All Law & Courts
South on alert as manhunt intensifies for armed Mississippi cop killerThe killing of a Tupelo, Mississippi, police officer in an attempted bank robbery has led to an intensive manhunt across several state lines. 2013 was a year of several prominent manhunts.
Final Newtown shooting report: perhaps not closure, but an endingThe Connecticut State Police released its full report on the Newtown shootings. The reports adds texture, but perhaps more important, it might allow the town 鈥� and the nation 鈥� to move on.
Federal judge: NSA data collection is lawful 'counter-punch' against terrorA federal district judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the ACLU, which challenged the NSA program. The ruling conflicts with one issued by another federal judge earlier this month.
Utah, growing desperate, to ask Supreme Court to halt gay marriagesA federal judge overturned Utah's ban on gay marriage last Friday, but the state wants to delay implementation until all appeals are over. Officials plan to turn to the US Supreme Court for help.
White man charged with 'knockout game' hate crime. Racial hypocrisy?The Obama administration's decision to charge a white man with a hate crime for allegedly punching a black man as part of the knockout game has led to criticism that it is applying the law unevenly.
Jahi McMath: where the law stands when hospitals and families disagreeThe legal dispute over whether to disconnect Jahi McMath from life-support systems took a turn for the Oakland hospital, as a court-appointed physician backed findings that the teen is brain dead.
Utah, gay activists brace for long legal fight over gay marriageTop Utah officials vow to take their fight to reinstate a gay marriage ban to the US Supreme Court, if necessary. In the meantime, same-sex couples in Utah are obtaining marriage licenses 鈥� almost 1,000 so far.
Gay marriage in Utah: I do's proceed, but state asks again for a haltUtah officials defending the state's ban on gay marriage plan to appeal a court ruling that lifted the ban Friday. In the meantime, it's taking awhile for final word on whether gay marriages in Utah can take place in the interim.
Jahi McMath case: Court taps specialist to assess teen declared brain-deadA hospital in Oakland, Calif., says a 'brain-dead' 13-year-old should be removed from a ventilator, but the family of Jahi McMath hopes for 'a Christmas miracle.' A court on Monday ordered an independent review of her condition.
As Utah gay couples celebrate marriages, all eyes on US appeals courtUtah officials ask the US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to prevent more marriage licenses from being issued to gay couples, pending appeal of Friday's ruling that lifts a ban on gay marriage. The appeals court could act at any time.
Did China steal US corn? Six charged with digging up bioengineered seed.Six Chinese nationals were indicted in Iowa for an alleged plot to steal bioengineered corn seed from US companies, even digging it up from test fields, and send it to their own conglomerate in China.
Death penalty decline holds steady, but disagreement over whyUse of the death penalty has declined precipitously since 2000 鈥� a trend that held true again in 2013. But observers offer different theories about what is driving the trend.- Texas judge pressured to give 'affluenza' teen drunk driver jail timeFor killing four people while driving drunk, a wealthy Texas teenager was sentenced to probation and treatment at an exclusive facility. Prosecutors and victims' families are urging the judge to add jail time.
Amnesty for Edward Snowden? Might depend on what secrets he's got left.Edward Snowden needs a place to go. If it's true that he still has as many as 1.5 million unreleased top-secret NSA documents, that could be a big bargaining chip.
US judge rules NSA data sweep an 'indiscriminate and arbitrary invasion'The judge, ruling in an ongoing civil lawsuit, ordered the NSA to stop collecting the plaintiffs' telephone metadata, saying the intelligence gathering likely violates Fourth Amendment privacy guarantees.
Tea party and political buttons: Supreme Court declines Minnesota caseConservative groups, including the Minnesota North Star Tea Party Patriots, said a state election law violated voters' free speech rights. The action by the Supreme Court lets stand a federal appeals court decision upholding the statute.
Judge orders Mt. Soledad cross removed, but saga probably isn't overA US judge on Thursday ordered that the landmark Mt. Soledad cross, part of a federal war memorial, be dismantled in 90 days 鈥� unless there is an appeal. His apparent aim is to pave the way for the US Supreme Court to consider the case.
Rich kid gets probation for drunk-driving deaths. His defense? 'Affluenza.'A wealthy Texas teen with blood alcohol levels three times the legal limit killed four people helping a stranded motorist. His defense said he suffered from 'affluenza,' the failure of his parents to set limits.
Chicago torture saga grows, victim released from prison after 31 yearsStanley Wrice says he was forced to confess to sexual assault after Chicago police allegedly beat him with a flashlight and a 20-inch piece of rubber. Many others claim similar treatment.
Supreme Court examines rule on cross-border pollution: Did EPA overreach?The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday about an EPA rule that aims to curb cross-border air pollution. A lower court struck down the rule, saying the EPA exceeded its authority.
