NY court rules mayor must face trial for performing gay marriages News
NY court rules mayor must face trial for performing gay marriages

[JURIST] Mayor of New Paltz [official website] Jason West will face trial for attempting to marry same-sex couples last year, New York's highest court announced Friday. West faces 24 misdemeanor counts for violating the state's domestic relations law by marrying couples without licenses, making him subject to fines with a possibility of up to one year in jail. In a series of charges filed and dropped [JURIST report] against West over the past year for failing to uphold the law in New York, he has maintained that he is standing up for the constitutional rights of gay couples. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.