Justice

December 18, 2006 - The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals -- regarded as the most conservative in the country -- may be the first legal arena to be affected by the winds of political change.

November 29, 2006 - Speaking of the problems plaguing New Orleans' justice system since Katrina, today's Times-Picayune has a story about a man who came to help rebuild the city -- and ended up spendin

November 17, 2006 - Here at Facing South, we were as surprised as all of you to read about the revival of Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), who was driven from Republican leadership in 2003 after waxing nostalgic for the days of the Old Confederacy. By a vote of 25 to 24, Lott will become whip for the now-minority GOP.

November 8, 2006 - Amendments to ban gay marriage have easily passed in the three Southern states where they were on the ballot: South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The margins are most lopsided in SC and TN, a bit tighter in VA. Key question is how the presence of anti-gay marriage amendment is impacting VA Senate race.

November 6, 2006 - With midterm elections taking place tomorrow, civil rights groups nationwide are gearing up for protect-the-vote initiatives to ensure fairness at the polls, and many of the efforts are focused on Southern states.

October 26, 2006 - According to this AP report, white homeowners whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Katrina were three times more likely to seek help resolving disputes with insurance companies:

October 18, 2006 - If ever criminal defendants need quality representation, it's when their life is on the line. But at least 37 people currently on North Carolina's death row -- and at least 16 people executed by the state since 1977 -- did not have lawyers at trial who would meet today's minimum standards of qualification for capital defense attorneys.