Weekly Briefs: Decision overturning skirts-only rule survives; ‘Hurricane Carter’ judge dies

SCOTUS lets stand decision overturning skirts-only rule The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let stand a federal appellate decision holding that a public charter school in North Carolina violated the equal protection clause when it required girls to wear skirts. The case is Peltier v. Charter Day School. (American Civil…

Jun 30, 2023 3:30 PM CDT

3 judges block state restrictions on gender-affirming health care in 1 week’s time

Within a one-week period, federal judges have blocked laws in three states that restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender people.

Jun 22, 2023 11:22 AM CDT

Florida now has nation’s lowest death-penalty threshold; second bill allows execution of child rapists

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that allows juries to recommend capital punishment with an 8-4 vote.

Apr 20, 2023 12:02 PM CDT

Judge accused of using role as charity trustee to donate money to courts, juvenile justice center

An ethics complaint has accused an Indiana judge of using his role as a sole trustee for a charitable foundation to pay for tile work and car purchases provided to local courts by his father’s companies.

Feb 8, 2023 3:10 PM CST

‘Major questions’ doctrine applies to presidential authority, 5th Circuit says in federal contractor vaccine case

President Joe Biden didn’t have authority under the Procurement Act of 1949 to require federal contractors to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their employees, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Dec 21, 2022 8:33 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: Giuliani committed ethics violation, committee says; Justice Kavanaugh criticized for attending party

Rudy Giuliani committed ethics violation in election suit, committee says A hearing committee in Washington, D.C., made a preliminary finding Thursday that lawyer Rudy Giuliani committed at least one ethics violation in connection with his voter fraud claims in a Pennsylvania lawsuit. The committee did not elaborate on its finding.…

Dec 16, 2022 3:00 PM CST

Judge is accused of telling custody litigant to ‘zip it,’ noting ‘10th freaking day of this hearing’

An Indiana judge is facing an ethics complaint contending that he made undignified comments in a custody case when he told the father to “zip it” and “shut up” and declared: “This is just bulls- - -.”

Dec 7, 2022 8:35 AM CST

7th Circuit rejects First Amendment challenge to Indiana fetal-remains law

A federal appeals court has rejected a First Amendment challenge to an Indiana law requiring abortion providers to dispose of fetal remains by burial or cremation or to give the remains to patients to dispose of as they please.

Nov 30, 2022 3:00 PM CST

12-person juries are constitutionally required in serious criminal cases, Gorsuch argues

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented Monday, when the Supreme Court turned down an appeal that challenges the use of eight-person juries in serious criminal cases.

Nov 8, 2022 9:24 AM CST

Lawyer who says student-loan forgiveness leaves him worse off sues to block program

Updated: An Indiana lawyer who will have part of his student debt forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program has filed a lawsuit challenging student-debt cancellation by the Biden administration.

Sep 28, 2022 2:12 PM CDT

Supreme Court should uphold Indian Child Welfare Act, ABA says in amicus brief

The ABA has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act, writing in an amicus brief filed Thursday that Congress enacted the statute “under valid constitutional authority and on the basis of an extensive body of evidence and law.”

Aug 19, 2022 9:28 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Go-between sentenced in law prof’s murder; $4.25B opioid settlement announced

Convicted go-between gets life sentence in law prof’s murder Katherine Magbanua was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for acting as the go-between in the murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. She also received two consecutive 30-year sentences. Magbanua’s lawyer, Tara Kawass, said her client…

Jul 29, 2022 2:35 PM CDT

Indiana judge involved in White Castle fracas agrees to resign after new ethics charges filed

A twice-suspended judge in Crawford County, Indiana, has agreed to resign and never seek judicial office again. The agreement by Judge Sabrina Bell ends an ethics case alleging that she struck her ex-husband in the face. Bell has also voluntarily agreed to a 150-day suspension of her law license.

Jul 26, 2022 8:43 AM CDT

10-year-old girl should have carried pregnancy to term, says lawyer who drafted model anti-abortion law

The Indiana lawyer who drafted a model law to ban abortion tells Politico that the pregnant 10-year-old girl who came to his state for an abortion should not have terminated her pregnancy.

Jul 14, 2022 2:50 PM CDT

Judge involved in White Castle fracas is suspended after arrest for alleged domestic battery

May 16, 2022 3:25 PM CDT