All Law & Courts
George Zimmerman verdict: 'Not guilty' in death of Trayvon MartinAfter 17 months, the case of George Zimmerman – charged with shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin – came to a close Saturday night when a jury of six women found Zimmerman not guilty of all charges. The case came to be seen as a parable involving civil rights, racial profiling, racism, gun rights, and the changing definitions of self-defense in public places.
George Zimmerman trial: Six women weigh a silent man’s futureThe George Zimmerman jury has resumed deliberations in Sanford, Fla. Six women have an unenviable task: Measure justice in the case of a neighborhood watch captain who kills an unarmed teenager.
Gay marriage: Opponents ask California Supreme Court to enforce banLawyers representing gay-marriage opponents say a federal judge acted beyond his authority when he ordered officials to permit and recognize same-sex marriages throughout California.
Police in Florida warn against riots in wake of a George Zimmerman verdictAs jurors in the George Zimmerman trial began deliberations Friday, officials warn against post-verdict violence and take precautions to stem it. Are conditions ripe for racial unrest? At least one expert doubts it.
Ariel Castro now facing 977 charges in Cleveland: A statement by prosecutors?A new indictment, announced Friday, nearly triples the number of charges against alleged Cleveland captor Ariel Castro following his arrest in May. He’s due to be arraigned again next Wednesday.
Weighty words, charged atmosphere as Zimmerman trial rests with juryLawyers' closing arguments in the George Zimmerman trial invoked the Founding Fathers and Martin Luther King Jr. – portentous words for a high-stakes case. Jurors began deliberations Friday afternoon.
- Woman fired for sex appeal: Unfair, but not gender bias, Iowa court rules
An Iowa dentist did not unlawfully discriminate when he fired an employee he found attractive, fearing they might have an extramarital affair, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday in a case examining a murky area of employment law.
Zimmerman trial: For jury, anguished task to resolve death of Trayvon MartinThe Zimmerman trial testimony is complicated and hard evidence scant, but the jury’s choices are basic: Is Zimmerman responsible for the death of a teenager? Or was it precipitated by Trayvon’s own actions?
Gay marriage: Pennsylvania attorney general pulls an Obama on DOMAPennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane says she will not defend her state's ban on gay marriage in court. Obama took a similar tack with the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
George Zimmerman trial: 5 poignant moments The jury is set to begin deliberations on whether George Zimmerman committed murder when he shot an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin, on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Fla., or whether it was an act of self-defense. Here are five moments stand out from the trial.
George Zimmerman trial: Jury can consider lesser charge of manslaughterThe judge in the George Zimmerman murder trial will give the jury the option of convicting him of a lesser charge, despite objections from the defense. Some legal analysts say prosecutors were not confident of their case for second-degree murder in the Trayvon Martin shooting.
Zimmerman trial: Did wall-to-wall media coverage inform, or entertain?While some say the extensive media coverage of the George Zimmerman trial provided a civics lesson to the US public, others saw a play for ratings that did little to address key issues in the case.
Boston Marathon bombing suspect pleads 'not guilty,' shows no remorseBoston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who appeared in federal court Wednesday, faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty.
George Zimmerman speaks, but won’t testify in his defenseThe man at the center of the Trayvon Martin murder case told Judge Debra Nelson on Wednesday he will not take the stand – one of several last minute moves by Zimmerman's defense team.
Fight expert: George Zimmerman more like Pee-wee Herman than Chuck NorrisGeorge Zimmerman, on trial for the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, trained at a boxing gym but was not deemed competent enough to face someone in the ring, a fight expert testified Wednesday.
Trayvon Martin as pot smoker: What Zimmerman defense stands to gainThe judge overseeing the George Zimmerman trial has ruled that the defense can discuss how marijuana use might have affected Trayvon Martin on the night of his fatal encounter with the defendant. The strategy serves several purposes.
Gay marriage: Lawsuit, first since DOMA ruling, targets Pennsylvania banThe ACLU, on behalf of 10 same-sex couples and others, filed the suit, which cites language from the majority opinion in the DOMA case in asking a US judge to strike down the Pennsylvania ban.
NSA surveillance: Supreme Court is asked to halt phone spying on AmericansA privacy group called on the Supreme Court to invalidate the secret court order that authorized the collection of telephone metadata from every Verizon business customer in the US.
Guantánamo: US judge condemns force-feeding, but declines detainees' appealA US district judge said she lacked the jurisdiction to halt the practice of force-feeding at Guantánamo, but condemned it as 'painful ... and degrading' and said Obama could stop it.
George Zimmerman prosecution leaves jury to untangle lies and justificationThe State of Florida rested its case Friday against George Zimmerman, on trial for killing unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin last year. The state faces long odds in winning a conviction.
