All Law & Courts
Guilty verdict in Renisha McBride porch shooting: Her life 'mattered'Theodore Wafer said he shot Renisha McBride on his front porch out of fear. The guilty verdict became another milestone in the US debate over liberalized gun rights and self-defense laws.
An open-or-shut case: 'Starving' guitarist sues for tips in D.C. MetroThe D.C. Metro says Alex Young cannot leave his guitar case open for tips when he plays for commuters. His lawsuit says the open case sends a message to society, making it protected free speech.
Renisha McBride porch shooting goes to jury: Does paranoia limit self-defense?Bankrupt Detroit has seen rising paranoia over race and crime, and the police chief has urged residents to arm themselves. Homeowner Theodore Wafer shot Renisha McBride through his porch door.
Federal appeals court taking up six gay marriage cases todayThe convergence of cases could produce a massive showdown over gay marriage, as early as next year, when the cases are expected to be appealed to the US Supreme Court.
In striking down Alabama abortion law, judge focuses on South's cultureA federal judge on Monday ruled that an Alabama law violates women’s constitutional rights by making abortions too hard to get. This follows a similar ruling last week about a Mississippi law.
Eric Garner ruled victim of chokehold ‘homicide’: Should a grand jury indict?The homicide ruling, along with simmering resentment in the city's poor neighborhoods over tough police tactics, will put pressure on prosecutors to level murder or manslaughter charges against police officers.
Digital currency lawsuits: Bitcoin scrambles to boost consumer confidenceDigital currency lawsuits reveal weaknesses in a burgeoning industry with little regulatory oversight. Bitcoin is turning to third parties to reassure users that millions of dollars of value will not vanish without a trace.
Supreme Court is asked to take up major challenge to ObamacareThe petition to the Supreme Court centers on text in the Obamacare law that appears to sharply restrict the provision of federal tax credits. Federal appeals courts issued opposing rulings on the issue last week.
Wisconsin anti-union law: state Supreme Court ruling probably the final sayAct 10 essentially ended collective bargaining for most public workers, sparking court challenges and protests. But a ruling Thursday by the Wisconsin Supreme Court leaves opponents with little choice but to move on.
Abortion in the South: how Mississippi ruling could affect other statesA panel from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a 2012 Mississippi law mandating clinic doctors have admitting privileges at local hospitals deprived women of their rights.
- Did Congress pass Obamacare the right way? Court dismisses lawsuit.
The Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate citing Congress's tax-writing authority, the lawsuit noted. But the federal appeals court said Obamacare's purpose is not to raise revenue, so it did not have to originate in the House.
Why court rejected atheists' lawsuit against cross at ground zeroDisplaying the large steel cross pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center did not promote religion, the court ruled. This cross is also 'an inclusive symbol for any persons seeking hope and comfort in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.'
In Bible Belt, gay marriage rights increasingly in fluxAfter a federal appeals court on Monday ruled against state gay marriage bans, North Carolina's attorney general said 'there are no more arguments to be made' against same-sex marriage. Not all in the Bible Belt agree.
Virginia same-sex marriage ban violates fundamental right, appeals court saysThe 2-1 ruling from the Fourth US Circuit in Richmond is the third in recent weeks by a federal appeals court striking down a state same-sex marriage ban, making it more likely the Supreme Court will take up the issue.
Judge rules Washington D.C. handgun ban is unconstitutionalA federal judge released a decision Saturday that the Washington D.C. ban on carrying handguns outside the home is unconstitutional. Effectively immediately, registered D.C. gun owners may carry a firearm in public.
FocusObamacare for ex-inmates: Is health insurance an antidote to crime?Some jails and prisons are pushing to sign up exiting inmates for Medicaid, courtesy of Obamacare. The idea is that if ex-prisoners receive regular health care on the outside, fewer will reoffend. Not all experts are believers, however.
Florida doctors cannot discuss gun safety with patients, says courtThe Florida law bars doctors from discussing firearms safety with their patients. It was passed after several individuals perceived questions about gun ownership as intrusive and offensive. An appeals court upheld the privacy law.
Justice delayed: Texas man first to be cleared by DNA review of old rape kitsMichael Phillips, wrongfully imprisoned for 12 years, had given up trying to prove his innocence of a rape conviction. He is being exonerated because the Dallas Conviction Integrity Unit began a systematic review of DNA evidence in past cases.
Bring back firing squads, US judge says after prolonged Arizona executionWhile Sen. John McCain called the prolonged Arizona execution 'torture,' a US judge who had granted a stay, later overruled, said if Americans cannot stomach a firing squad, 'then we shouldn't be carrying out executions at all.'
Arizona execution takes two hours: how ethics of death penalty are changingThe execution took so long – one hour and 57 minutes – that Joseph Wood’s lawyers filed an appeal for a stay in the middle of what they called a 'horrifically botched execution.'
