Contraceptive mandate blocked by 7th Circuit

A federal appeals court based in Chicago has blocked the so-called contraceptive mandate that requires companies to provide contraceptive coverage in group health-care plans for employees. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday on behalf of two closely held companies and their Catholic owners, who claimed the mandate…

Nov 11, 2013 4:26 PM CST

‘Up-skirt’ photos aren’t banned by Peeping Tom law, lawyer argues

A lawyer for a Massachusetts man accused of taking “up-skirt” photos on the Boston subway argued on Monday that a Peeping Tom law doesn’t ban her client’s actions. Lawyer Michelle Menkin told the state’s top court that the law only applies to settings where there is an expectation of privacy…

Nov 7, 2013 12:15 PM CST

Man charged for texting explicit photo challenges law as free-speech violation

A Georgia man is claiming a free-speech violation after he was charged with violating a nude-materials law for texting a photo of his tattooed penis without the required warning. Lawyers for Charles Warren III are challenging the 1970s-era law, which bars distribution of materials containing nudity or sexual conduct unless…

Nov 6, 2013 11:45 AM CST

Angry prospective juror says what he thinks on questionnaire, gets 3 days in jail instead

As a convicted felon, Erick E. Haubenstricker could have been excused from jury duty simply by including this fact on a questionnaire. But the 36-year-old Michigan man took a different tack on the document, adding profanity-laced comments that blasted the system. On Monday, despite apologizing, he was sentenced to three…

Nov 4, 2013 7:25 PM CST

Psychics convicted in two separate cases; what is the line between fraud and free speech?

Psychics who charged large sums for their services were recently convicted in separate trials in Florida and New York, raising questions about the line between free speech and fraud. The Associated Press reports on the two trials and on state laws aimed at curbing abuses. In one trial, psychic Rose…

Nov 4, 2013 3:34 PM CST

Fear of juror Googling didn’t justify order to remove pages from lawyer website, appeals court says

A judge violated a lawyer’s First Amendment rights when he ordered the lawyer to take down references to asbestos wins on her website during a 2011 trial on similar issues, a California appeals court has ruled. The Second District Court of Appeal ruled on behalf of lawyer Simona Farrise last…

Nov 4, 2013 10:45 AM CST

Is the law firm associate model being phased out? | Encrypt laptop for ethics’ sake, blogger writes

The notion of creating a new class of associates that receives more training, less pressure to bill and less pay has taken hold at Greenberg Traurig as an alternative to the “quasi Hunger Game” model (as a Forbes writer put it this week) in which elite associates spend a brutal…

Nov 1, 2013 2:17 PM CDT

Victims are taking on ‘revenge porn’ websites for posting photos they didn’t consent to

Nov 1, 2013 9:30 AM CDT

The establishment clause is still a contentious battle among the justices

Nov 1, 2013 7:40 AM CDT

Nov. 24, 1947: Congress holds ‘Hollywood 10’ in contempt

Nov 1, 2013 5:30 AM CDT

The Department of Homeland Stupidity? Vendor sues for right to sell DHS and NSA parody items

A vendor is asking a federal court to rule that he can sell items parodying the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security without violating the government’s right to control agency names and seals. The plaintiff, Dan McCall, filed suit in Maryland federal court on Wednesday, report the…

Oct 31, 2013 12:43 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: Separation of church and state revisited

The Supreme Court will return next week to one of the most controversial topics in constitutional law: the separation of church and state. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Nov. 6 in Town of Greece v. Galloway, which poses the issue of whether explicitly Christian prayers before town…

Oct 30, 2013 1:30 PM CDT

Judge who ordered parents to change baby’s name from Messiah to Martin faces discipline case

A Tennessee judge who told the parents of a baby boy that they had to name their son Martin instead of Messiah because only Jesus Christ had “earned” the latter “title” is now facing a disciplinary case. Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew is charged with violating legal ethics rules…

Oct 28, 2013 3:40 PM CDT

3rd Circuit says Delaware Chancery Court’s secret arbitration program trials violated 1st Amendment

A divided federal appeals court Wednesday said a novel attempt by a highly regarded state court to offer an alternative to private arbitration of corporate matters violates the First Amendment because it involves secret trials. Upholding a lower court’s determination but applying a somewhat different line of reasoning to arrive…

Oct 23, 2013 7:05 PM CDT

Teen wrestler sues after he is suspended for tweet saying he will ‘drill’ his teammates

A high-school wrestler in Minnesota has filed a suit claiming his school violated his constitutional rights when it suspended him over a tweet. The 16-year-old youth from Shakopee High School says he was indefinitely suspended for a tweet he sent in August some time before a football scrimmage, the Minneapolis…

Oct 23, 2013 1:53 PM CDT