Free Republic

Maryland's highest court is poised to hear arguments in a precedent-setting case involving two women who married in California but were denied a divorce in Maryland, which does not currently allow same-sex weddings. The Court of Appeals of Maryland in Annapolis was set to hear arguments Friday from lawyers for the lesbian couple who are seeking to end their marriage. A Maryland judge declined to grant their divorce in 2010, basing his decision on the conclusion that the women's marriage is not valid under Maryland law. But lawyers for the women disagree, saying the state should recognize gay marriages performed...

A Valley Hi resident apparently chased home invaders from his home Friday, exchanging gunfire with the would-be robbers, police reported. The man was with his girlfriend at home in the 4000 block of Deer Cross Way at about 6:50 p.m. when three suspects forced their way into the home. The men, described as two African Americans and a Hispanic, were wielding guns. They demanded money and jewelry, but the victim was able to retrieve a shotgun.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A gunman opened fire at a Christian university in California Monday, killing at least six people and wounding three more, authorities said. Police say they have a suspect in custody.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The police decision not to charge a man who fatally shot an unarmed teenager in Florida last month has sparked national outrage, including rallies in Oakland and Los Angeles on Monday. But a Sacramento law professor says the self-defense law isn’t any different than in California. George Zimmerman told police 17-year-old Tayvon Martin punched him and slammed his head on the ground, which prompted Zimmerman to shoot. Police cite Florida’s “stand your ground” law for their decision not to arrest Zimmerman. McGeorge law professor John Myers says the outrage against the law is misplaced. Myers read directly...

by John HillStand With ArizonaWe have become sadly accustomed to California - America's Sanctuary State - sinking lower and lower into utter lawlessness for the sake of naked racial politics. But whatever they do in Sacramento doesn't even come close to the utter madness that is Los Angeles - which makes the rest of the state look conservative by comparison. This week saw the Los Angeles Police Department announcing that it will soon start ignoring California state law, which requires police to impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers for 30 days - because it is "unfair" to illegal aliens!That's right....

t’s a centuries-old debate: Whether people should be able to own guns, what kind, how many, and under what circumstances. Gun shows are a part of that debate. A case being heard by the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was brought by a couple named Russell and Sallie Nordyke, who want to host guns shows in Alameda, Marin, and San Mateo counties. Currently, those counties ban gun shows. At issue is whether people have the right under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to sell guns whenever and wherever they want. The Nordykes claim that local governments don’t...

Before the end of this year, Russell and Sallie Nordyke will set up shop for at least five gun shows at the Santa Clara County fairgrounds, providing a gathering spot for thousands of gun enthusiasts to buy and sell rifles, pistols and other weapons. For the Glenn County couple, the South Bay is a small island amid a sea of hostility toward their TS Gun Shows. Bay Area counties from Alameda and Marin to San Mateo have enacted laws that forbid the sale or possession of guns on government property, effectively banning gun shows at some of the best spots...

Investigators are looking into a San Carlos robbery in connection with the death of a man in Corridor. Police responded to reports of an armed robbery restaurant in the 7200 block of Navajo Rd. just before 9 p.m. Friday night. The suspect, disguised with a bandanna covering his face, held the clerk at gunpoint and demanded cash. When the owner of the restaurant heard the commotion, he confronted the suspect with a gun himself. The suspect pointed the gun at the owner, and the owner shot the suspect, police said. The suspect fled, escaping in a red convertible waiting nearby....

RUSH: Bloomberg News: "Consumer Prices in US Rose in February as Gasoline Jumped -- The cost of living in the US..." This is inflation. In fact, let me say that instead of "cost of living." It's the same thing. Inflation "in the US rose in February by the most in ten months, reflecting a jump in gasoline that failed to spread to other goods and services. The consumer price index climbed 0.4%, matching the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The biggest jump in gasoline in more than a year accounted for about 80% of the increase in...

The percentage of Californians who smoke has dropped to an all-time low of 11.9 percent, the second-lowest in the nation behind Utah's 9.1 percent. That's good news for the health of Californians, but bad news for the state's budget and First 5 program, which funds local services for children up to age 5. The decline in smoking was anticipated, but it has descended at a much sharper rate than predicted. As a result, California will face difficulty in funding $16 billion in bonds the state has issued since 2001. The bonds are supposed to be financed by payments from the...

