Court Administration

House reverses course on renaming federal courthouse to honor Black judge

The U.S. House of Representatives reversed course last week and voted to rename a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, after the first Black judge on the Florida Supreme Court.

May 25, 2022 8:58 AM CDT

Supreme Court justices get around-the-clock security after leak of draft abortion opinion; 25 state AGs call for action

U.S. Supreme Court justices began getting around-the-clock security last week, as protesters who fear an end to abortion rights gathered outside the homes of conservative justices.

May 20, 2022 10:17 AM CDT

Judge’s COVID-19 protocols violated defendant’s right to a public trial, 9th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated when a trial judge allowed an audio stream but not video access to the proceedings.

May 17, 2022 12:52 PM CDT

New law toughens stock disclosure requirements for federal judges; separate ethics bill faces ‘steep climb’

President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law a bill that strengthens financial disclosure requirements for federal judges.

May 17, 2022 8:35 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Judge lifts Trump sanction, for now; $997M settlement offered in condo collapse

Judge willing to accept $110K, cooperation to end Trump sanction A trial-level judge in New York lifted a $10,000 daily civil contempt sanction against former President Donald Trump on Wednesday. But Judge Arthur Engoron warned that the sanction could be reinstated if Trump doesn’t pay $110,000 in accumulated fines and…

May 13, 2022 2:37 PM CDT

Will Supreme Court adopt high-tech tools to fight security breaches?

The U.S. Supreme Court could take several measures to increase security following the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion to Politico.

May 11, 2022 10:34 AM CDT

Where are the other draft opinions in SCOTUS abortion case? So far, there are none, report says

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is the only draft opinion circulating in the abortion case, according to a report by Politico.

May 11, 2022 9:16 AM CDT

Texas judge is reprimanded following the shackling of 2 lawyers in courtroom

A Houston family court judge has been publicly reprimanded for ordering two lawyers to be escorted to the jury box by a bailiff who shackled them to a chair while court proceedings continued.

May 10, 2022 3:13 PM CDT

Lawyers who released Trump’s ‘dangerous’ fruit deposition should be sanctioned, motion says

Opposing counsel should be sanctioned for releasing deposition testimony in which former President Donald Trump expressed his fear of being hit by hurled fruit, according to a motion filed by Trump’s lawyers.

May 5, 2022 11:42 AM CDT

GOP opposition blocks bill to name federal courthouse after Black judge, a ‘legal legend’

A measure to name a federal courthouse after the first Black judge on the Florida Supreme Court was recently blocked in the U.S. House of Representatives after one lawmaker found a news clip on a prayer ruling.

Apr 13, 2022 10:50 AM CDT

Vaccine refusal leads New York courts to fire 103 workers, ban 4 judges from courthouses

The New York state court system has fired 103 employees and banned four judges from courthouses for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Apr 7, 2022 9:33 AM CDT

Former judge faces prison time after pleading guilty to sexual assault of 2 court employees

A former judge in Washington, who was accused of sexually assaulting two former court employees, agreed to a plea deal as his trial was set to begin Monday.

Apr 7, 2022 8:41 AM CDT

Ex-law clerk accuses federal judge of pregnancy bias in House testimony; judiciary group backs changes

A former law clerk for a federal judge in Georgia told a U.S. House of Representatives panel Thursday that she thinks that she was fired because of her pregnancy. The former clerk said in written testimony her pregnancy was “treated as a burden.”

Mar 17, 2022 3:14 PM CDT

California governor backs mental health courts that could compel people into care

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to fight homelessness with a proposal to create a mental health “CARE Court” in every county that could compel treatment for those with severe mental illness.

Mar 8, 2022 8:40 AM CST

Thousands of confidential ethics and juvenile records are published online

A website called judyrecords.com has published thousands of confidential court records from across the nation, including private ethics records in California and juvenile court records from several states, according to reporting.

Mar 2, 2022 11:21 AM CST