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Supreme Court

Supreme Court ethics bill advances out of House committee after party-line vote

Recent controversies aside, efforts to pass Supreme Court reform legislation have been in the works for years. Now ethics reform is drawing national attention as polls show that public confidence in the court is plummeting. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., announced sweeping ethics legislationon Tuesday that would impose a code of conduct on the justices and would ban them from owning securities. And on Wednesday night, the House Judiciary Committee voted 22-16 along party lines … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Court has voted to overturn Roe, according to draft opinion published by Politico

The Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, according to a copy of an apparent draft opinion obtained by Politico.

Obtained by reporters Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward, the 98-page draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito is dated Feb. 10, 2022. It is styled as the “opinion of the Court” in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in which Mississippi and its supporters have asked the justices to eliminate the … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Capital defendant whose lawyer conceded guilt despite his objection seeks relief from Supreme Court

This week we highlight cert petitions that ask the Supreme Court to consider, among other things, a capital defendant’s request for habeas relief on the ground that his lawyer conceded guilt over his objection, as in 2018’s McCoy v. Louisiana.

Though the inmate in the 2018 case, Robert McCoy, had insisted that he was innocent, his lawyer considered the evidence against McCoy “overwhelming” and counseled that the best strategy to avoid the death penalty was to concede guilt. … Read the rest

Supreme Court

With three conservatives dissenting, court declines to intervene on behalf of Air Force officer who won’t get vaccinated

The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a plea from a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve to block the Air Force from disciplining him because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. Three justices – Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch – indicated that they would have granted the request and allowed him to continue to serve while his appeal continues.

The case, Dunn v. Austin, was brought by Lt. Col. Jonathan Dunn, an Air Force … Read the rest

Civil Law

COURT OF APPEAL SUMMARIES (FEBRUARY 28, 2022 – MARCH 4, 2022)

Jump To: Table of Contents | Civil Decisions | Short Civil Decisions

Good afternoon.

Following are this week’s summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of February 28, 2022.

In Gefen Estate v. Gefen, an estates case, the Court reiterated that while the quality of evidence may vary depending on a claim, the civil standard of proof will always remain the same: proof on a balance of probabilities. The issues canvassed … Read the rest

Civil Law

What do the Jamsek and Personnel Contracting High Court cases really mean for the future of contracts and the performance of work?

Most recent commentary on the recent High Court decisions in Jamsek and Personnel Contracting suggests that the Court has confirmed the primacy to be given to the terms of the written contract when determining the nature of the relationship between the parties. Whilst that is a fair observation, there is much more to the story. Key to understanding the real commercial impact of the two High Court cases for business is an appreciation of two matters.

First, neither of the … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Court will assess double-jeopardy claim with implications for tribal sovereignty

Crimes against indigenous women are the subject of increasing public concern and awareness. Government officials – tribal, federal, and state – have established initiatives to address the disturbingly disproportionate rates of violent crimes perpetrated against indigenous women. The tools these governments have at their disposal are often limited by a criminal justice system and jurisdictional framework in Indian Country that is complex and historically unresponsive to the needs of Indian people. Because federal statutes and court decisions have limited … Read the rest

Circuit Courts

District Court Gives Students Insider’s View of the Judiciary, Careers in Law

As a teenager, Taisha Sturdivant was a bright kid who loved to read, yet her circumstances conspired to limit her future prospects. With the help of mentors and her own determination, she enrolled in an interactive fellowship with the Massachusetts federal court. Today, she is a successful real estate attorney specializing in affordable housing.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest