4th Circuit Court

4th Circuit revives $10M ‘Somebody to Love’ suit against Justin Bieber and Usher

Singing a different tune than a trial judge, a federal appeals court on Thursday unanimously voted to revive a $10 million copyright suit brought by two songwriters against Justin Bieber and Usher. Bieber and Usher recorded “Somebody to Love” both together and separately, selling millions of copies. Their song could…

Jun 19, 2015 2:25 PM CDT

Footnote is only portion of 4th Circuit opinion that isn’t sealed

A federal appeals court opinion issued on Monday doesn’t provide much of a clue about the subject matter. The decision by the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed under seal, except for footnote 10, How Appealing reports. The court also mentions footnote 11, though it isn’t…

Jun 2, 2015 7:24 AM CDT

First Amendment protects anti-abortion activist’s satirical use of NAACP name, 4th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has ruled that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People can’t use trademark law to stop an anti-abortion activist from substituting “abortion” for “advancement” in the NAACP name. The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday on behalf of the Radiance…

May 21, 2015 11:44 AM CDT

AG Loretta Lynch announces ‘pattern and practice’ probe of Baltimore police practices

The Department of Justice will conduct a “pattern and practice” investigation of potential civil rights violations in Baltimore, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced at a Friday press conference. Describing the probe as a collaborative effort pursued at the request of city officials and with the consent of police, Lynch…

May 8, 2015 11:45 AM CDT

Ex-CIA chief David Petraeus gets probation, is fined $100K for giving classified info to biographer

Once a highly regarded military leader in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, retired four-star general David Petraeus on Thursday was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine for revealing classified information to his biographer and then-lover, Paula Broadwell. The fine imposed by a federal…

Apr 23, 2015 3:40 PM CDT

Hospital filing accuses its former lawyer of blind-copying negotiation opponent on confidential docs

A federal court filing by a hospital litigating a failed management agreement with another medical facility says its former lawyer was secretly communicating with the opposing party during negotiations of that management agreement. The blind copies of confidential documents allegedly sent to Erlanger Health System by partner Ward Nelson of…

Apr 7, 2015 12:25 PM CDT

Woman faces new charges of animal neglect; cop wore gas mask to rescue kitten

Found not guilty of animal neglect during a 2011 trial, an Oregon woman is now facing new charges. After a Portland police officer donned a gas mask to enter the abandoned apartment of Edna Sue Blair, a warrant was issued for her arrest. A total of four charges of animal…

Apr 1, 2015 9:30 AM CDT

Deaf man took plea in theft case over iPad that wasn’t stolen, due to lack of communication

A homeless deaf man, who was arrested last year at a Washington, D.C., area airport where he was trying to sleep, spent six weeks in jail in Virginia and eventually took a plea in a case over a stolen iPad, due to a lack of communication. The iPad at issue,…

Mar 19, 2015 11:00 AM CDT

Ex-CIA director Petraeus reaches plea deal in claimed classified docs leak to mistress

A retired four-star general, known both for his wartime leadership in Iraq and Afghanistan and stepping down as CIA director after an affair came to light, has taken a plea deal in a case over classified documents he allegedly provided to his lover. David Petraeus has ended a “spectacular fall”…

Mar 3, 2015 11:25 AM CST

EEOC expert made an ‘alarming number of errors,’ 4th Circuit says in background-check case

Updated: An expert witness for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission made “an alarming number of errors” in an analysis of a discrimination claim, according to a federal appeals court opinion that upheld dismissal of an EEOC lawsuit. The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (PDF) on Friday…

Feb 23, 2015 10:55 AM CST

Are some opinions unpublished to avoid review? Thomas dissent highlights the issue

Justice Clarence Thomas pointed to a “disturbing aspect” of a recent ruling by a federal appeals court when he dissented last month from a Supreme Court decision to deny certiorari. In his Jan. 20 dissent (PDF), Thomas said the court should have granted cert in Plumley v. Austin to review…

Feb 4, 2015 6:15 AM CST

Federal judge nixes appeal bond for former Virginia governor sentenced to 2 years

A federal judge has refused to OK an appeal bond for a former Virginia governor sentenced last week to two years for trading the influence of his office for gifts, loans and perks. That means Robert “Bob” McDonnell, who also served as the state’s attorney general, could be imprisoned on…

Jan 13, 2015 10:50 AM CST

Feds won’t put NY Times reporter on stand in CIA-leak case; judge nixes request to bar his testimony

Updated: A New York Times reporter has won a nearly seven-year legal battle with the feds over whether he can be forced to testify at the criminal trial of an alleged source. The government will not only avoid calling James Risen as a witness but unsuccessfully sought a court order…

Jan 12, 2015 3:50 PM CST

Former Virginia governor sentenced to 2 years in corruption case

Convicted in September in a federal corruption case, former Virginia governor and attorney general Robert F. “Bob” McDonnell was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison, the New York Times reports. His lawyers sought probation and 6,000 hours of community service in the Richmond case, in which McDonnell and…

Jan 6, 2015 2:05 PM CST

Abortion ultrasound law violates First Amendment, 4th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled that North Carolina’s abortion ultrasound law violates the First Amendment. The law requires physicians to perform an ultrasound, display the sonogram, and describe the fetus to women seeking abortions, even if the woman averts her eyes or refuses to listen. The measure does allow…

Dec 22, 2014 10:47 AM CST