oral Arguments: Please Pardon the Pun

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Marty Ryan

In an unusual move, the Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., told the Supreme Court that he was not going to argue the case for the federal government because he believes the Third Circuit got it wrong. Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Justice, Issues | Tagged Donald B. Verrilli, Federal Tort Claims Act, Jr., Kim Millbrook, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, United States Supreme Court, USP-Lewisburg | 1 Comment

The Right to a Free Public Education in Iowa & Alabama

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Marty Ryan

Quite some time ago, when I was employed by the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, I noticed that the Iowa Constitution did not provide a right to a free public education to the children of Iowa. I decided to conduct some … Continue reading →

Posted in Issues, Youth | Tagged Alabama Constitution, Amendment 4, education, Iowa Constitution, Mary Neuhauser, Mike Gronstal, Plyler v. Doe, Senate Joint Resolution 2003, Tom Vilsack | 1 Comment

Invasion of the Judicial and Legislative Branches

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Marty Ryan

On Monday, July 16, Governor Terry Branstad issued a commutation to 38 of Iowa’s lifers. That group of lifers consists of those felons who are serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed as … Continue reading →