All Law & Courts
- Is public prayer permitted at town meeting? Supreme Court to hear case.Two residents of Greece, N.Y., a Rochester suburb, said the practice of opening town meetings with a prayer violates the separation and state. The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday.
- Supreme Court skeptical about use of chemical weapons treaty in charging wifeThe Supreme Court heard a case Tuesday involving the prosecution of a Pennsylvania microbiologist who used toxic chemicals to try to settle a personal score. Federal prosecutors charged the woman with using 'chemical weapons.'
- Is thumb burn a chemical weapons violation? Supreme Court takes up case.It could pass as soap opera 鈥 unfaithful husband, vengeful wife, poisoned best friend 鈥 but the case before the Supreme Court also raises weighty questions about the scope of federal authority.
- Supreme Court lets stand Okla. ruling against abortion limit; Texas case nextThe Supreme Court dismissed Oklahoma's appeal even as an emergency motion from Texas abortion providers to block new restrictions there landed on Justice Scalia's desk.
- Texas abortion ruling: Abortions instantly curbed in Texas as nation takes stockA US appellate court has upheld a new law in Texas that restrictions access to abortion, immediately causing some clinics to close. Given the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion, the Texas case likely will advance to the US Supreme Court.
- Stop-and-frisk: Bloomberg hails ruling, but victory likely short-livedThe Bloomberg administration's appeal of the landmark stop-and-frisk ruling this summer will certainly be dropped if Public Advocate Bill de Blasio wins the mayor's office on Tuesday.
- Stop-and-frisk: Appeals court halts changes to policy, rebukes US judgeIn a victory for outgoing Mayor Bloomberg, the appeals court took the federal judge who ordered the stop-and-frisk changes off the case, saying she 'ran afoul' of the judicial code of conduct.聽
- Oklahoma abortion ruling sets stage for US Supreme Court to step inOklahoma's high court on Tuesday reaffirmed that a state law restricting chemically induced abortions is unconstitutional. The US Supreme Court will now decide whether to examine such restrictions. Are they permissible regulation or an undue burden on women seeking abortions?
- Texas abortion law: US judge strikes down one limit, leaves another in placeThe Texas abortion law requiring providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital was struck down. But a provision forcing reliance on an outdated drug protocol stands.聽
- Detroit bankruptcy trial veers off course as Gov. Rick Snyder takes standMichigan Gov. Rick Snyder testified Monday in federal court about his Detroit bankruptcy decision. But opposing lawyers sought to pin him down on what he might do about pensions.
- Bitcoins used in murder-for-hire? Silk Road creator faces multiple charges.Silk Road website creator Ross Ulbricht is charged with聽narcotics trafficking, money laundering, computer hacking, and soliciting murder-for-hire involving Bitcoin virtual currency.
- US court upholds embassy bombings conviction, rejecting speedy trial claimThe appeals court rejected the argument that聽Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a former Al Qaeda operative, should have聽his conviction and life sentence overturned because he didn't have a speedy trial.
- US court cites Citizens United in allowing donation to PAC in NYC mayoral raceThe US appeals court in New York, citing Citizens United, said the state could not enforce a limit on political donations to an independent PAC backing GOP mayoral candidate Lhota.
- 'Pepper spray' cop gets bigger payout than sprayed students. Wrong message?John Pike, a former campus police officer at UC Davis, won $38,000 in workers' comp stemming from a 2011 Occupy protest in which he infamously used pepper spray on peaceful students. Where's the justice in that, some are asking.聽
- Detroit bankruptcy trial: City says it got 鈥榓 lot of no鈥 in negotiation triesThe trial to determine if a Detroit bankruptcy can proceed started Wednesday. The city says unions were 鈥榠nsensitive鈥 to the problems facing the city, while the opposition is disputing data.
- Same-sex marriage: Will New Mexico become 15th state to allow it?New Mexico's Supreme Court heard two hours of arguments over whether it should recognize a right for same-sex couples to marry.聽Questioning from the bench was vigorous and at times pointed.
- Detroit bankruptcy: Judge to decide whether city hoodwinked opponentsDetroit asked for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in July, but unions say the city could have avoided that step. A trial starting Wednesday will decide whether the Detroit bankruptcy can proceed.
- Gay marriage in New Mexico? Top state court seeks clarity for county clerks.The New Mexico Supreme Court, seeking to resolve a discrepancy between county clerks, is hearing arguments Wednesday on whether the state constitution requires recognition of gay marriage.
- Death penalty: Supreme Court to hear case of mentally deficient Florida manFlorida says the man does not score below its 70-point IQ cutoff line for death penalty cases, but the Supreme Court has decided to consider whether his execution would be cruel and unusual.聽
- New Jersey is 14th state to allow gay marriage, as Chris Christie ends appealA New Jersey judge had ordered the state to begin allowing gay marriage on Oct. 21. After the state Supreme Court unanimously upheld the order on Friday, Gov. Chris Christie dropped his appeal.