4th Circuit Court

4th Circuit Judge Argues Against Court’s ‘Ideological Makeover’

The Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, long touted as a conservative bastion, has four vacancies, six judges who were appointed by Republicans and five appointed by Democrats. Those numbers give President Barack Obama a chance to change the court’s ideological tilt. Now one of the judges in…

Jan 23, 2009 5:02 PM CST

Appeals Court Strikes Down US Civil Commitment Law for Sexually Dangerous

A federal appeals court has struck down a 2006 federal law providing for indefinite civil commitment of sexually dangerous inmates after their prison terms end. The Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Congress intruded on powers reserved for the states, report the Associated Press and the Richmond…

Jan 9, 2009 2:28 PM CST

W. Va. Man Wins 4th Circuit Ruling in Fight Over $40 Medical Bill

A West Virginia man has taken his fight over a $40 medical bill to the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and won. Sam Juniper said the case was a matter of principle, the Associated Press reports. He says his health benefits weren’t supposed to change after retirement,…

Nov 13, 2008 7:36 PM CST

US Appeals Judge William Wilkins Won’t ‘Coast’ in New Law Firm Job

The former chief judge of the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will join the Carolinas-based law firm Nexsen Pruet. Judge William Wilkins will lead the firm’s white-collar crime, appellate advocacy, and corporate compliance/crisis management practice groups, according to a press release. He was President Reagan’s first choice…

Oct 6, 2008 4:55 PM CDT

4th Circuit Nixes Defamation Claim Against Ex-Air America Host

Onetime Air America host Randi Rhodes’ comments about a military contractor at Abu Ghraib are protected under the First Amendment, the Richmond, Va., 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week. CACI International filed suit against Rhodes and Air America in 2005 for statements she made, including accusing CACI…

Aug 7, 2008 10:30 AM CDT

Acquitting Time

After Apprendi, new challenges to sentencing enhancements emerge

Aug 1, 2008 1:05 PM CDT

New Judge Gives 4th Circuit a Majority of GOP Appointees

G. Steven Agee’s new seat on the Richmond, Va., 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gives the influential court a majority of GOP-appointed judges. But don’t expect a decisive tilt to the right. Agee was sworn in earlier this month, ending a 5-5 split between Republican and Democratic appointees, the…

Jul 31, 2008 6:26 PM CDT

Supremacist Escapes Sanction for Internet Posts About Troutman Sanders Lawyer

A federal judge has refused to sanction a white supremacist who posted the home address and telephone number of a lawyer for Troutman Sanders in Richmond, Va. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bradford Stillman of Norfolk said the posts by white supremacist William White didn’t suggest physical harm and were less threatening…

Jul 29, 2008 1:41 PM CDT

Rudy Giuliani’s Son Sues Over Duke U Golf Team Dismissal

Updated: The son of New York’s former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, has sued Duke University over being kicked off of the golf team. Andrew Giuliani, a 22-year-old incoming senior, had hopes of turning pro. But a 198-page lawsuit filed in federal court by Durham, N.C., attorney Robert Ekstrand contends that his…

Jul 24, 2008 7:40 PM CDT

Appeals Court Grants Alleged Terrorist New Hearing on Combatant Status

A splintered federal appeals court, ruling in an en banc opinion, has upheld President Bush’s power to detain a Qatar man arrested here as an enemy combatant, but granted the suspect a new hearing to challenge his detention. The Washington Post and the New York Times differed on the implications…

Jul 16, 2008 10:56 AM CDT

Appeals Court Says Scientist is Public Figure, Dismisses Anthrax Libel Suit

A federal appeals court has ruled that scientist Steven Hatfill is a public figure and his libel suit against the New York Times for identifying him as an anthrax suspect must be dismissed. The Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that Hatfill could not show actual…

Jul 15, 2008 12:28 PM CDT

Jailed Michael Vick Files for Bankruptcy; Owes $10M to $50M

Jailed after a conviction in a federal dogfighting case, suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Vick, who is suspended without pay and lost all of his corporate sponsors over adverse publicity over the case, says in court papers that he owes between $10…

Jul 8, 2008 10:36 PM CDT

Ex-Client Says Kaye Scholer Discovery Errors Cost Millions

Updated: A former client of Kaye Scholer has sued the New York law firm for legal malpractice, contending that discovery errors forced it to enter into a $107 million antitrust settlement last month. It is seeking as damages the difference between $107 million and the nuisance settlement it says it…

Jun 26, 2008 8:13 PM CDT

Logjam

Politicians can’t agree who should fill vacancies on the nation’s most reliably conservative appellate court. If the logjam lasts past November, the court may take a turn to the left.

Jun 1, 2008 1:15 PM CDT

4th Circuit Strikes Down Va.‘s Late-Term Abortion Ban, Again

Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a federal ban on late-term abortions, the Richmond, Va.-based 4th Circuit struck down Virginia’s late-term law as unconstitutional. The 2-1 decision comes after the Supreme Court asked the 4th Circuit to reconsider its 2005 ruling striking down the law, reports the Associated…

May 20, 2008 9:08 PM CDT