Federal judge upholds stricter Colorado gun laws

DENVER -- A federal judge upheld gun laws on Thursday introduced by Colorado in the wake of deadly shooting rampages there and in Connecticut, dismissing a lawsuit brought by sheriffs, gun shops, outfitters and shooting ranges.

The two laws, passed in 2013 by Colorado's Democratic-controlled legislature with scant Republican support, banned ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds and required background checks for all private gun sales and transfers.

The bills were introduced in response to a shooting spree in 2012 that killed 12 people at a suburban Denver movie theater, and the slaying later that same year of 20 children and six adults at an elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

But they immediately met resistance from critics, including most of Colorado's elected sheriffs, who said they severely restricted citizens' constitutional right to own and bear arms.

Last year, voters recalled two key Democratic members of the legislature that approved the controversial measures.

After a two-week civil trial, US District Chief Judge Marcia Krieger ruled the lawsuit lacked standing and said no evidence had been produced that showed limiting magazines to 15 rounds seriously diminished the ability to defend oneself.

"Of the many law enforcement officials called to testify, none were able to identify a single instance in which they were involved where a single civilian fired more than 15 shots in self defense," she said in her ruling.

Responding to complaints about expanded background checks, she said there were more than 600 firearms dealers in the state which actively perform private checks, and that it takes an average of less than 15 minutes for a check to be run by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who signed the bills into law, was named as the defendant in the lawsuit.

Colorado has seen two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. In addition to the 2012 theater shooting, it was the site of a 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot dead a teacher and 12 other students before committing suicide.

But it is also a state where gun ownership is treasured.

Colorado's Attorney General John Suthers, a Republican, said his office never claimed the laws were "good, wise, or sound policy," but that it had fulfilled its responsibility to defend the constitutionality of the state law in question.

source: interaksyon.com

Asian-American leaders laud Obama nomination of Fil-Am as federal judge

A woman lawyer could become the first Filipino-American to serve as an Article III federal judge if her nomination by US President Barack Obama is approved by the US Senate.

Article III judges enjoy lifetime tenure.

The nomination of Lorna Schofield was immediately hailed by Asian-American community leaders.

“I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” President Obama said in nominating Schofield and three others. “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Court.”

“As a second-generation Filipino American, Ms. Schofield’s nomination and confirmation by the Senate would make her the first in the history of the United States to serve as a federal judge,” said National Federation of Filipino American Associations chairman Ed Navarra. “Given that Asian Americans are significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary, Ms. Schofield’s addition will greatly enhance the judiciary’s diversity.”

“We congratulate Lorna Schofield on her nomination to serve as a federal district court judge on the Southern District of New York,” said Nimesh M. Patel, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. “She is an exceptionally well-qualified nominee, and we thank both President Obama and Senator Schumer for putting her name forward to serve on such a distinguished court.”

“It is exciting to finally see a Filipina American have the opportunity to serve as a federal judge,” said KAYA: Filipino-Americans for Progress co-chairman Jason T. Lagria. “Growing up, there were not many Filipino lawyers I could look to as role models, and I hope her nomination inspires members of our community to follow in her footsteps.”

Schofield is a second-generation Filipino-American, the only child of a post-World War II Filipina immigrant who raised her after her father left them when she was just three years old.

She received a full tuition scholarship to attend Indiana University and earned her law degree from the New York University Law School in 1981.

In 2008, she was named one of the nation’s 50 most influential minority lawyers by the National Law Journal.

She served as Assistant United States Attorney in the criminal division of the Southern District of New York for four years where her significant cases involved prosecuting domestic terrorism, arms smuggling, and tax fraud.

Schofield was the first Asian American Pacific Islander to chair the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association’s largest section, which has over 60,000 members, and has also served as a member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

source: interaksyon.com