Constitutional Law

Calif. Must Plan to Release Up to 60,000 Inmates, Federal Panel Says

Although it’s not yet a final decision, a special panel of federal judges ruled today that California must begin planning to release tens of thousands of state prison inmates over the next several years. “California’s 33 prisons hold about 160,000 inmates, nearly twice their designed capacity. The judges said they…

Feb 10, 2009 1:26 AM CST

Bickel & Brewer Satellite Office is a Pro Bono Powerhouse

At its satellite office in south Dallas, Bickel & Brewer has an unusual practice focus: pro bono work. But it reflects Bill Brewer and John Bickel’s longtime commitment to representing low-income clients. They decided to one day open a separate division to represent low-income clients about three years after they…

Feb 9, 2009 6:34 PM CST

Lawyers Get $1.4M in Attorney Fees for Winning $183K Taser Case

Lawyers who won $183,000 for the family of a man who died in 2005 after being Tasered dozens of times by Salinas, Calif., police have now been awarded $1.4 million in legal fees. A federal judge yesterday ordered Taser International Inc. to pay the seven-figure amount, acknowledging that the $1,423,000…

Feb 6, 2009 10:24 PM CST

NJ’s Top Court Sides with 10-Foot Inflatable Rodent, Strikes Sign Ordinance

Ruling yesterday on free-speech grounds, the New Jersey Supreme Court said a municipal ordinance banning a labor union from displaying a 10-foot-tall inflatable rat at protest sites was a violation of its First Amendment rights. A divided appeals court had previously sided with Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, after the…

Feb 6, 2009 9:19 PM CST

NY Times Calls for Change in ‘Warped Crackdown on Illegal Immigration’

A perp walk on Wednesday featured more than 200 individuals in shackles and prison stripes headed to a new tent city for illegal immigrants in Phoenix. The tent city, which is surrounded by an electrified fence, is just for illegal immigrants, notes a recent article in the Phoenix Business Journal.…

Feb 6, 2009 8:36 PM CST

Those Who Followed DOJ Policy Won’t Be Prosecuted, Says CIA Chief Nominee

Those in the CIA who followed legal directives of the U.S. Department of Justice won’t be prosecuted under official White House policy, even if they crossed the line into what some see as torture in their harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects, says Leon Panetta, the nominee for the agency’s top…

Feb 6, 2009 7:25 PM CST

JuicyCampus Denies Legal Problems Were Cause of its Demise

The controversial gossip website JuicyCampus is no longer publishing, but its founder denies that legal problems were the cause. JuicyCampus is known for anonymous posts on topics such as “biggest slut on campus” and “easiest freshman,” the Associated Press reports. Founder Matt Ivester says a decline in ad revenue forced…

Feb 6, 2009 12:22 PM CST

Attorney Marc Dreier Gets Unsecured $10M Bail, Under Strict House Arrest

Like another alleged white-collar criminal who has been much in the news lately, attorney Marc Dreier will soon be out of jail and under house arrest. He is to be released on an unsecured $10 million bond, a federal judge in New York City decided yesterday, over the objections of…

Feb 5, 2009 9:30 PM CST

Suspended Pa. Judge Changed Other Judges’ Sentences, His Successor Says

A suspended judge who formerly served as the president judge of Luzerne County had been changing sentences for some convicted felons, often without the knowledge of the judges who originally imposed the sentences, his successor says. “Former Luzerne County President Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. bypassed the rest of the…

Feb 5, 2009 7:24 PM CST

DA Can Check Jail Phone Calls for Case Information, Calif. Judge Rules

A California judge has rejected a Sixth Amendment challenge to the local district attorney’s practice of data-mining phone calls from county jails for information about criminal cases. Citing state supreme court precedent, Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Charles Treat said, after hearing arguments yesterday morning, that recording jailhouse calls for…

Feb 5, 2009 6:45 PM CST

Two Federal Lawyers Win Benefits for Same-Sex Spouses in 9th Circuit Orders

Two federal judges on the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have required payment of health insurance benefits to same-sex spouses of lawyers employed by the U.S. government. Judge Stephen Reinhardt and Chief Judge Alex Kozinski issued the orders as hearing officers for circuit employee disputes, the Daily…

Feb 5, 2009 12:08 PM CST

Scalia Chastises Student for ‘Nasty, Impolite Question’ on Court Cameras

Updated: A 20-year-old student got an icy retort from Justice Antonin Scalia on Tuesday when she asked why cameras are not permitted in the U.S. Supreme Court. Sarah Jeck, a political science student at Florida Atlantic University, asked about cameras during a question-and-answer session at a luncheon in West Palm…

Feb 4, 2009 8:00 PM CST

Luzerne County, Pa., Court Shakeup Expands Exponentially

After news that two now-suspended senior Luzerne County judges have agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges, Pennsylvania state lawmakers plan to discuss possible compensation for juveniles that the two judges are accused of sending to detention facilities in exchange for monetary kickbacks. “Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court has agreed…

Feb 4, 2009 7:56 PM CST

Retirement of Sasha and Malia Dolls Means One Less Issue for Obama Lawyers

Updated: The toy maker that sells Beanie Babies has retired two dolls that raised the ire of first lady Michelle Obama, leaving one less issue for the president’s lawyers to tackle. While Ty will no longer be profiting from the dolls, “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha,” they are still hot…

Feb 3, 2009 1:26 PM CST

‘Broad Doctrinal Shift’ Expected at DOJ as Eric Holder is OK’d as AG

In an expected confirmation, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Eric H. Holder Jr. as the nation’s first African-American attorney general. “Though debate quickly turned partisan when his chief supporter denounced Republicans who sought a pledge not to prosecute intelligence agents who participated in harsh interrogations, the Senate still confirmed Holder…

Feb 2, 2009 11:57 PM CST