The American Bar Association will announce Friday that it is launching a drive to reform death penalty representation in states across America that authorize the punishment:

The American Bar Association is launching a nationwide campaign to reform defense systems in states that employ the death penalty.

"Time and time again we learn of cases where, due to inadequacies in defense, people are wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death," ABA President Dennis Archer said in a statement Thursday. "This is unacceptable in our society, and the American Bar Association aims to do something about it."

Archer planned to make his official announcement Friday at the Hofstra University School of Law, which will be holding a daylong conference on capital defense issues.

Bad news for Walmart. A federal raid of 61 of its stores resulted in the arrest of 250 undocumented workers who worked at the stores--mostly on cleaning crews.

The arrested workers were employed by contractors (or subcontractors, the article seems to use the terms interchangeably) who supplied cleaning crews to Walmart. They were not direct employees of Walmart.

Authorities said Wal-Mart and its executives, and not the cleaning subcontractors, are the focus of the latest probe. "They are looking to see if Wal-Mart was involved -- did they have knowledge of the contractors' practices and turn a blind eye to it?" said a law enforcement official who asked not to be identified. "How far up does it go?"

If they are not going after the subcontractors, does that mean the feds gave them immunity in exchange for incriminating testimony and evidence against WalMart? Is this just another case of purchased testimony? If so, we say take it with a grain of salt.

Meanwhile, the undocumented workers, who occupy the lowest rung on this totem pole, are facing deportation proceedings.

Bad news for Walmart. A federal raid of 61 of its stores resulted in the arrest of 250 undocumented workers who worked at the stores--mostly on cleaning crews.

The arrested workers were employed by contractors (or subcontractors, the article seems to use the terms interchangeably) who supplied cleaning crews to Walmart. They were not direct employees of Walmart.

Authorities said Wal-Mart and its executives, and not the cleaning subcontractors, are the focus of the latest probe. "They are looking to see if Wal-Mart was involved -- did they have knowledge of the contractors' practices and turn a blind eye to it?" said a law enforcement official who asked not to be identified. "How far up does it go?"

If they are not going after the subcontractors, does that mean the feds gave them immunity in exchange for incriminating testimony and evidence against WalMart? Is this just another case of purchased testimony? If so, we say take it with a grain of salt.

Meanwhile, the undocumented workers, who occupy the lowest rung on this totem pole, are facing deportation proceedings.

Nation columnist and MSNBC Altercation blogger Eric Alterman gets a new writing gig: As a newly appointed fellow of the new liberal think tank Center for American Progress, he launches a new media column called Think Again. The debut column is here.

Congrats, Eric.

Nation columnist and MSNBC Altercation blogger Eric Alterman gets a new writing gig: As a newly appointed fellow of the new liberal think tank Center for American Progress, he launches a new media column called Think Again. The debut column is here.

Congrats, Eric.

The FBI has conducted over 3 dozen interviews of White House officials and officials at other agencies in connection with its investigation into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Among those interviewed: Karl Rove and Scott McClellan.

The Defense and State Departments and CIA are part of the probe.

The focus, however, remains on the White House, two law enforcement officials said on condition of anonymity. While the initial, informal interviews have yielded no major breaks, the FBI is satisfied that the dozen agents assigned to the probe are making progress and have not encountered any stalling tactics, the officials said today. So far, no grand jury subpoenas have been issued, they said.

The prosecution in the Kobe Bryant case has filed a motion accusing the defense of leaking details of the semen found on the accuser's underwear that did not match Kobe Bryant. The origninal news article publishing the details is here.

The source of the information, a retired Colorado Judge, has stated that the reporter mis-stated his comments and that he (the Judge) has not spoken with defense attorney Hal Haddon in ten years. The prosecution alleges the Judge is lying, but does not set forth facts to support the allegation--other than that the reporter says he got the quote right. Also, there is no time frame for the alleged statement from Haddon to Retired Judge Jones. What basis does the prosecution have for alleging the comment, if made, was made after the July 24 Order limiting extra-judicial comments? And what evidence does it have that if the statement was made by a member of the defense team or someone associated with it, that the statement was not made in confidence rather than intended for dissemination?

