Damages | Judiciary.org

Supreme Court

Justices take up disputes over terrorism damages suits and habeas filings

The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon agreed to decide whether a 2019 law that seeks to give U.S. courts the power to hear claims by victims of terrorism against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority violates the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of fair treatment.

Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization and United States v. Palestine Liberation Organization, which will be argued together in the spring, were two of the three petitions for review that the justices granted after … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Court rejects bid for compensation over police raid damages to Texas woman’s home

The Supreme Court declined on Monday morning to hear the case of a Texas woman seeking compensation for damage to her home inflicted by a SWAT team pursuing a fugitive. The denial of review in Baker v. McKinney came on a list of orders from the justices’ private conference on Friday.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, issued a statement regarding the court’s decision not to take up the case. She noted that the woman’s case presented … Read the rest

Criminal Law

Pornhub Parent Company to Pay Damages to Trafficked Women Filmed and Posted on Their Site

Aylo Holdings S.A.R.L., the company that operates Pornhub and other adult websites, acknowledged in federal court that it had profited for years from pornographic content that depicted sex trafficking victims, but pleaded not guilty to a charge of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds, Erin Nolan reports for the New York Times. Through an agreement with prosecutors, the company agreed to pay damages to women who said they were forced to appear in pornographic videos that … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Officers question award of post-mortem damages under Section 1983

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.

When a person is killed, the damages that their descendants or families can receive vary from state to state. Only five states allow for “hedonic” damages, or money to account for the deceased’s loss of enjoyment of future life. This week, we highlight cert petitions that ask the court to … Read the rest