Supreme Court hears argument in disabled inmate suit News
Supreme Court hears argument in disabled inmate suit

[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website; JURIST news archive] on Wednesday heard arguments in US v. Georgia and Goodman v. Georgia [Duke Law case backgrounder; merit briefs], a consolidated case in which it will decide whether states can be sued by disabled inmates under the Americans with Disabilities Act [text; DOJ website] for failing to accomodate them. In the case, the Court heard the appeal of Tony Goodman, a disabled Georgia inmate who charged the state with leaving him for 23 hours a day in a cell so narrow that he could not turn his wheelchair around. In May 2004 the Court ruled 5-4 in Tennessee v. Lane [PDF text; JURIST report], that states could be sued for failing to provide disabled persons access to courts, with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor [Oyez profile] casting the deciding vote. If O'Connor is replaced prior to a decision in this case, the Court could face the issue again next year if it splits on the present issue. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.