Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web:
- Barronelle Stutzman has petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari after the Washington Supreme Court held that she discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation by refusing to provide custom floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding, citing her religious beliefs.
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill requiring New York public schools to observe a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day every September 11th in honor of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terror attacks.
- A dozen leaders of a California-based ministry were arrested on charges that they used homeless people as forced labor, holding them in locked group homes and forcing them to panhandle up to nine hours a day, six days a week.
- Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston (MN) will be investigated by Minneapolis’ Archbishop Bernard Hebda on charges that Hoeppner thwarted a police or canonical investigation of clerical sexual misconduct in his diocese.
- Ten new lawsuits alleging child abuse were filed against the Diocese of Brooklyn (NY), adding to the hundreds of cases that have mounted in the wake of the N.Y. Child Victim’s Act, which provides a one-year window for victims to file civil claims in connection to child abuse no matter the statute of limitations.
- Police in Egypt arrested sixteen suspected Muslim Brotherhood members for allegedly smuggling currency out of the country and plotting militant attacks.
- A recent study by the human resources company Paychex revealed that Colorado leads the nation in complaints based on religious discrimination.