PVP Democrats Monthly Meeting

The PV Democrats will he holding out monthly meeting on August 19 in the Community Room at the Peninsula Center Library.  Please come early–we gather at 2 pm to socialize with like-minded democrats.  Also, remember that the new parking ramp is now open (between the library and the Promenade) and the upper level is intended for library parking and provides access without stairs.

Our August 19th meeting will examine the past year’s Supreme Court decisions. PV Dems member and newly elected Superior Court Judge Tom Long will step us through the 2018 Supreme Court Review video panel discussion of the decisions, and will provide insight as to how these rulings will affect us.

The Supreme Court Review is moderated by Rick Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor, UCI Law.  The panel and what they’ll be speaking about includes:

Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, Berkeley Law – overall opinion of this year’s decisions.

Hon. Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice, California Supreme Court – Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado 7-2 decision, the Court ruled on narrow grounds that a previous decision by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission did not employ religious neutrality, violating Masterpiece owner Jack Phillips’ rights to free exercise, and reversed the Commission’s decision. The Court did not rule on the broader intersection of antidiscrimination laws, free exercise of religion, and freedom of speech, due to the complications of the Commission’s lack of religious neutrality.

Erin E. Murphy, Partner,Kirkland & Ellis LLP – Gill v. Whitford 9-0 decision, SCOTUS vacated and 7-2 remanded a U.S. district court decision that had struck down a redistricting plan of the Wisconsin state legislature as an unconstitutional political, or partisan, gerrymander.

Alexandra Natapoff, Professor, UCI Law – Carpenter v. US 5-4 decision stating the government violates the Fourth Amendment by accessing historical records containing the physical locations of cellphones without a search warrant.

Nina Totenberg, NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent – Trump v. Hawaii (aka Muslim travel ban case) 5-4 decision – the court found that Trump’s travel restriction fell “squarely” within the president’s authority. The court rejected claims that the ban was motivated by religious hostility.

Leah Litman, Assistant Professor, UCI Law – (Kennedy’s legacy) Justices tempered their opinions in order to get Kennedy’s vote, although Kennedy said “I don’t swing; the cases do.”