Commentaries by Richard Pearshouse | HRW

‘Cancer Alley’ Residents Win Petrochemical Suit Appeal: Opportunity for Justice

May 31, 2025 10:46:38 am

In a unanimous decision in April, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit gave new life to a hard-fought effort by residents of St. James Parish in Louisiana to seek a moratorium on new petrochemical plant construction and expansion. This reversal of a lower court’s dismissal in 2024 marks a promising moment in [...]

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THIS DAY @ LAW

US Supreme Court struck down statute prohibiting interracial marriage

On June 12, 1967, the US Supreme Court struck down a Virginia state law prohibiting interracial marriages. Learn more about Loving v. Virginia.

Former C.A.R. leader sentenced to death

On June 12, 1987, the Central African Republic's former leader Jean-Bédel Bokassa sentenced to death in C.A.R. for treason, embezzlement, and murder of political dissenters. His sentence was then commuted to life in prison before he was released as part of a general amnesty program at the end of his life.

	
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