9th Circuit Court

Feds Must Pay Islamic Charity Lawyers and Their Counsel $2.5M in Warrantless Wiretap Case

The chief federal district court judge in San Francisco has ordered the federal government to pay more than $2.5 million, primarily in attorney’s fees, concerning its warrantless wiretap, under an executive surveillance program authorized by President George W. Bush, of two Washington, D.C., lawyers for a now-shuttered Islamic charity in…

Dec 22, 2010 8:11 PM CST

Judicial Nomination Deal Stymies Liu, Puts Democratic Majority on 2nd Circuit

Majority leaders of both parties in the Senate have worked out a deal allowing confirmation of 19 of President Obama’s judicial nominees and deferral of four others. Democrats agreed not to seek votes on the four nominees, report the Associated Press and the San Jose Mercury News. Their nominations will…

Dec 22, 2010 12:27 PM CST

Facebook Lawsuit Didn’t Have ‘Tidy Ending’ Portrayed in Film

A federal appeals court hearing next month is the latest saga in a long-running legal battle between Mark Zuckerberg and the twins who claimed the Facebook founder stole their ideas. The movie The Social Network ends with Zuckerberg settling the lawsuit filed by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss for $65 million…

Dec 22, 2010 11:30 AM CST

Appeals Panel Weighs Narrow Ruling in Gay Marriage Case

A federal appeals court panel considering California’s gay marriage ban could decide the case without finding a broader constitutional right to same-sex marriage. A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals focused on two issues, the Los Angeles Times reports. One is whether voters can…

Dec 7, 2010 3:01 PM CST

Report Says Ex-Maricopa Co. Attorney and Aide Should Be Disbarred, Alleges Conspiracy Against Judge

An out-of-state lawyer brought in by the Arizona Supreme Court to investigate a controversial former Maricopa County attorney has recommended that Andrew Thomas be disbarred. The investigator, attorney John Gleason of Colorado, contends, among other accusations, that Thomas and former deputy county attorney Lisa Aubuchon “conspired with each other and…

Dec 6, 2010 9:42 PM CST

Law Firm that Sought Reinhardt’s Ouster Is More Successful in a Second Case

A federal appeals court has booted a Tennessee federal judge from a case involving state health care for children, citing his “accusatory language” and “unproductive turmoil” in the legal dispute. The order by the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the accusatory language by Judge William Haynes Jr.…

Dec 3, 2010 1:09 PM CST

Liberal Judge Refuses to Bow Out of Same-Sex Marriage Appeal, Despite Wife’s ACLU Past

Updated: Opponents of same-sex marriage in California have lost their bid to disqualify a liberal judge on the panel appointed to hear their appeal that was based on his wife’s history with the American Civil Liberties Union. On Wednesday, sponsors of the state’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage asked Judge…

Dec 2, 2010 4:09 PM CST

Veterans Outraged Over Decision Downplaying Influence of Purple Heart Lie

Veterans are outraged by a federal appeals court decision upholding a conviction for solicitation to commit murder, even though the chief prosecution witness falsely claimed on the witness stand that he had a Purple Heart. The witness, Elven Swisher, wore a replica of the medal as he testified and said…

Dec 2, 2010 12:00 PM CST

‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy Remains in Force During Appeal of Ruling Striking It Down

The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to leave in place the American military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy concerning service members with a same-sex orientation, while an appeal of a lower court ruling striking the policy as unconstitutional is ongoing. The ruling was unanimous; however, Justice Elena Kagan didn’t…

Nov 12, 2010 8:48 PM CST

Fed’l Judge Blasts ‘Mean-Spirited’ Gov’t Memo Implying Bias for Wealthy Defendant

As he gave a high-profile defendant in an options-backdating case the probation and home confinement recommended in a presentence investigation, a federal judge in Los Angeles yesterday also offered a blistering critique of a prosecution memo urging him to send ex-KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz to the slammer. The sentencing…

Nov 11, 2010 9:29 PM CST

9th Circuit Keeps ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in Place Through Appeals

A federal appeals court has extended a stay that will keep don’t ask, don’t tell in place during the appeal of a lower court decision finding the policy unconstitutional. In a 2-1 decision, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals extended a temporary stay issued last month, according…

Nov 2, 2010 11:52 AM CDT

Mortal Combat

Video game makers fight for their right to be as bad as they wanna be

Nov 1, 2010 9:05 AM CDT

Take Down Election-Eve Legal Ethics Censure and Replace It with My Order, Fed’l Judge Tells Agency

A judicial candidate censured this week by a legal ethics agency in Nevada over her criticism of her opponent has won an emergency restraining order from chief federal judge of the local U.S. District Court. It not only requires that the censure be taken down from a public website maintained…

Oct 29, 2010 6:46 PM CDT

Hell’s Angels Sue Saks, Say Winged Death-Head on Items in Upscale Store Violates Trademark

Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp. has sued Saks Inc., contending that the upscale retailer and other defendants have misappropriated the winged death-head it has used as a trademark since 1948 by featuring it on clothes and handbags sold to consumers. The trademark-infringement suit, which was filed Monday in federal court in…

Oct 27, 2010 6:25 PM CDT

Federal Judge Blocks Gov’t Attempt to Get Amazon Records for Tax Billing

A federal judge in Seattle has nixed an attempt by North Carolina taxing authorities to obtain customer records from Amazon in order to impose sales tax on their purchases. Although N.C. Revenue Department officials say they have no interest in checking to see what customers from the state are buying,…

Oct 26, 2010 9:50 PM CDT