Judical Conference urges more security protections for judges News
Judical Conference urges more security protections for judges

[JURIST] In a letter released Wednesday, the Judicial Conference of the United States formally requested congressional and presidential assistance in providing additional security measures. As a result of violence toward federal judges and their families in recent months and the emotional Terri Schiavo case [JURIST news archive] which bred threats against members of the bench, the letter [PDF] stated that many federal judges are feeling particularly vulnerable. The letter requested funding for in-home security systems and additional US Marshals, who provide courtroom security and protection services for federal judges. AP has more. JURIST's Paper Chase has previous reports on the February murder of a federal judge's family and the March courtroom shootings in Atlanta; earlier Wednesday, a white supremacist was sentenced to 40 years [JURIST report] for soliciting the killing of the same federal judge whose family were the victims of the February murder.

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.