DOJ funds state court safety survey in wake of killings News
DOJ funds state court safety survey in wake of killings

[JURIST] The US Justice Department announced Wednesday it will award $100,000 to the National Center for State Courts to review judicial safety and security. The review will evaluate security-conscious designs for new courthouses, staff training for security equipment, emergency preparedness and common standards for protecting judges and others. Court security came to the fore earlier this month after the shooting deaths of judges and relatives of judges in Atlanta [JURIST report] and Chicago [JURIST report] and a US Judicial Conference recommendation for greater "off-site" security measures [JURIST report]. Read the DOJ press release announcing the grant. AP has more. The National Center for State Courts elaborates their security proposals in a recent press release.

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.