Justices appoint former clerk to argue First Step Act cases 

Justices appoint former clerk to argue First Step Act cases 

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The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon appointed a former clerk to Justice Samuel Alito (who also served as a clerk to then-Judge Neil Gorsuch on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit) to defend a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in a pair of cases involving the interpretation of the First Step Act, a 2018 law that — among other things – reduced the mandatory minimum sentences for some drug and … Read the rest

Justices deny appeals from anti-abortion activists, Eastman, and former New Jersey candidates

Justices deny appeals from anti-abortion activists, Eastman, and former New Jersey candidates

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The Supreme Court on Monday morning declined to take an appeal by anti-abortion activists in a First Amendment dispute with Planned Parenthood, as well as a test of New Jersey’s “slogan statutes.” After adding 12 cases to their merits docket for the 2023-24 term on Friday, the justices on Monday denied review in nearly 900 cases that they considered at their conference last week. The justices also sought the Biden administration’s views in three more cases. The full list … Read the rest

Former Marine challenges power of courts-martial to try military retirees

Former Marine challenges power of courts-martial to try military retirees

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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.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military courts-martial retain jurisdiction over retired servicemembers. Courts-martial can punish a broader range of conduct and face fewer constitutional constraints than civilian courts. Therefore, since the time of the Korean War, the Supreme Court has repeatedly limited courts-martial to “the narrowest jurisdiction deemed … Read the rest

Former candidates say New Jersey’s “slogan statutes” violate the First Amendment

Former candidates say New Jersey’s “slogan statutes” violate the First Amendment

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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.

Laws governing elections and the right to participate in the political process receive varying degrees of scrutiny when challenged in court. The Supreme Court has held that election laws restricting “core political speech” trigger a high degree of suspicion under the First Amendment. By comparison, laws that simply regulate the … Read the rest

Ohio State asks court to toss lawsuits over sexual abuse by former university physician

Ohio State asks court to toss lawsuits over sexual abuse by former university physician

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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.

Over a period of 20 years, the late Dr. Richard Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students in his role as a physician with the Ohio State University’s athletics department and student health center. This week, we highlight cert petitions that ask the court to consider, among other things, … Read the rest

Former Ukrainian prime minister files appeal in two-decade saga over laundered funds

Former Ukrainian prime minister files appeal in two-decade saga over laundered funds

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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.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, has been much in the news for his visit to Washington, D.C., urging greater cooperation with the United States in response to the Russian invasion. But Zelenskyy is not the only Ukrainian leader making an appeal in the U.S. capital. This week, we highlight … Read the rest

Former McDonald’s CEO Charged with Lying to Investors

When Stephen Easterbrook was first fired from his position as CEO of McDonald’s, the firing was listed as “without cause,” which allowed Easterbrook to keep his severance pay, including shares in the company. But that was before McDonald’s found out about the extent of Easterbrook’s alleged misconduct.

At the time he was fired, Easterbrook allegedly denied having any inappropriate relationships with any of his employees, except for one relationship, which he claimed had not been physical. Afterwards, an internal investigation … Read the rest

Court action in case against former Blue Bell chief continues despite hung jury

— ANALYSIS —

Today the U.S. Court for the Western District of Texas is giving its first attention since Aug. 15 to the criminal case involving former Blue Bell chief Paul Kruse.   

“The court hereby sets and directs the parties, or counsel acting on their behalf, to appear by phone for an initial pretrial conference on 10/05/2022 at 10:10 AM, “ the federal case dockets says.

The court declared a mistrial in the case on Aug. 15 after a jury trial broke … Read the rest