Government

No Probe of Minn. AG’s Spending Needed, Auditor Says in ‘Unflattering’ Review

There is no basis to launch a full-scale investigation into expenditures by Minnesota’s attorney general, Lori Swanson, a state auditor says. “But an unflattering portrait of a pressure-cooker environment in Swanson’s office emerged in the review from auditor James Nobles, who said allegations about the office held up in sworn…

Jun 3, 2008 8:12 PM CDT

Texas Judge Returns 400-Plus FLDS Kids to Their Parents

After a Texas Supreme Court ruling Thursday that officials overstepped its authority by removing some 468 children from their homes at a ranch run by a religious sect that advocates polygamy, a judge signed an order (PDF) today returning custody to their parents. Families from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus…

Jun 2, 2008 7:58 PM CDT

More than 400 FLDS Kids to Begin Returning Home on Monday

Updated: After a Texas Supreme Court ruling yesterday that more than 460 children were illegally removed from their parents’ custody at a ranch run by a religious sect that advocates polygamy, they will reportedly begin returning home on Monday. The return plan was agreed to by Texas Child Protective Services…

May 30, 2008 10:22 PM CDT

10 States Seek Calif. Gay Marriage Delay; Suit to Be Filed in N.Y.

Updated: Opposing forces are gearing up to fight a major battle over the right of same-sex couples to marry, centered on the recent decision by the California Supreme Court that the state constitution protects their right to do so. Following a directive by New York’s Democratic governor, David Paterson, that…

May 30, 2008 8:35 PM CDT

Guerrilla Gardeners Tiptoe Around Law to Beautify—and Eat

In addition to commonplace concerns like weeds, weevils and adverse weather conditions, urban gardeners in far-flung locations including Miami, Southern California, London and Berlin face a significant additional challenge. At any time, police or angry property owners might appear to put a stop to their efforts. That’s because these guerrilla…

May 30, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

Did China Copy U.S. Commerce Secretary’s Laptop Computer?

A U.S. investigation is under way to determine whether China secretly copied a top American official’s government laptop computer during a trip late last year, subsequently using the information in attempts to hack into Commerce Department computers. “Surreptitious copying is believed to have occurred when a laptop was left unattended…

May 30, 2008 12:34 AM CDT

No Fifth in this Courtroom, Where NYC Cops are On Trial

It looks like an ordinary courtroom. But there’s no jury box, because there are no juries. And the Fifth Amendment doesn’t apply. That’s because those put on trial are New York City police officers, facing potential administrative penalties up to termination from their jobs for violation of their professional responsibilities,…

May 29, 2008 10:57 PM CDT

Supreme Texas Win for FLDS Moms: State Shouldn’t Have Taken 400-Plus Kids

Updated: Texas illegally removed more than 400 children from a ranch run by a religious sect that advocates polygamy and sent them to foster homes last month, a majority of the Texas Supreme Court decided today. The ruling is a stunning victory for about 40 mothers and their roughly 126…

May 29, 2008 9:15 PM CDT

New York Agencies Told to Recognize Out-of-State Gay Marriages

A directive from the governor’s office tells state agencies in New York to recognize gay marriages legally performed elsewhere. Citing a state appellate ruling, the legal counsel for Gov. David Paterson told agencies that married gay couples deserve the same protection as those in other legal unions, the New York…

May 29, 2008 10:41 AM CDT

Illicit Beer Bottle Caps Bring Feds Down on Calif. Brewer

A beer brewer in a small California town named after a founding citizen and state senator, Abner Weed, has incurred the wrath of federal regulators by his tongue-in-cheek use of the town’s name on bottle caps to help brand his product. “Try LEGAL weed,” they suggest. Around the rim of…

May 28, 2008 10:42 PM CDT

Law School Dean to be Ohio AG on Interim Basis

The governor of Ohio is replacing the state’s former attorney general, Marc Dann, with Nancy Hardin Rogers, the dean of Ohio State University’s law school. She will serve until a new attorney general is elected, taking a leave of absence from the law school in order to do so, reports…

May 28, 2008 7:37 PM CDT

Minn. AG Fires Staff Lawyer Critic

A staff lawyer who had criticized her boss, Minnesota attorney general Lori Swanson, over claimed ethics issues related to the filing of two lawsuits against mortgage foreclosure rescue companies has been fired. “Swanson dismissed Amy Lawler after the results of [an] investigation by Thomas Mengler, dean of the University of…

May 28, 2008 7:13 PM CDT

Our Client: Osama bin Laden’s Ex-Driver—and the Rule of Law

A 2004 telephone call from a law professor and a military lawyer in 2004 led to a startling shift in practice for two Seattle business litigators at Perkins Coie. Soon Harry Schneider, 54, and Joe McMillan, 48, were representing a terrorism suspect in an extremely high-profile case that has already…

May 27, 2008 3:01 PM CDT

WiFi-Sensitive Individuals Claim ADA Violation

The city attorney in Santa Fe, N.M., is investigating claims that wireless Internet signals are a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act because they can cause an allergic reaction. Arthur Firstenberg says he is highly sensitive to wireless signals and he experiences chest pain from WiFi, KOB-TV reports. His…

May 27, 2008 11:58 AM CDT

DC’s New AG Axes 10 Attorneys, Increases Oversight

The days of blue jeans and considerable lawyer autonomy are reportedly over at the Washington, D.C., attorney general’s office. Although he hasn’t decided for sure whether he’ll stay in the post after June, Peter Nickles, who took over as attorney general in December, has moved to fire 10 staff lawyers…

May 23, 2008 7:48 PM CDT