Bush urges vote on Alito confirmation in warning to Democrats News
Bush urges vote on Alito confirmation in warning to Democrats

[JURIST] In his weekly radio address [text] Saturday President Bush urged the US Senate to vote on his nomination of Judge Samuel Alito [official profile; JURIST news archive] to the US Supreme Court, insisting that senators had a "constitutional responsibility" to do so and implicitly warning against any Democratic Party filibuster. Democratic Massachusetts Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy have planned a last-ditch effort to talk out the nomination [JURIST report], a strategy that can only be defeated if 60 Senators vote against it. Eight Democrats have said they will vote in favor of Alito, virtually assuring Alito’s confirmation [JURIST report] in the Republican-controlled upper chamber on the basis of a up-or-down majority vote. Bloomberg News has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

US Supreme Court ruled Indians not US citizens

On November 3, 1884, the US Supreme Court ruled in Elk v. Wilkins that John Elk, an American Indian who had tried to vote in a federal election in Omaha, Nebraska, was not a US citizen entitled to the protection of the 14th and 15th Amendments of the US Constitution. Native Americans became eligible for citizenship in 1887 under the Dawes Act, but only in 1924, under the Indian Citizenship Act, were all Native Americans born in the US made citizens.

Last public execution at Tyburn Gallows in London

On November 3, 1783, the last public execution took place at Tyburn Gallows in London, when John Austin was hanged for highway robbery. From the hanging of William Fitz Osburn in 1196 until Austin's execution, Tyburn served as London's primary location for public executions.

Learn more about the trial of John Austin.