All Law & Courts
Texas man executed, though secrets about drug concoction remainLawyers for Tommy Lynn Sells had sought to force Texas to disclose information about the lethal drugs they used in the execution. The state was allowed to proceed without revealing the source or quality of the drugs.
San Bruno explosion case against PG&E could be hard to proveA federal grand jury indicted energy company PG&E in connection with a 2010 natural gas explosion in San Bruno, Calif., that killed eight. The move is unusual.
Supreme Court view on corruption key in lifting a campaign finance limitFour years after Citizens United, the Supreme Court further restricted the scope of campaign finance laws by striking down aggregate limits on individuals’ contributions to federal candidates.
Court rules Florida voter purge illegal, but will it stop GOP voting tweaks?In 2012, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) attempted to purge the state’s voter rolls of noncitizens and other ineligible voters. On Tuesday, a panel for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the effort 2 to 1.
Conviction overturned, could death row inmate Michelle Byrom walk free?Mississippi's Supreme Court on Monday overturned the conviction of Michelle Byrom, sentenced to die in 2000 for arranging her husband's murder. The same court had previously upheld her conviction. What changed?
Feds probe Albuquerque camper shooting as police rethink use of forcePolice in Albuquerque killed a homeless man in a shooting critics say was unjustified. The US Justice Department is investigating as police departments rethink armed response policies.
Defense lawyers: Did FBI pressure push Boston bomber over the edge?Lawyers for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, say contact with the FBI may have been a 'precipitating event' to the bombings last April.
Why is public support for the death penalty declining?Fifty-five percent of US adults support the death penalty, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released Friday – down from a peak of 78 percent in 1996.
'Pink slime' lawsuit moves forward: Could ABC News be held liable?For many Americans, ABC News’s 'pink slime' report was the kind of hard-hitting public interest piece that changes rules and punishes bad actors. But to critics, it became synonymous with media misconduct.
Closing arguments in major California education reform caseNine California public school students say the state's laws for hiring and firing teachers has led to substandard teaching and education. They want the laws thrown out.
Strict Texas abortion law gets reprieve, upheld by appeals courtA federal appeals court has upheld a strict Texas abortion law that a lower court had struck down. Similar laws passed in five other states have been blocked in courts.
Should Mississippi execute its first woman in 70 years?The Mississippi Supreme Court did not approve a March 27 execution date for Michelle Byrom, convicted of capital murder for a role in her husband's death. Questions about the handling of her case persist.
Is Secret Service 'above the law'? Supreme Court hears protest case.The Secret Service moved anti-Bush protesters behind pro-Bush protesters in 2004, citing a security concern. The plaintiffs charged discrimination in a case heard by the Supreme Court Wednesday.
Mich. same-sex marriages 'legal but not recognized.’ How did that happen?Some 300 same-sex couples wed in Michigan Saturday after a federal judge found the state ban on such marriages unconstitutional and before his ruling was stayed. The governor said the unions, while legal, won't be recognized by the state.
Bombing suspect friend dead: Report on FBI shooting leaves some unconvincedBombing suspect friend, Ibragim Todashev, was fatally shot by the FBI during an interrogation last May. Civil rights groups, among others, aren’t satisfied with the official summation of the incident, released Tuesday.
Bin Laden's son-in-law convicted in NYC: why case was so closely watchedSulaiman Abu Ghaith, bin Laden's son-in-law and the highest-ranking Al Qaeda member to be tried in a US civilian court, faces life in prison after his conviction on terror charges.
Supreme Court appears split in contraception case, with Kennedy in middleThe nine Supreme Court justices appeared split in a case about whether for-profit businesses must provide certain contraceptives under Obamacare. A question by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the usual swing vote, could signal trouble for the Obama administration.
Trial of Osama bin Laden's son-in-law 'uneventful.' Why that's a big deal.Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, is being tried on charges of terrorism in a US civilian court. The lack of problems could suggest that civilian courts can handle terror trials.
Friend of alleged Boston bomber had no 'quit in him,' says report on his deathA Florida prosecutor's report about the death of Ibragim Todashev, during an interrogation last May, finds an FBI agent was justified in shooting him. It sheds light on what happened, including the role of a samurai sword.
Affordable Care Act and birth control: Can corporations assert religious rights?The US Supreme Court this week takes up a key question regarding the Affordable Care Act: Can businesses deny employees certain birth control methods based on religious beliefs?