In other Kobe news, now that the Kobe Bryant case has been transferred from county court to district court, a new judge will be taking over. There are 22 districts in Colorado. Each district is made up of one or more counties. In districts with multiple counties, the counties are within close geographic proximity to each other. The Fifth judicial district includes Eagle, Clear Creek, Lake and Summit Counties. Each district has a chief judge. In the 5th District, the chief Judge is Terry Ruckriegle of Summit County (Breckenridge and Georgeown).

In the ordinary case, a district court judge from Eagle would preside over Kobe Bryant's trial. That would be Judge Richard Hart or Thomas Moorhead.

It was announced today that Fifth District chief Judge Terry Ruckriegle will preside over the Kobe trial. The Eagle county district court judges are being bypassed.

Does Ruckriegle intend to grant a change of venue to Breckenridge? In a locally high profile murder trial last year, Ruckriegle moved the trial from Breckenridge to Eagle and presided over the trial there.

The prosecution in the Kobe Bryant case has filed a motion accusing the defense of leaking details of the semen found on the accuser's underwear that did not match Kobe Bryant. The origninal news article publishing the details is here.

The source of the information, a retired Colorado Judge, has stated that the reporter mis-stated his comments and that he (the Judge) has not spoken with defense attorney Hal Haddon in ten years. The prosecution alleges the Judge is lying, but does not set forth facts to support the allegation--other than that the reporter says he got the quote right. Also, there is no time frame for the alleged statement from Haddon to Retired Judge Jones. What basis does the prosecution have for alleging the comment, if made, was made after the July 24 Order limiting extra-judicial comments? And what evidence does it have that if the statement was made by a member of the defense team or someone associated with it, that the statement was not made in confidence rather than intended for dissemination?

In other Kobe news, now that the Kobe Bryant case has been transferred from county court to district court, a new judge will be taking over. There are 22 districts in Colorado. Each district is made up of one or more counties. In districts with multiple counties, the counties are within close geographic proximity to each other. The Fifth judicial district includes Eagle, Clear Creek, Lake and Summit Counties. Each district has a chief judge. In the 5th District, the chief Judge is Terry Ruckriegle of Summit County (Breckenridge and Georgeown).

In the ordinary case, a district court judge from Eagle would preside over Kobe Bryant's trial. That would be Judge Richard Hart or Thomas Moorhead.

It was announced today that Fifth District chief Judge Terry Ruckriegle will preside over the Kobe trial. The Eagle county district court judges are being bypassed.

Does Ruckriegle intend to grant a change of venue to Breckenridge? In a locally high profile murder trial last year, Ruckriegle moved the trial from Breckenridge to Eagle and presided over the trial there.

We're on the road today. Here's an open thread. Please, be nice. Ok, how about civil?

We're on the road today. Here's an open thread. Please, be nice. Ok, how about civil?

Amnesty International reports that there are 4,500 children in jail in Pakistan--most of whom have committed no crimes.

The charges are contained in a report called "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners," the BBC reported Thursday. The report claims children are sometimes jailed for years because their impoverished parents cannot pay their bail. When the children's cases finally come to court, the conviction rate can be as low as 15 percent, the report charged.

Other sickening details: There are 350 children on death row in Punjab and children are often housed with adult prisoners--which is illegal under Pakistani law.

Amnesty's press release is here. The report, "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners" is available here.

Article 40, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, provides:

"State parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society."

Amnesty International reports that there are 4,500 children in jail in Pakistan--most of whom have committed no crimes.

The charges are contained in a report called "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners," the BBC reported Thursday. The report claims children are sometimes jailed for years because their impoverished parents cannot pay their bail. When the children's cases finally come to court, the conviction rate can be as low as 15 percent, the report charged.

Other sickening details: There are 350 children on death row in Punjab and children are often housed with adult prisoners--which is illegal under Pakistani law.

Amnesty's press release is here. The report, "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners" is available here.

Article 40, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, provides:

"State parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society."