All Law & Courts
FISC judge orders review of secret court rulings on NSA phone surveillanceA judge on the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court set in motion a process that could give the public more information on the legal opinions behind the vast surveillance of phone records exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Same-sex marriage: Pa. judge orders clerk to stop issuing licenses to couplesMore than 100 couples wed in Pennsylvania after receiving licenses from a county clerk who declared, after the Supreme Court DOMA ruling, that the state ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Only a court can make that ruling, the judge said.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel apologizes for two decades of police tortureChicago has already paid out about $85 million to compensate victims of police abuse, and it has set aside $27 million for 2013 alone. 'This is not who we are,' Mayor Rahm Emanuel said.
Sexual assault on campus: Yale tries to clarify 'consent'When Yale released its latest semi-annual report on sexual misconduct this summer it faced criticism for the phrase 'nonconsensual sex' and for punishments seen as too light.
NSA repeatedly ignored court surveillance rules, documents showThis latest document release marks a bid by the Obama administration, after massive leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, to demonstrate transparency on surveillance policy and privacy safeguards.
Legal marijuana: US defends decision not to challenge two states' lawsThe Obama administration's stance on Colorado and Washington's marijuana laws is not an abdication of responsibility to uphold federal narcotics laws, a Justice official told senators.- Dear US lawyer: I'm overseas and need your help (and trust account)In a twist to the classic Nigerian scam offering to share a vast fortune over the Internet, a sophisticated ring found a way to mine lawyer trust accounts and come up with gold.
As Arizona woman exits prison pending retrial, questions about confessionsDebra Milke, who spent 23 years in an Arizona prison for the murder of her young son, was out on bond Friday to await a new trial. Her case revives questions about confessions to police.
Washington State issues how-to regs on growing, selling marijuanaWashington State voters approved legalizing marijuana. Now, state officials are working out the regulations for growing, distributing, and selling pot. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, so Uncle Sam is keeping a close eye.
Should undocumented immigrant get a law license? California court to decide.The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday about whether it should grant a law license to Sergio Garcia, who put himself through college and law school and passed the bar exam.
Ariel Castro death: How common is suicide among prison inmates?Inmates in state prisons are less likely to commit suicide than are those held in local jails. Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro was not under a suicide watch when he hanged himself in an Ohio prison, and apparently had not had an independent psychological examination.
Pledge of Allegiance: 'under God' under threat in MassachusettsA new lawsuit seeks to have the phrase 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance declared discriminatory under the state's Equal Rights Amendment. If successful, the effort could spread to other states.
Is foulmouthed, suspended police chief undermining his own gun cause?Small-town Police Chief Mark Kessler may yet lose his job after his video rant in defense of the Second Amendment. While hundreds of sheriffs are vowing to resist any US attempts to enforce new gun laws, not all like Kessler's tactics.
Colorado marijuana law: Obama administration backs offColorado marijuana law: Until now, federal government drug policies were at odds with state laws decriminalizing marijuana. Now, the Obama administration says it's letting states regulate legalized marijuana use.
Fort Hood shooter silent as jury sentences him to deathA military court ruled unanimously that Army Maj. Nidal Hasan should receive the death penalty for an attack that killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
NYPD labeled mosques as terrorist organizations, report saysNew revelations about the NYPD's aggressive antiterror practices suggest that mosques and Muslim groups are being probed for terrorist activity, even when there's no evidence of it.
'The Donald' suggests Obama was in on lawsuit against Trump UniversityDonald Trump on Monday implied that President Obama may have helped plan a lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general. According to the suit, Mr. Trump's for-profit enterprise defrauded consumers.- Online charter school CEO indicted for misused funds. Do laws need tightening?Nicholas Trombetta, former CEO of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, has been charged with diverting more than $8 million of taxpayer money away from the school for a condo, airplane, and other expenses.
Chris Lane murder: Is a racist dimension of the crime being discounted?The shooting of college student Chris Lane in Oklahoma is stirring a debate over what constitutes a hate crime. Racist tweets, allegedly from social media accounts of a black suspect, prompt some to ask if race was a motive in the murder.
Nidal Hasan guilty in Fort Hood massacre. Next question: life, or death?Army Maj. Nidal Hasan was convicted Friday of all charges stemming from 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 and wounded 30. Hasan has said he wants a martyr's death. Starting Monday, jurors will begin considering that option.
