Afternoon Briefs: Oklahoma top court won't block Trump rally; cop union loses bid to destroy records
President Donald Trump. Photo from Shutterstock.com
Oklahoma’s top court refuses to block Trump rally
The Oklahoma Supreme Court refused to block a campaign rally Friday for President Donald Trump that is scheduled for Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The plaintiffs had argued that the indoor event should be stopped to protect against the COVID-19 risk. (The Oklahoman)
Older police misconduct records must be preserved, top Illinois court says
Chicago police misconduct records older than five years old must be preserved, despite a provision calling for their destruction in the union contract for police officers, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The court said the provision shouldn’t be enforced because it is contrary to public policy as expressed by the Illinois open records law. (The Chicago Tribune, the June 18 decision)
New citizens sworn in during drive-thru ceremonies
Federal judges in Detroit are swearing in new citizens in drive-thru ceremonies. The ceremonies are taking place in a parking structure at a field office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts June 18 press release)
Trump promises new list of potential SCOTUS nominees
President Donald Trump promised Thursday to release a new list of possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees. The list may include some or many people on previous lists, he said. Trump made the pledge while reacting to Supreme Court losses earlier this week for his administration in cases that protected LGBTQ workers and delayed plans to phase out a program protecting some immigrants from deportation. “Based on decisions being rendered now, this list is more important than ever before,” Trump tweeted. (Law360, Politico)
D.C. Circuit nominee wins confirmation
U.S. District Judge Justin Walker has been confirmed on a 51-42 vote to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary had rated Walker “well qualified” for the appellate judgeship, even though it rated him “not qualified” before he was confirmed to the federal trial bench in Louisville, Kentucky, in October 2019. The lower rating was based on a lack of requisite trial or litigation experience. Walker, a Harvard Law School graduate, is 38 years old. (The Washington Post and the Louisville Courier Journal via How Appealing)
Above the Law founder continues to improve after COVID-19 diagnosis
David Lat, the founder of Above the Law, continues to improve after being placed on a ventilator for COVID-19. Lat was released from the hospital April 1 after 17 days of treatment. At first, Lat had trouble simply walking across a room. Now, he has “basically normal lung function” and is walking more than 2 miles per day. He is also back to work as a legal recruiter. (The New York Law Journal)
