All Law & Courts
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.
Gay Marriage: why Prop. 8 appeal is not going to Supreme Court ... yetThe coalition of groups that backs Prop. 8, California's ban on gay marriage, has asked all the judges of the Ninth Circuit to rehear the case decided by a three-judge panel on Feb. 7. An appeal to the US Supreme Court could still follow.聽
How Supreme Court ruling on Texas could reduce affirmative action across USThe Supreme Court, which has shifted to the right, may use the Texas case to overturn the 2003 decision that achieving classroom diversity could justify the use of race-based affirmative action.- Can silence before an arrest be used at trial? Supreme Court refuses case.The appeal had asked the Supreme Court to examine whether the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination bars a prosecutor's use of a defendant's pre-arrest silence as evidence of guilt.
- Do grandparents get visitation rights? Supreme Court declines case.The Supreme Court declined to hear a case in which grandparents demanded to visit their grandchildren but the parents intervened. The lack of a decision leaves no clear constitutional standard on the issue.
Affirmative action in college admissions goes back before Supreme CourtUS Supreme Court is taking an affirmative action case about the University of Texas admissions policy, which permits race to be a factor in deciding which applicants are admitted.
Michigan's Hutaree militia: Band of gun enthusiasts or a threat to the US?Members of the Hutaree militia were arrested in 2010 for allegedly planning 'war against the United States.' Their trial on 'seditious conspiracy' and other charges opened this week.
US to seek life sentence for underwear bomber, saying he remains a threatThe sentencing hearing for the so-called underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, takes place Thursday. Prosecutors argue that he remains willing to carry out another martyrdom mission.
Do ex-daughter-in-law's allegations change Jerry Sandusky case?A judge ruled Monday that Jerry Sandusky can receive visits from most of his grandchildren. But a former daughter-in-law said Monday that Sandusky molested one of her children.
Health-care fraud crackdown nets $4.1b. Is that a lot?Officials say nearly $4.1b was recovered last year in the health-care fraud crackdown, an Obama priority, but it's unclear if that reflects the success of law enforcement or the magnitude of the problem.聽
Judge allows Jerry Sandusky visits with grandkids, with supervisionChild protection advocates express concern after a Pennsylvania judges allows former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky to see and correspond with his grandchildren, albeit in the presence of a parent.聽
Jerry Sandusky case: Should court let suspected pedophile see grandkids?Trial is set for May 14 for Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach charged with sexual abuse of 10 boys. His bail conditions bar interaction with minors, but he wants the court to let him talk with and see his grandchildren.聽- Creator of Revolution Muslim website, inspiration to US jihadis, pleads guiltyJesse Curtis Morton, who ran RevolutionMuslim.com, admitted to influencing would-be American militants including 'Jihad Jane' and the Pentagon model-plane bomber.聽
Steve Jobs FBI file: What did his neighbors think about him?Steve Jobs FBI file readers will find some interesting nuggets, including what neighbors thought about his landscaping plans and evidence that most FBI agents aren't at all like Jack Bauer.
Haley Barbour's mass pardons under scrutiny at Mississippi Supreme CourtThe Mississippi Supreme Court is expected to rule quickly on whether 193 of the 200+ pardons by outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour are constitutional. A key issue is whether the public was properly notified.
Will $26 billion settlement from big banks repair US housing market?In the short term, the deal between 49 states and five big banks may actually boost foreclosures, some say. In the longer term, it should clear the inventory of homes that depresses prices and help the middle class.
In voter ID case, South Carolina fights back against Obama administrationThe Justice Department has blocked a South Carolina law requiring all voters to have government-issued photo IDs, saying it would be discriminatory. The state asked a three-judge panel to intervene Wednesday, saying that the Obama administration is out of line.
Prop. 8 ruling: why it might not go to the Supreme CourtA federal court overturned Prop. 8 Tuesday, apparently setting the stage for the case to move to the Supreme Court. But the judge's ruling has made some legal analysts think twice about what might happen next.聽- Home-grown terror threat receding, but post-9/11 America remains on edgeThe number of domestic terror cases fell to 20 in 2011, down from 26 in 2010 and 49 in 2009, according to a study released Wednesday. Yet for much of the public, anxieties remain high.
Prop. 8 struck down: Will California's gay couples flock to the altar?Prop. 8, California's gay marriage ban, took a hit Tuesday, but the legal battle might not be over yet. Until it is, California couples will likely be barred from marrying.聽