9th Circuit Court

Supreme Court appears split in Facebook lawsuit tied to data breach

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared closely divided over whether to allow shareholders to proceed with a lawsuit accusing Meta’s Facebook of misleading investors about risks from a massive data privacy breach.

Nov 7, 2024 10:00 AM CST

Who may be on Trump’s Supreme Court short list? Senate win aids judicial picks

President-elect Donald Trump could get a chance to appoint two U.S. Supreme Court justices if Justice Clarence Thomas, 76, and Justice Samuel Alito, 74, decide to retire.

Nov 6, 2024 3:12 PM CST

SCOTUS immunity decision may have protected crimes in Nixon White House, 9th Circuit judge says

White House “plumbers” who broke into the office of the psychiatrist treating the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers may have had immunity for their crimes if the U.S. Supreme Court’s July immunity decision had governed the cases, according to an op-ed by a federal appeals judge.

Oct 8, 2024 3:54 PM CDT

Trump-appointed appeals judges are ‘superstars’ based on 3 measures, study says

Are federal appeals judges appointed by former President Donald Trump disproportionately “superstars in a tournament of judges”? The answer is yes, a new study says, based on three measures used in the past by the study authors.

Sep 12, 2024 3:01 PM CDT

9th Circuit allows 2 transgender girls to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity

A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that two transgender girls in Arizona should be allowed to play on school sports teams that are consistent with their gender identity.

Sep 12, 2024 11:07 AM CDT

States can’t ban guns in banks, hospitals and churches, but property owners can, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court on Friday refused to allow two states to ban guns in some locations but limited the impact of its decision when it ruled that property owners can reject firearms.

Sep 12, 2024 9:23 AM CDT

Did you read the small print? ‘Infinite’ arbitration clauses are on the rise

Companies tend to prefer arbitration over a jury trial for a number of reasons. In arbitration, there’s usually a quicker and quieter resolution, more confidentiality, no jury, limited appeal and discovery, and relaxed evidentiary rules.

Sep 6, 2024 11:46 AM CDT

Mandatory bar violated lawyer’s association rights, but remedy ‘need not be drastic,’ 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court ruled this week that a lawyer’s mandatory membership in the Oregon State Bar violated his freedom-of-association rights because its magazine published statements that criticized former President Donald Trump and implied that the membership agreed.

Aug 29, 2024 11:27 AM CDT

Google’s foes on both coasts consider what it takes to crack a monopolist

In the wake of last week’s landmark federal court decision that deemed Google an illegal monopoly, Google’s foes are stepping up efforts to craft a legal case for something unthinkable until recently: the internet giant’s breakup.

Aug 16, 2024 11:15 AM CDT

Conflicts controversy follows revelation prosecutor sent nude photos to federal judge

A revelation that a prosecutor sent nude photos to a federal judge has led to an allegation that a U.S. attorney’s office tried to use the situation to force recusal.

Aug 15, 2024 1:10 PM CDT

Google monopoly ruling shows 19th-century law can police Big Tech

A federal judge’s ruling that Google broke the law to maintain a monopoly in search has dealt a blow to one of Big Tech’s main arguments against regulation: that America’s antiquated antitrust laws aren’t flexible enough to address the fast-changing nature of tech innovation.

Aug 8, 2024 1:05 PM CDT

Judiciary employees filed 17 complaints against federal judges over 3-year period, new report says

Judiciary employees filed 161 complaints alleging wrongful conduct over three fiscal years beginning in 2020, and 17 of those complaints concerned judges, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office released Tuesday.

Jul 31, 2024 11:17 AM CDT

Punishing first grader for ‘Black Lives Mater’ drawing violates First Amendment, appeal argues

A California school district violated the First Amendment when it punished a first grader who drew a picture for her friend with the phrases “Black Lives Mater" and "any life” written on it, the Pacific Legal Foundation has argued in an appellate brief.

Jul 25, 2024 2:31 PM CDT

Federal judge who abruptly resigned had been referred for possible impeachment recommendation

A federal judge in Alaska abruptly announced his resignation last week after a determination that he had “no filter” in conversations with his law clerks, had “no hesitation” in using inappropriate language, and had a “sexualized relationship” with a law clerk.

Jul 9, 2024 2:30 PM CDT

Citing ‘Sixth Amendment nightmare,’ 9th Circuit allows pretrial release of defendants without lawyers

A federal appeals court upheld an injunction Friday that requires Oregon to release pretrial defendants from custody if they have not received a lawyer within seven days.

Jun 4, 2024 2:06 PM CDT