New Immigration Bill In AZ
Headline Legal News
AP is reporting that Arizona has inched closer to making all illegal immigrants in the state criminals.
The Arizona Senate voted 16-11 early today to expand its trespassing laws, making the presence of illegal immigrants a crime. The House must approve the bill and Gov. Jan Brewer must sign it before it would become law.
If passed, Arizona would be the first with such a law.
Supporters say this would provide law enforcement with another layer to combat illegal immigrants who slip past federal agents.
Opponents, on the other hand, believe this could lead to racial profiling and discrimination.
Related listings
-
John Hinckley Gets More Freedom
Headline Legal News 06/17/2009The man who tried to kill President Ronald Reagan is now allowed to visit his mother more, to get a driver's license and spend more time away from the mental hospital where he lives, a federal judge ruled. John Hinckley shot President Reagan and woun...
-
Conrad Black Asks for Release from Prison
Headline Legal News 05/29/2009Former media executive Conrad Black is seeking his release from prison, at least until the Supreme Court decides whether to uphold his fraud conviction. Black has served nearly 15 months of a 6 1/2-year prison term following his conviction in July 20...
-
Judge Sonia Sotomayor Accepts Nomination to Supreme Court
Headline Legal News 05/26/2009President Obama on Tuesday nominated federal appellate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sotomayor "is an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice," Obama said at a White House announcement.She "has worked at almost ever...
Texas Adopts Statewide Texting-While-Driving Ban
Effective September 1, 2017, Texas will become the 47th state to pass a statewide ban on texting while driving. Governor Abbott’s signing of House Bill 62 is an effort to unify Texas under a uniform ban and remedy the “patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.”
The bill specifically prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending an electronic message on a device unless the vehicle is stopped. That includes texting and emailing. It does not, however, prohibit dialing a number to call someone, talking on the phone using a hands-free device, or using the phone’s GPS system.
Violations would be punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $99, to be set by each municipality. Although penalties could rise to as much as $200 for repeat offenders.
Studies have found that a driver’s reaction time is half as much when a driver is distracted by sending or reading a text message. According to state officials, in 2015 more than 105,000 traffic accidents in Texas involved distracted driving, leading to at least 476 fatalities.