All Law & Courts
- Dharun Ravi guilty of anti-gay hate crime in Rutgers spycam caseA jury finds ex-Rutgers student Dharun Ravi guilty of privacy invasion and bias intimidation 鈥 a hate crime 鈥 after exposing a gay roommate's sexual encounter via spycam. The message: Privacy rights count even in the social-media age.
- Trayvon Martin killing in Florida puts 'Stand Your Ground' law on trialThe shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, in a gated Florida community has raised allegations of racial injustice and highlighted the burden that 'Stand Your Ground' laws impose on law enforcement officers.
- Prison-bound, a grave Rod Blagojevich bids farewell to his publicFormer Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is slated to report to prison Thursday to serve a sentence for corruption. On Wednesday he bade a public goodbye at an event that was half solemn, half street fair.
- New York voters back NYPD Muslim-spying operation, poll findsA poll released Tuesday finds that 58 percent of New York voters support NYPD antiterror operations that critics call a violation of Muslims' civil liberties.聽
- Report: NYPD compiled huge, secret dossier on law-abiding MuslimsA report released Friday suggests that, despite claims to the contrary, the NYPD singled out Muslims for surveillance and sometimes even crossed state lines. Critics want a federal probe.聽
- Celebrity chef Mario Batali to serve up $5.25M to restaurant workersRenowned chef Mario Batali and his business partner have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of workers at eight New York restaurants. Tip-skimming was one allegation.
- Twist in Rutgers spycam trial: Defense implies the prosecution is biasedLawyers for Dahrun Ravi, the former Rutgers student accused of using his webcam to spy on his gay roommate out of bias, began Friday to present their defense. They're working to pin the bias charge elsewhere.
- Court backs Haley Barbour, rules governor has power to pardon at willThe Mississippi Supreme Court found Haley Barbour's pardon of 203 inmates upon leaving office in January constitutional, reaffirming a governor's unique power to override the justice system.
- At Rutgers spycam trial, a struggle to prove antigay motive, say analystsLegal analysts tracking the Rutgers spycam trial of former student Dharun Ravi say prosecutors have had a hard time proving the most serious charge 鈥 that Ravi targeted his roommate because he was gay.
- Calm and subdued, Ohio school shooting suspect faces judgeT.J. Lane, the suspect in the Feb. 27 shooting at Chardon High School that left three students dead and three wounded, told the judge Tuesday he understood the charges against him.
- Anonymous unmasked: hacker ringleader turned FBI informantAnonymous and its spinoffs, including LulzSec, could be seriously damaged by the arrests of a half dozen high-level hackers.聽
- Can foreigners sue international corporations in US courts?A 223-year-old law says foreigners can聽file lawsuits in American courts for alleged violations of international law. But whether they can sue corporations remains a question for the Supreme Court.
- West Memphis Three: $100,000 reward offered to clear their namesThe West Memphis Three, convicted of killing three Cub Scouts, were released last year but not exonerated. A new $100,000 reward aims to clear their names.
- Rutgers spycam case opening arguments: cyberbully or boy who acted stupidly?There appears to be no middle ground in the Rutgers spycam case. The prosecution says the defendant hated his roommate because he was gay. The defense says he is 'not homophobic' and never tried to harm him.
- Is taking DNA a reasonable search? US judges uphold California law.A 2004 California law permits DNA samples taken from adults arrested for felonies to be stored in a national database. Challengers said that violates Fourth Amendment privacy protections.
- Bradley Manning: Will the alleged WikiLeaks ally have a compelling defense?Pfc. Bradley Manning is expected to enter a plea in response to 22 charges lodged by military prosecutors, including turning over to WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic documents.
- Supreme Court debate: Is lying about being a war hero protected speech?Supreme Court justices heard arguments over the Stolen Valor Act, which bars lies over receiving military medals, but the discussion broadened into whether there is any value worth protecting in falsehood.
- Rutgers spycam case: why it's not open and shutDharun Ravi faces charges of, among other counts, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering. The most serious charge 鈥 bias intimidation 鈥 could draw a 10-year sentence.
- Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue.
- Stolen Valor Act at Supreme Court: Is lying about being a hero a right?Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a military medal. Xavier Alvarez did that, but the claim harms no one, says his lawyer in his brief to the Supreme Court. The case is being argued Wednesday.