Civil Law

With eight more executions scheduled, 2024 could conclude with most US executions in nearly a decade

I flagged here last month that a flourish of executions in multiple states had been scheduled over just a week, and all five of those executions were ultimately carried out.  I now see from this Death Penalty Information Center page that eight more executions are scheduled for the final few months of 2024.  If seven of those executions go forward as planned, the US will have completed 26 total execution in 2024, which would be more than in any calendar … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Illinois man challenges nearly three-year denial of exercise in solitary confinement

Illinois man challenges nearly three-year denial of exercise in solitary confinement

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.

In most state and federal prisons, a person held in solitary confinement is allowed regular access to physical activity. However, guards can deny this access for a limited period in response to misconduct. This week, we highlight cert petitions that ask the court to consider, among other things, whether prison … Read the rest

Civil Law

Nearly 200 sick in UK E. coli O157 outbreak

Public health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157 that has sickened almost 200 people in a month.

Since early September, 192 genetically linked cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 have been identified in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The majority of people sick are adults but there have been no deaths linked to the incident.

No source for the rise in infections has yet been identified. 

Dr. Lesley Larkin, head … Read the rest