Special Counsel Jack Smith revises indictment against Trump

Special Counsel Jack Smith revises indictment against Trump

Share

Just under two months after a divided Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for their conduct in office, Special Counsel Jack Smith charged former President Donald Trump in a revised indictment alleging that Trump conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The court’s July 1 ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, held that former presidents can never be prosecuted for actions related to the core powers of their office. Moreover, the … Read the rest

Pennsylvania officials warn against raw milk cheese contaminated with Listeria

Raw milk cheese from a Pennsylvania producer sold at an unknown number of retail locations is contaminated with Listeria. The producer is refusing to issue a recall. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture warns consumers to discard BeiHollow brand raw milk cheddar cheese.

The Department of Agriculture purchased two retail packages of BeiHollow brand cheese from Racoon Valley Farm in Millerstown, Perry County, as part of required testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Analysis revealed that the cheese product … Read the rest

Justices take up abortion case pitting state against federal law

Justices take up abortion case pitting state against federal law

Share

The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon granted a request from Idaho and the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to temporarily put on hold a ruling by a federal district court that would require emergency rooms in the state to provide abortions to pregnant women in an emergency. The justices agreed to weigh in on the question at the center of the dispute: whether the federal law on which the lower court relied trumps an Idaho law that criminalizes most abortions in … Read the rest

Justices clear the way for Louisiana wetlands trial against oil companies to go forward

Justices clear the way for Louisiana wetlands trial against oil companies to go forward

Share

The Supreme Court on Tuesday morning declined to put a Louisiana trial seeking compensation for the “existential threat” posed by coastal land loss on hold while the defendants in the case, a group of oil companies, seek review of a state court decision rejecting their request to transfer the case. The oil companies had argued that they cannot get a fair trial in the court where they are being sued because any awards against them will go to the … Read the rest

Court allows bar on Tulsa’s enforcement of municipal laws against Native Americans to remain in place

Court allows bar on Tulsa’s enforcement of municipal laws against Native Americans to remain in place

Share

The Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place a federal appeals court ruling that bars the city of Tulsa from enforcing municipal ordinances against Native Americans. In a brief unsigned order without any public dissents, the justices rejected the city’s request to put a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on hold to give the city time to appeal.  

The order came in a case arising from a nearly five-year-old traffic ticket and … Read the rest

Supreme Court rules against union over strike liability

Supreme Court rules against union over strike liability

Share

In an 8-1 opinion on Thursday, the justices provided a new definition to the limits on the right to strike under federal labor law. At issue in Glacier Northwest v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union 174was whether an employer could sue its employees’ union under state law for damage the employer incurred as a result of the union’s strike. The case produced a surprisingly broad majority agreeing that the strike at issue was not even arguably protected … Read the rest

In lawsuit against tech companies, justices debate what it means to “aid and abet” terrorism

In lawsuit against tech companies, justices debate what it means to “aid and abet” terrorism

Share

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared wary of a lawsuit seeking to hold Twitter, Facebook, and Google liable for aiding and abetting international terrorism based on ISIS’s use of the companies’ platforms. But during nearly three hours of oral argument, the justices struggled to draw a line between holding organizations responsible for supporting terrorism and allowing organizations to go about legitimate business, even if they may come in contact with terrorists as part of that business.

The dispute, Twitter Read the rest

Homeowners ask the justices to enforce a New York consumer-protection law against banks

Homeowners ask the justices to enforce a New York consumer-protection law against banks

Share

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

A response to the mortgage crisis of 2007, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 ushered in a host of new federal rules and oversight for the financial sector. This week, we highlight cert petitions that ask the court to consider, among other things, whether that … Read the rest