An Equal Justice Initiative analysis shows how the 50^th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Gideon decision demonstrates ongoing problems in indigent defense.  Only 24 states have public defender systems and too often are hampered by inadequate funding and “crippling caseloads” for public defenders.  Just last year, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Maples v Alabama, criticized Alabama’s failure to provide legal assistance to death row inmates, as too many must rely upon volunteers or no defense at all during the post-conviction process. 

The 50th Anniversary of the Letter from Birmingham Jail

By Alex Mikulich, Ph.D.

In an extraordinary, perhaps definitive occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail on April 15, 2013, ordained leaders of Evangelical, Pentecostal, Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions signed a new response to that classic Letter.

The Alliance for Responsible Lending in Alabama (ARLA), a large coalition advocating fair lending policies, gathered on February 28 at the state house in Montgomery to urge legislators to cap payday loans at 36% and to curtail automobile title lending.
 

 Update on Alabama’s Harsh Immigration Enforcement Laws

By Susan Weishar, Ph.D.

On December 19, 2011, Alabama religious leaders called upon Governor Bentley to lead the repeal of Alabama’s 2011 anti-immigrant law. “We pray that you will show great political courage and leadership and support the repeal of this unfortunate piece of legislation that has brought such heartache to our State.” The letter was signed by Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Bishop Robert J. Baker of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, Bishop Henry N. Parsley, Jr., of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Bishop William H.

By Edward B. Arroyo, S.J. and Sue Weishar, Ph.D.

By Sue Weishar, Ph.D.

In the July JustSouth E-news we reported on Alabama’s new harsh anti-immigrant law, HB 56, and the Church’s response to that law. Today we provide an update on HB 56.

The negative reaction of church leaders in Alabama to the state’s new anti-immigrant law—worse than Arizona!—is discussed in the New York Times (here) and the National Catholic Reporter (here).