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A6   U.S. NEWS
               Thursday 21 February 2019

            ‘Excessive fines’ ban applies to states, Supreme Court says




            By MARK SHERMAN                                                                                                     go  directly  to  the  agency
            Associated Press                                                                                                    that  took  it,  the  law  firm
            WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyson                                                                                             said in written arguments in
            Timbs  admitted  he’d  sold                                                                                         support of Timbs.
            drugs,  and  he  accepted                                                                                           The Indiana man had been
            his  sentence  without  a                                                                                           on  hand  when  arguments
            fight. What he wouldn’t qui-                                                                                        in  the  case  were  heard
            etly accept was the police                                                                                          before the justices last No-
            seizing  and  keeping  the                                                                                          vember.
            $40,000  Land  Rover  he’d                                                                                          He  said  back  then  that
            had  when  arrested.  On                                                                                            his  view  of  the  case  had
            Wednesday,  the  Supreme                                                                                            changed over time.
            Court sided with him unani-                                                                                         “At first it was about getting
            mously in ruling the Consti-                                                                                        my  truck  back  because  I
            tution’s  ban  on  excessive                                                                                        was mad, and I wanted my
            fines  applies  to  the  states                                                                                     stuff back. Now it’s a lot dif-
            as well as the federal gov-                                                                                         ferent,” he said. “I was curi-
            ernment.                                                                                                            ous to see how often they
            The  decision,  in  an  opin-                                                                                       did this to people. They do
            ion  written  by  Justice  Ruth                                                                                     it  a  lot  around  here,  and
            Bader Ginsburg, could help                                                                                          apparently  it’s  done  all
            efforts to rein in police sei-                                                                                      over the country.”
            zures of property from crimi-                                                                                       As  it  did  in  earlier  cases
            nal suspects.                Visitors wait to enter the Supreme Court as a winter snow storm hits the nation’s capital making   applying  parts  of  the  Bill
            Reading a summary of her     roads perilous and closing most Federal offices and all major public school districts, on Capitol Hill   of  Rights  to  the  states,  the
            opinion  in  the  courtroom,   in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019.                                             court  based  its  decision
            Ginsburg  noted  that  gov-                                                                        Associated Press  on  the  part  of  the  14th
            ernments employ fines “out  of  house  arrest  but  faced  $10,000.  But  Indiana’s  top  firm Institute for Justice.  Amendment  that  says  “no
            of  accord  with  the  penal  no  prison  time.  His  biggest  court said  the  justices  had  “The  decision  is  an  impor-  state shall deprive any per-
            goals  of  retribution  and  loss was the Land Rover he  never ruled that the Eighth  tant  first  step  for  curtailing  son  of  life,  liberty  or  prop-
            deterrence” because fines  had  bought  with  some  of  Amendment’s  ban  on  ex-      the  potential  for  abuse  erty without due process of
            are  a  source  of  revenue.  the  life  insurance  money  cessive fines — like much of  that  we  see  in  civil  forfei-  law.”  That  same  provision,
            The    85-year-old   justice  he received after his father  the rest of the Bill of Rights  ture nationwide,” said Sam  the  due  process  clause,
            missed  arguments  in  other  died.  Timbs  still  has  to  win  — applies to states as well  Gedge,  a  lawyer  with  the  also was used in cases that
            cases  last  month  following  one  more  round  in  court  as the federal government.  Institute for Justice.      established   a   woman’s
            lung  cancer  surgery,  but  before  he  gets  his  vehicle  The  case  drew  interest  Law  enforcement  authori-  right  to  an  abortion  and
            she returned to the bench  back, but that seems to be  from  both  liberal  groups  ties  have  dramatically  in-   knocked  down  state  laws
            on Tuesday.                  a formality.                 concerned  about  police  creased  their  use  of  civil  against   interracial   mar-
            Timbs,  of  Marion,  Indiana,  A  judge  in  Indiana  had  abuses  and  conservative  forfeiture  in  recent  de-   riage and gay sex.
            was  charged  in  2013  with  ruled  that  taking  the  car  organizations  opposed  to  cades.  When  police  seize  The  14th  Amendment  was
            selling  $400  worth  of  hero-  was disproportionate to the  excessive regulation. Timbs  the property of people ac-  passed  after  the  Civil  War
            in.  He  pleaded  guilty  and  severity of the crime, which  was represented by the lib-  cused  of  crimes,  the  pro-  to ensure the rights of newly
            was  sentenced  to  a  year  carries  a  maximum  fine  of  ertarian public interest law  ceeds  from  the  sale  often  freed slaves.q

            Mormon church won’t oppose gay conversion therapy ban



            By LINDSAY WHITEHURST                                                                  sion  therapy  and  has  de-  2016,  the  faith  declared
             Associated Press                                                                      nounced the practice,” he  that  same-sex  attraction  is
            SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The                                                              said.                        not a sin, a shift that came
            Mormon     church    won’t                                                             Moreover,  most  members  eight  years  after  a  back-
            stand in the way of a pro-                                                             of the Utah Legislature are  lash over the church’s role
            posal  to  ban  gay  conver-                                                           members  of  the  church,  helping lead the 2008 fight
            sion therapy for minors in its                                                         and  its  positions  can  hold  for California’s Proposition 8
            home base of Utah, leaders                                                             outsized sway.               ban on gay marriage.
            said Wednesday, a position                                                             Supporters  of  the  pro-    The legislation set to be for-
            that  advocates  heralded                                                              posal  have  worked  with  mally unveiled on Thursday
            as  a  milestone  in  the  con-                                                        the  church  to  address  will  help  bolster  the  men-
            servative state.                                                                       concerns  about  religious  tal  health  of  LGBT  young
            The    announcement       is                                                           freedom  and  make  sure  people  amid  an  alarming
            key  in  part  because  LGBT                                                           that counseling in line with  spike  in  youth  suicides  in
            members  have  historically                                                            church  teachings  on  mar-  the state, Republican spon-
            reported that church lead-                                                             riage  and  sexuality  won’t  sor Rep. Craig Hall said in a
            ers  encouraged  them  to                                                              come under the proposed  statement.
            attend  therapy  aimed  at                                                             ban,  said  Marty  Stephens,  The  American  Psychologi-
            changing  their  sexual  ori-                                                          a lobbyist for the church.   cal  Association  opposes
            entation, said Troy Williams                                                           The faith opposes same-sex  therapy seeking to change
            with  the  group  Equality   In this Sept. 11, 2014, file photo, the angel Moroni statue sits atop   marriage and sexual intima-  sexual  orientation,  and  it
            Utah.                        the Salt Lake Temple, at Temple Square, in Salt Lake City.  cy, but it has taken a more  has been banned in fifteen
            “We  are  grateful  that  The                                         Associated Press  welcoming stance to LGBT  states  and  the  District  of
            Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  recog-  nizes  the  harms  of  conver-  people  in  recent  years.  In  Columbia. q
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