DC sniper’s lawyers argue against death sentence in Virginia high court News
DC sniper’s lawyers argue against death sentence in Virginia high court

[JURIST] Lawyers for convicted DC sniper John Allen Muhammad have told the Virginia Supreme Court that Muhammad cannot be sentenced to death because he did not pull the trigger in the 2002 killings. As reported on JURIST's Paper Chase, Muhammad received the death penalty after being convicted of two counts of capital murder. In arguments before the state high court, defense lawyer Peter Greenspun argued that the Virginia law allows the death penalty only for triggerman in cases like Muhammad's. Prosecutors have said that Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo formed a sniper team and are equally culpable. The Virginia Supreme Court has briefs filed in the appeal. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.