Afternoon Briefs: Police reform part of Breonna Taylor settlement; state chief justice dies
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Louisville will pay $12M to family of Breonna Taylor
The city of Louisville, Kentucky, has agreed to pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police when her boyfriend fired at officers, thinking they were intruders, during a raid of her apartment. The city banned the use of no-knock warrants before reaching the settlement; it has now agreed to adopt other reforms. They include a requirement that commanding officers give written approval for all search warrants and adoption of an early-action warning system to flag officers with disciplinary problems. (The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Louisville Courier Journal)
State chief justice dies following heart attack
Chief Justice Ralph Gants of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has died at age 65, the court announced Monday. Gants had a heart attack Sept. 4, but he had issued a statement saying he expected to recover and return to the court. The Boston Bar Association described Gants as “a visionary leader who was relentless in the pursuit of making the Massachusetts court system a place where access to justice was available to everyone.” (Boston.com, Boston Bar Association press release, @KO_Reporter)
9th Circuit allows end to temporary protections for 300K immigrants
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has the authority to end temporary protections for immigrants admitted to the United States because of crises in their home countries, a federal appeals court has ruled. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco affects 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. Immigrants from Honduras and Nepal, involved in a separate case, may also be affected by the ruling. (Law360, American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California press release, the 9th Circuit decision via How Appealing)
2 more law firms roll back pay cuts
Two more large law firms are rolling back salary cuts. Squire Patton Boggs is ending salary cuts for associates and support staff making less than $75,000. Staff members and other nonpartners who make more than $75,000 will see their salary reductions trimmed by half. Duane Morris is ending salary cuts for associates and special counsels and is hopeful that it will be able to initiate make-whole payments in the future. (Above the Law here and here)
