U.S. Courts News Reporter
Share
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
Share
The Supreme Court blocked the execution of Ruben Gutierrez, who was sentenced to die after 7 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday for the 1998 stabbing death of 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison in Brownsville, Tex. In a brief unsigned order released to reporters just after 6:30 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday night, the justices put Gutierrez’s execution on hold until they decide whether to take up his appeal.
Gutierrez has long maintained that he did not go into Harrison’s home on the … Read the rest
The Texas Bar Foundation honored retired Supreme Court of Texas Justice Craig T. Enoch with the 2024 Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award, according to a press release.
The award, established in 2011, commemorates the late attorney Gregory S. Coleman and celebrates the ideals and standards that Coleman demonstrated in his appellate practice and personal life. Recipients exhibit an outstanding appellate practice while maintaining a strong commitment to providing legal services for the underserved. The award also recognizes dedication … Read the rest
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.
Individuals held in state prison can challenge their convictions in federal court through a device known as a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. But under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, known as AEDPA, they generally only have one opportunity to do so. This week, … Read the rest
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.
Four years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Nieves v. Bartlett that a plaintiff who alleges he was arrested in retaliation for speech protected by the First Amendment must show that police lacked probable cause to arrest him. However, the decision carved out an exception to deal with situations in … Read the rest