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Supreme Court

Kentucky man says police violated Fourth Amendment by searching his backpack during arrest

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.

The Fourth Amendment generally bars police from searching people or their property without a warrant. The Supreme Court has made an exception for searches made during an arrest. But although that exception applies to arrestees themselves, it only extends to their nearby possessions if there is a risk they can … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Justices seem to resolve Dogecoin arbitration dispute during argument

Wednesday’s oral argument in Coinbase v. Suski was the court’s second case in February under the Federal Arbitration Act, and by all accounts this one will be a lot easier for them to resolve than Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries. Coinbase is a technical dispute about the “delegation clause” in an arbitration agreement, which “delegates” to the arbitrator not only the job of resolving the dispute between the parties, but also the threshold question whether any particular dispute falls … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Voter-registration dispute during 2020 election raises question of attorney’s fees

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.

Going to court is one way to enforce your civil rights if they are violated by a state official. As options go, though, it can be expensive. This week, we highlight cert petitions that ask the court to consider, among other things, when a prevailing plaintiff in a civil-rights … Read the rest

Civil Law

Technology in food driving FDA’s announcements during the past week

During the same week that the Food and Drug Administration re-affirmed its approval of Atlantic salmon with an intentionally altered genome, the agency also permitted the growth of chicken from animal cells in laboratories.

The approval went to a specific company, UPSIDE FOODS. The company is a leader among those wanting to harvest cells from animals and then use the cells to grow meat and poultry in lab settings.

The federal government’s dual regulatory system for cell-grown meat and poultry … Read the rest

Circuit Courts

Officer Wellness is Top Topic During National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week

Federal probation and pretrial officers from across the country are gathering this week in Atlanta for a national conference on officer wellness, an issue that has gotten increasing attention in recent years, particularly after the protracted coronavirus pandemic raised stress levels for officers in the field. The conference is being held July 19 to 21 during National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week, which is honored annually during the third calendar week of July to recognize the public service of … Read the rest

Supreme Court

During arguments over COVID-19 policy, two absent lawyers and more masks on the bench

A View from the Courtroom is an inside look at significant oral arguments and opinion announcements unfolding in real time.

There are several unusual and noteworthy things about today’s arguments in two cases regarding Biden administration responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But a snow day in Washington is not really one of them. After the surprisingly disruptive snowstorm that hit the capital region on Monday, bringing misery to those stuck on I-95 for 24 hours or more, … Read the rest