Study Confirms Positive Impact of Early Release Initiative

When a federal judge imposed two concurrent life sentences on Jerome Brough, he sat frozen in disbelief, struggling to comprehend how a non-violent drug-related offense could lead to a lifetime in prison. Yet, through determination, good fortune, and the Judiciary’s increasing use of early release from supervision, Brough is now a free man.
Judiciary News – United States CourtsRead the rest

Outside attorneys appointed to argue in two cases

Outside attorneys appointed to argue in two cases

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday appointed two outside attorneys to defend the lower-court decisions in two cases in which the federal government has declined to do so. In a brief order on Tuesday afternoon, the justices tapped Michael Huston to argue in Parrish v. United States, which they added to their docket for the 2024-25 term on Jan. 17, and Christopher Mills to argue in Martin v. United States, which they granted on Monday afternoon. Both cases … Read the rest

UK FCA Letter Expresses Concerns About Fund Service Providers

In late 2024, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a “Dear CEO” letter related to the FCA’s “Custody and Fund Services Supervision Strategy.” The letter shares the FCA’s expectations of UK FCA-authorised firms that act as custodians, depositories, and administrators in the funds sector. Importantly the letter also highlights some of the regulatory risks and topics fund managers should be reviewing as part of their due diligence before selecting service providers for their funds, irrespective of whether the … Read the rest

Mississippi’s permanent felony voting ban returns to the court

Mississippi’s permanent felony voting ban returns to the court

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The Petitions of the Week column highlights some of the cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

In 1974, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution generally permits states to strip people convicted of felonies of their right to vote. Widespread at the time, that practice has since fallen out of favor in many states, although a minority still disenfranchise people who commit serious, non-election-related crimes. This … Read the rest

Further UK warnings about additives in American snacks

Devon County Council has become the latest authority to warn about the safety of American snacks, sweets and fizzy drinks.

Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, which covers Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay, said imported sweets not approved for sale are increasingly being seen in shops across the region.

Officers have carried out unannounced inspections of stores looking for non-compliant sweets, cereals, bakery goods, snacks and canned/carbonated drinks. They identified and removed products containing unauthorized additives or with non-compliant … Read the rest

Trump asks justices for pause in four cases to reconsider Biden policies

Trump asks justices for pause in four cases to reconsider Biden policies

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The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to pause the briefing in four cases slated for argument during the 2024-25 term. In filings by Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris, the government told the justices that, with the change in administrations from former President Joe Biden to President Donald Trump, government officials had determined that federal agencies in each case – the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education – should take another look at the regulations, … Read the rest

The morning read for Wednesday, Jan. 22

The morning read for Wednesday, Jan. 22

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The justices will hear oral arguments in Barnes v. Felix and Cunningham v. Cornell University this morning. Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles and commentary related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Wednesday morning read:

  • Cop kills driver in routine stop. Supreme Court weighs whether it’s justified. (Maureen Groppe, USA Today)
  • US Supreme Court weighs police conduct in fatal Houston shooting (Andrew Chung, Reuters)
  • Cornell Case May Be Bellwether For ERISA Transaction Claims (Kellie Mejdrich,
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Government Accountability Office finds problems with FDA inspection rates

In response to a report from the Government Accountability Office, the FDA says the biggest stumbling block to conducting inspections of food facilities is understaffing.

The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t met targets for inspections of domestic and foreign food facilities since 2018, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The FDA is responsible for 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, including domestic and imported food.

The FDA conducted thousands of routine surveillance food safety inspections of domestic and … Read the rest