All Law & Courts
First LookSupreme Court ethics breach? New gift to Justice Thomas surfaces.Harlan Crow, the same GOP donor who gave luxury gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas, also paid private school tuition for a child Mr. Thomas raised. The latest revelation raises more questions about Supreme Court ethics and disclosure requirements.
First LookWalk or wait: US ruling calls for more audio pedestrian signalsA U.S. federal judge has ruled that Chicago鈥檚 lack of audible traffic signals for blind pedestrians violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ruling may inspire other cities as well to improve their roads鈥� accessibility.
First Look鈥榃e did this鈥�: Proud Boys found guilty in Jan. 6 insurrection trialEnrique Tarrio, former leader of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys, has been charged with seditious conspiracy for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Four other members of the group have also been convicted.
Disney versus DeSantis: Does free speech cover corporate privileges?The ability to criticize the government without retaliation lies at the heart of the First Amendment. What happens when it鈥檚 a corporation doing the criticizing?
First LookDemocrats turn up heat in Supreme Court ethics probe, hearings beginAmid reports of Justice Clarence Thomas participating in luxury vacations with a top GOP donor, Senate Democrats are aiming to strengthen ethics rules for the Supreme Court. Republicans say this is merely an effort to destroy the reputation of Mr. Thomas.聽
First LookSupreme Court rules access to abortion pill to continue 鈥撀爁or nowThe Supreme Court on Friday preserved access to mifepristone, rejecting lower-court restrictions while the appeals process continues.
鈥榃ildly problematic鈥�: Standing, the Supreme Court, and mifepristoneWhat does it mean to have endured clear and concrete harms? In recent decades, the Supreme Court had narrowed the definition of who had 鈥渟tanding鈥� to bring a case. Then came this term.
First Look鈥榃e need more time鈥�: Supreme Court delays abortion drug decisionThe Supreme Court pushed its self-imposed deadline of Wednesday to Friday for deciding whether women seeking access to a widely used abortion pill would face more restrictions while a court case plays out. There was no given reason for the delay.
First LookShould parents and educators be held accountable for school shootings?Parents and educators are facing increasing scrutiny involving school shootings. Investigations can be rare, but they appear to be gaining traction as communities demand accountability and new ways to prevent gun violence.
First LookKansas City man charged with shooting high schooler at wrong houseHigh school student Ralph Yarl, who is Black, was sent to pick up his younger brothers in a Kansas City neighborhood and went to the wrong address. He was shot by resident Andrew Lester, a white man, who has been charged with first-degree assault.聽
First LookCan Texas block abortion pill? Federal appeals court says no.A federal appeals court has limited the accessibility of the abortion drug mifepristone but ruled it can be used. The decision comes after a Texas judge ruled to completely block the drug, and the case is likely to go to the Supreme Court.聽
First LookDominion defamation case: Did Fox attorneys withhold evidence?Fox News attorneys allegedly withheld evidence in the company鈥檚 defamation case, leading the judge to consider an independent review. Recordings of talks with Donald Trump鈥檚 lawyers and information about Fox Cop. chair Rupert Murdoch were recently disclosed.
High court, low accountability: How Thomas scandal threatens Supreme CourtWhy does the highest court in the United States have the lowest ethical standards? The latest scandal, involving Justice Clarence Thomas, is threatening to erode Americans鈥� trust even further.
First LookJustice Dept. vs. Texas: Access to abortion medication challengedThe Justice Department is appealing a Texas court ruling that would halt the approval of mifepristone, the most common method of abortion in the United States. The request was made just days after conflicting court rulings over the legality of the drug.
FocusCourt pushed abortion back to the states. It isn鈥檛 staying there.Returning abortion policy to the states proves hard as some states鈥� choices affect their neighbors, and courts clash over pills sent through the mail.
First LookFrom penitentiary to rehabilitation, California to remake San QuentinCalifornia plans to transform San Quentin State Prison, known for maintaining the highest number of prisoners on death row in the country. The massive shift will focus on rehabilitation and job training for inmates before returning to society.
First LookGarland calls Louisville police behavior 'heartbreaking' in DOJ reportAttorney General Merrick Garland announced the findings of a Justice Department report Wednesday, launched in the wake of Breonna Taylor鈥檚 murder, that found the Louisville police department behavior regularly deprives people of their Constitutional rights.
Cover StoryCan police police their own? NYPD as a case study.The NYPD has been the nation鈥檚 foremost laboratory of police reform. So as the country wrestles with how best to find ways forward on policing, New York stands out as a crucial case study.
First LookWhy Supreme Court seems likely to sink Biden鈥檚 loan forgiveness planIt鈥檚 a case that will impact millions. President Biden鈥檚 loan forgiveness plan is aimed at countering the economic effects of the pandemic. But conservatives see the plan as a violation of Mr. Biden鈥檚 executive authority.聽
First LookInternet speech: Supreme Court to weigh who is protected onlineTwo cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week challenge聽Section 230, a 1996 law that protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their networks. The cases are part of a global trend toward holding social media platforms accountable.
