California Gov. Pete Wilson nominated Sacramento state appeals court judge Janice Rogers Brown last week to the California Supreme Court. If confirmed, Brown would join two other women on the bench and make California the fifth state with three women on its high court. Brown would also be the first black woman on the court. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, legal scholars say the stronger female presence could bring "subtle but far-reaching changes" to a traditionally male-dominated court. The Chronicle article quoted several women lawyers and judges commenting that women's presence in the judicial system leads to greater sensitivity in cases involving rape, domestic violence, and abortion.
Media Resources: The San Francisco Chronicle - April 2, 1996
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
6/18/2013 Pakistani Women's University Bus, Hospital Bombed - A bus for a women's university in Pakistan and the hospital that treated victims from the blast were bombed on Saturday, killing 14 students and 24 others at the hospital.
The bus was transporting female students and teachers from Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, located in the southwestern part of Pakistan. . . .
6/18/2013 Taliban Attack In Afghan Capital As NATO Transfers Power - Yesterday, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) transferred responsibility for the country's security forces to the Afghan government after a bomb blast targeting a political official left three civilians dead in Kabul. . . .
