A horrifying look inside the New Orleans criminal justice system

The New Orleans criminal justice system wasn't in the best of shape before Katrina, and it hasn't recovered very well in the storm's aftermath. This look inside a broken system is shocking, and presents a warning to folks here in neighboring Mississippi who would continue to kick the can of public defense funding down the road. Thanks to Karen Houppert of The Nation for writing a great article on an important subject.

Just an idle observation on an unconstitutional constitutional provision

Hard to imagine this being challenged ever, since someone who did would be run out of the state on a rail.  But it plainly runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution:

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Article 14. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Current through 2011 

§ 265. Denial of Supreme Being disqualification to hold office 

No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state. 

Source:
1817 art VI § 6; 1832 art VII § 5; 1869 art XII § 3.

Goes to show that you never know what you'll find when you go thumbing through the 1890 Constitution.