D.C. Circuit Court

Court to Review Classified Gitmo Evidence

A federal appeals court has ordered the government to disclose classified evidence against Guantanamo detainees to the court and the lawyers who are defending them. The ruling on Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit indicates the court intends to conduct full reviews of…

Jul 23, 2007 2:31 PM CDT

The Day the Internet Music Dies

Playing music on the Internet gets more expensive on Sunday—in some cases prohibitively so—because of inaction by a federal appeals court. Sunday is the day that broadcast royalty rates will increase because of a decision by an obscure group of federal judges called the Copyright Royalty Board, the Los Angeles…

Jul 13, 2007 5:05 PM CDT

Irked Judge Upholds Libby Commutation

In what a well-known U.S. Supreme Court blog describes as “a 10-page opinion bristling with actual and implied criticism” of President George W. Bush’s commutation of the 30-month prison term imposed on I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the federal judge who sentenced the former top vice presidential aide held today that…

Jul 13, 2007 2:57 AM CDT

SEC Asserts Hedge-Fund Authority

The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted a new anti-fraud rule that clarifies its ability to sue hedge-fund managers who mislead investors. The new rule, which takes effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register, covers account managers who make false or misleading reports to investors, the…

Jul 11, 2007 6:58 PM CDT

Libby Probation OK, Briefs Say

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby may be sentenced to two years of supervised release in spite of President Bush’s commutation of his prison sentence, prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed in court papers filed yesterday. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton of the District of Columbia had questioned whether Libby could receive probation…

Jul 10, 2007 2:41 PM CDT

Alleged Madam May Reveal Records

The alleged D.C. madam has offered the media phone records that could identify customers after a federal judge’s decision to allow their release. Deborah Jeane Palfrey originally wanted to charge for the records, but now says they are available for free through her Web site, according to Reuters. “Jeane has…

Jul 6, 2007 4:30 PM CDT

Media Shields Anthrax Sources

Lawyers for a former Army scientist who says he was improperly named in connection with an anthrax investigation pressed to learn the source of the leak at a hearing on Tuesday. Lawyers for Steven Hatfill said he had met a two-pronged test to compel reporters to reveal their anonymous sources,…

Jul 5, 2007 4:08 PM CDT

Tax on Emotional Damages Upheld

A federal appeals panel has reversed course and upheld the power of the federal government to tax an award for emotional distress. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled today that Congress has the power to impose the tax under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.…

Jul 3, 2007 8:08 PM CDT

Last Resorts of Court

One date that’s on almost every federal judge’s calendar this summer is the meeting of his or her circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, at which trial and appellate judges review the work of the court and socialize at some of the nicest resorts and hotels in the nation.…

Jul 1, 2007 7:04 PM CDT

Libby Appeal Seeks Stay of Sentence

Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby has asked a federal appeals court to delay his sentence pending an appeal. The motion filed yesterday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says Libby has a good chance of winning, the Washington Post reports. The…

Jun 20, 2007 4:47 PM CDT

New Trial Due to Judge’s Plea Comment

A federal judge who suggested that he might sentence a defendant to even less time than the prosecution was offering in a plea bargain had good intentions but made a big mistake, says the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The judge’s interference with the plea bargaining process…

Jun 11, 2007 7:47 PM CDT

No Rehearing in Gun Rights Case

A federal appeals court has refused to rehear a decision holding that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms. The March decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit struck down parts of a D.C. gun control law. Other…

May 9, 2007 4:09 PM CDT

Liberal Law Profs Back Right to Own Guns

Several liberal law professors are concluding that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms. Scholarship by Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe and others has changed the debate over gun rights, according to an article by Adam Liptak in the New York Times. Their work culminated in a…

May 7, 2007 1:21 PM CDT

Congressman Liable for Disclosing Taped Call

D.C. Circuit ruling turns on an ethics committee confidentiality rule; congressman could be out more than $500,000.

May 2, 2007 1:35 PM CDT

Losing Streak

D.C. Circuit Rules Lawyers Should Not Be Regulated as ‘Financial Institutions’

Feb 22, 2006 8:07 AM CST