Starting on Monday, the fare is going up from 25 cents to 50 cents. But Metro pass holders and those who purchase commuter books will receive discounts. The fare increase is needed to help cover the line's operating costs. Until now, Angels Flight has relied on donations to make up the difference.

BELLEVUE, WA – The plea deal announced this morning that allows anti-gun San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi keep his guns in what began as a domestic violence case “smacks of hypocrisy at the highest order,” the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. Mirkarimi pleaded guilty in San Francisco court this morning to what the San Francisco Chronicle described as “a misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment in connection with an incident in which he allegedly inflicted a bruise on his wife.” “As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Ross Mirkarimi supported all...

San Carlos, CA --(Ammoland.com)- Continuing its Carry License Sunshine and Compliance Initiative, The Calguns Foundation (CGF) has filed a lawsuit today in Los Angeles Superior Court against Los Angeles Sheriff Leroy “Lee” Baca, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Los Angeles County. The case, entitled Jennifer Lu, et al. v. County of Los Angeles, et al., challenges the Sheriff’s ban on accepting and processing applications for carry licenses submitted by city residents. The Calguns Foundation is joined in the lawsuit, by three individual plaintiffs. “Sheriff Baca made the unfortunate decision to repeat historical failure,” noted CGF Chairman Gene Hoffman....

LOS ANGELES, -- Residents say the newest acquisition by Los Angeles County Museum enjoyed a rock star reception early Saturday morning as the 340-ton boulder rolled into town. The rock arrived at 4:30 a.m. aboard its 176-wheel transport truck to a crowd of admirers armed with cellphone cameras and noisemakers. The behemoth boulder will be the centerpiece of the art museum's new outdoor installation entitled "Levitated Mass," the Los Angeles Times reported. When the transport truck broke down for 30 minutes, onlookers jumped at the chance to touch the rock, pressing palms to its protective plastic wrap. "I came a...

Did anyone else see the blue-green light shot across the southern sky?

LOS ANGELES • With unloaded handguns strapped to their sides, Scott Gibb and Christopher Hacopian were passing out fliers about Second Amendment rights outside an Upland shopping center. Two Upland Police officers responded to the scene after they received a call of men with guns. The officers ordered them to put their hands up, stop talking and get down on their knees before they handcuffed Gibb and Hacopian, according to a video footage shot by Hacopian. Gibb and Hacopian were released after about 15 minutes, but they filed a federal lawsuit against the two officers and the Upland Police Department...

Several Democratic senators are calling on the Obama administration to allow Syrians who are already in the United States to stay, at least temporarily, out of concern it would be "too dangerous" for them to return home. The senators want President Obama to invoke what's known as "temporary protected status" for thousands of Syrians in the U.S. The designation typically is given to foreign nationals whose home countries are beset by war or natural disaster and who could face harm should they return. The senators argued that Syrians in the U.S. are in just that kind of predicament, as Syrian...

LOS ANGELES (MCT) — Chuck Michel’s strategy for crime-fighting rests on the element of surprise: Keep the bad guys guessing who’s armed and who’s not. “If 5 percent of the ducks could shoot back, you’re not going to go duck hunting,” said the Long Beach lawyer representing many Californians denied concealed weapons permits and, in his view, their constitutional right to self-defense. For decades, that argument has fallen flat in the courtroom. Judges have routinely held that denying permits to carry loaded firearms in public does not infringe on gun owners’ right to keep and bear arms. But now, some...

When California pushed back its presidential primary to June to save money, the declarations came swiftly: The state's 5 million GOP voters would be bystanders to a race that was widely expected to be decided long before then. It was a variation on a complaint made for decades — behemoth California left with no voice while pipsqueak states have all the fun. But now, as the Republican contest to take on President Obama has slogged on far longer than most expected, there is at least an outside chance that California could have a decisive role when voters head to the...

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said he supports the idea of allowing illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses as long as they have been in the United States for a number of years without committing other crimes. Baca's comments Thursday come as Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has also expressed support for driver's license for illegal immigrants. Baca said such licenses should only be issued after illegal immigrants fill out comprehensive applications, similar to those for citizenship. The sheriff also said the licenses should be up for renewal annually, and be noticeably different than those issued to citizens....