All Law & Courts
Voting Rights Act case: Supreme Court questioning is lively, pointedAt the US Supreme Court on Wednesday, defenders of the 1965 Voting Rights Act argued that the judiciary should defer to Congress's judgment that the law is still needed as is. Several justices indicated that they thought not.
Progress WatchWhy juvenile incarceration reached its lowest rate in 38 yearsThe juvenile incarceration in the US rate has fallen 41 percent in the past 15 years, reaching the lowest level since 1975, a new study finds. What is behind the rapid decline?
Can police collect DNA when someone is arrested? Supreme Court to decide.At issue in the case the Supreme Court considered Tuesday is whether collecting DNA from an arrestee without first obtaining a warrant is an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment.- Voting Rights Act: Is major portion outdated? Supreme Court to hear arguments.Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires some state and local governments to obtain federal clearance for changes in voting procedures. In 2008 the Supreme Court said the section needed updating.
A year after Trayvon Martin shooting, is America much changed?The trend in the states toward liberalized self-defense and gun laws appears to have stalled in the year since unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Fla. But states that already had such laws have stuck with them.
Surveillance law: US group can't challenge it, Supreme Court rulesA 2008 surveillance law allows the US government to detect and track the messages of would-be foreign terrorists. Critics say it is overly broad, but on Tuesday the Supreme Court blocked a challenge to it.
FocusLegacy of Christopher Dorner case: rekindled distrust, resentment of policeWhen ex-cop Christopher Dorner pursued his fatal vendetta against Los Angeles Police Department, his cause resonated with some in the black community. Why has the old rift between police and minorities been so hard to heal?
Campaign finance: Supreme Court declines case on contributions by corporationsA ban on contributions to candidates from corporations has been in effect since 1907. On Monday, the Supreme Court turned away a campaign-finance case seeking to allow such contributions.
Obama administration to argue for gay marriage in Supreme Court caseThe US Supreme Court next month hears arguments in a case challenging the 'Defense of Marriage Act.' In a brief filed Friday, the Obama administration asserts that DOMA discriminates against gay and lesbian couples in violation of the US Constitution.
'Trial of the century': Can BP deflect blame for Gulf oil spill?What once seemed likely 鈥� a settlement 鈥� now appears off the table as the US prepares to take BP to court in New Orleans on Monday, alleging the company exhibited 'gross negligence' in the lead-up to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. At stake: $17 billion.
Jesse Jackson Jr. guilty plea: 'For years I lived off my campaign'Former US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges stemming from use of $750,000 in campaign donations for everything from a Rolex watch and furs to toilet paper and food. His wife, a former Chicago alderman, also pleaded guilty.- Adopted Russian child's death: What is known about the case so farThe death of Max Shatto, a toddler adopted from Russia, brings grief to a Texas town and fires up protests in Russia, where a ban on US adoptions has taken on a cold-war tone.
Supreme Court to take up case that could overhaul campaign financeThe Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear a case that challenges limits on campaign spending, opening the door to a decision that could upend legal precedent on what individuals can contribute to candidates.
Unanimous juries for criminal convictions? Supreme Court declines case.The Supreme Court declines to take up a case challenging the right of states to permit non-unanimous verdicts. Critics say verdicts reached by divided juries violate the Sixth Amendment.
Was Adam Lanza an Anders Breivik copycat? Why experts are skepticalA CBS News report suggests that Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza was influenced by violent video games and Anders Breivik's Norwegian rampage. Experts cast doubts on both assertions.- Supreme Court rules that dog's sniff was up to snuff in roadside searchSupreme Court rules that a signal from a properly trained drug-detecting dog is enough to establish probable cause for a warrantless search of a vehicle during a roadside stop.
Christopher Dorner manhunt over, but troubling issues remainEx-Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner took his own life in a shoot-out, ending a rampage in which he is alleged to have killed four people. But tough issues remain 鈥� including an official review of his firing, needed to rebuild trust in a department with a troubled history.
Dorner manhunt: What does the public have the right to know?As police searched for ex-LAPD officer聽Christopher Dorner, the media and public bombarded them with questions about the case. But just how much is law enforcement obligated to share with the public?
Body burned in cabin? Where Christopher Dorner investigation goes now.Questions remain about the body burned in a cabin 鈥� presumed to be fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner 鈥� as well as the manhunt leading up to Tuesday's standoff.
Would harsher sentencing have saved Hadiya Pendleton?A suspect in the shooting of 15-year old Hadiya Pendleton, who participated in Obama's inauguration, was on probation for a gun-related charge. Chicago officials want tougher sentencing.
