All Law & Courts
FocusWhitey Bulger trial marks close of an era. But what new organized crime lurks?Reputed mobster James 'Whitey' Bulger is among the last of his kind, as old-style crime bosses give way to criminal groups that are more fluid, more likely to span international borders, and more reliant on modern technologies.
With three nominations to D.C. Circuit court, Obama gets aggressivePresident Obama will move Tuesday to fill all three vacancies on the D.C. Circuit, America's top federal appeals court after the Supreme Court and a training ground for future justices. Republicans are already fighting back.聽
Bradley Manning: Patriotic whistle-blower or American traitor?The court-martial of Pfc. Bradley Manning began Monday. Manning has said the documents he sent to WikiLeaks served a valuable purpose. Others agree, but that might not help him legally.
Whitey Bulger on trial: what last-minute legal maneuvers portendJames 'Whitey' Bulger, reputed Boston organized-crime boss and former FBI Most Wanted fugitive, appeared in federal court Monday. Some of the trial's likely narratives were evident in pretrial motions.
Nidal Hasan can represent himself at trial, raising specter of jihadist rantsThe judge in the Nidal Hasan murder trial ruled Monday that he can represent himself at trial. Hasan's only motivation is likely a desire to use the trial as an ideological platform, legal experts say.
DNA swab of arrestee's cheek is a 'reasonable search,' Supreme Court findsThe ACLU says the Supreme Court ruling, which allows the DNA samples to be stored in a database for use in solving other crimes, creates a 'gaping new exception to the Fourth Amendment.'
Supreme Court turns away newspaper's beef about Pennsylvania election lawUS Supreme Court refused Monday to take a case involving news media access to polling places on Election Day. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had challenged the law, unsuccessfully, in lower courts.
Afghan massacre: In US soldier plea deal, signs combat stress was consideredAfter long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, analysts say, the military justice system may well be primed to offer lenient sentencing for crimes when post-traumatic stress disorder is seen as a factor.
Senator wants entire Chicago gang arrested. Would that work?Chicago's Gangster Disciples have more than 18,000 members, and Sen. Mark Kirk wants them all in jail to curb gun violence. But critics say mass incarceration isn't the answer.
Tsarnaev friend unarmed when killed, FBI admits. Were civil rights violated?Ibragim Todashev, a friend of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was about to sign a murder confession when he turned a table on an agent, the FBI says. The agent fired as many as 7 shots.
Why James Comey could be an astute choice for new FBI directorPresident Obama reportedly is set to name James Comey as FBI director. Mr. Comey is a Republican who served in the Bush administration 鈥� but resisted the White House on warrantless wiretaps.
Money-laundering scheme hid $6 billion for fraudsters like 'Joe Bogus'US investigators shut down a vast cyber money-laundering scheme used by clients who sought complete anonymity, calling themselves things like 'Russia Hackers' and saying their address was '123 Fake Main Street.'
Planned Parenthood victory: Supreme Court turns away abortion caseAn Indiana measure, which a lower court had already blocked, would have prohibited Medicaid funding for health providers like Planned Parenthood. The US Supreme Court declined the abortion case Tuesday.
Court smacks down Joe Arpaio: Turning point for 'America's toughest sheriff?'A federal court found that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio systematically violated the constitutional rights of immigrants through 'saturation' sweeps targeting Hispanics.
Would a US 'drone court' to authorize drone strikes be a good idea?President Obama this week tentatively opened the door to the establishment of a drone court, to provide greater accountability for drone strikes on Al Qaeda affiliates abroad. The idea is drawing mixed reviews.
Obama renews push to close Guant谩namo military prisonWhen he took office, President Obama pledged to close the military prison at聽Guant谩namo Bay, Cuba. But Congress and much of the public are against such a proposal for the remaining 166 detainees.
Trayvon Martin texts, photos: Might they change Zimmerman trial?Trayvon Martin texts, photos 鈥� all unflattering 鈥� were posted online Thursday by George Zimmerman's defense team. They may yet be ruled inadmissible in court. But they are already making the rounds in the court of public opinion, ahead of Zimmerman's murder trial.
Death penalty reprieve in Colorado: what it could mean for James HolmesColorado Gov. Hickenlooper called off the execution of a death row inmate, firing up the death penalty debate and potentially complicating the prosecution of alleged Aurora shooter James Holmes.
Court to hear case on whether Obamacare violates religious libertiesThe federal appeals court in Denver is set to hear arguments Thursday on whether the Obama health-care law can compel business owners to violate 'sincerely held religious beliefs.'
'Stop and frisk': 7 questions about New York's controversial policing tactic A federal judge has declared the New York Police Department鈥檚 'stop and frisk' program to be unconstitutional, and new Mayor Bill de Blasio disavows it. Its use has abated under returned Police Commissioner William Bratton, but the fight over it continues. What is it, and does it work?
