State Government

New York can’t ban concealed carry by default on private property open to public, 2nd Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled that many restrictions in New York’s revised concealed-carry law are likely constitutional, including a requirement that applicants be of good moral character.

Dec 13, 2023 8:50 AM CST

Judges can’t expand narrow exception to abortion ban ‘under the guise of interpreting it,’ Texas Supreme Court says

A woman whose fetus has a genetic abnormality that is nearly always fatal cannot get an abortion in Texas because her doctor did not allege that the risks of her pregnancy met the state’s standard for an exception to its ban on abortions, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Dec 12, 2023 11:13 AM CST

Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to conversion-therapy ban; 3 justices would have heard case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a challenge to ban in Washington on conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors, prompting dissents from three justices.

Dec 11, 2023 2:05 PM CST

‘Nuclear verdicts’ and ‘litigation tourism’ are partly why these state courts are top ‘judicial hellholes,’ report says

Courts in Georgia and Pennsylvania are named as top "judicial hellholes" for their friendliness to tort plaintiffs in a report by the American Tort Reform Foundation.

Dec 8, 2023 2:13 PM CST

Lawyer’s copied website material, statements about experience weren’t false or misleading, top state court rules

A part-time lawyer didn’t violate a disciplinary rule banning false or misleading communications by posting copied material on her website, along with statements such as “experience counts,” the Kansas Supreme Court ruled Dec. 1.

Dec 7, 2023 3:35 PM CST

Politics are at play in states seeking to rein in ‘progressive’ prosecutors

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is targeting “progressive” prosecutors—a broad term that carries different meanings in different jurisdictions and frequently signals support for policies aimed at reducing mass incarceration. But it’s not just happening in Florida.

Dec 6, 2023 2:50 PM CST

Public defender who defended cocaine use as sometimes beneficial should be suspended, disciplinary counsel says

A lawyer who displayed a “stunning void of evidence regarding any genuine pursuit of sobriety” should be suspended for using cocaine before his client’s hearing and defending it as sometimes helpful, according to a brief filed by the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Dec 5, 2023 3:26 PM CST

Felony murder retrial of former Fisher Phillips partner delayed amid evidence dispute

Updated: The felony murder retrial of former Fisher Phillips partner Claud “Tex” McIver, who is accused of fatally shooting his wife, has been delayed to allow prosecutors to appeal an evidence ruling for the defense.

Dec 5, 2023 12:39 PM CST

Can injured bicyclist tap dad’s uninsured motorist coverage? Despite policy exclusion, it’s covered, top Illinois court says

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled against the Direct Auto Insurance Co. in a dispute over the reach of its uninsured motorist coverage.

Dec 4, 2023 11:56 AM CST

Lawyer’s Pringles poop prank in parking lot of victims advocacy center leads to suspension

An Ohio lawyer was suspended Wednesday for tossing a poop-filled Pringles can into the parking lot of a victims advocacy center.

Nov 30, 2023 9:21 AM CST

Cyberattack bedevils Kansas courts, requiring them to ‘go analog,’ while UK law firms grapple with vendor breach

The Kansas judicial branch is still dealing with the aftermath of an Oct. 12 cyberattack that affected computer systems used by district and appellate courts.

Nov 28, 2023 3:30 PM CST

Judicial task force will take deep look at legal ed, bar admissions

A new group comprised of nine state supreme court chief justices and three state court administrators will make recommendations to state supreme courts regarding legal education, the bar admissions process and the declining numbers of attorneys dedicated to public-interest law.

Nov 28, 2023 1:00 PM CST

Arizona lawmakers who opposed depositions on tougher voting laws fail to win Supreme Court stay

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to block a federal judge’s decision to allow depositions of two Republican legislative leaders in Arizona who intervened to defend laws passed last year that require would-be voters to provide proof of citizenship.

Nov 28, 2023 10:44 AM CST

Trying to kill ex-husband with hatchet violates separation agreement’s covenant of good faith, state appeals court says

Updated: A husband does not have to make continued payments to his ex-wife under a separation agreement after she tried to kill him with a hatchet, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled.

Nov 27, 2023 8:42 AM CST

In ‘catastrophic’ ruling for minority voters, 8th Circuit says only US can sue for discriminatory voting practices

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis ruled Monday that private plaintiffs cannot sue for alleged violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans voting practices and procedures that deny or abridge the right to vote on the basis of race or color.

Nov 20, 2023 3:26 PM CST