All Law & Courts
Ohio rape case: teens found guilty, face year-plus in jailTwo high school football players were found guilty Sunday of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl in a case that bitterly divided Steubenville, Ohio, and led to accusations of a cover-up to protect the community's athletes.
Drone documents case: federal appeals court rules against CIAJudge rejects CIA argument that it had no 'interest' in lethal drone strikes. He called the CIA argument neither logical nor plausible, since US officials have acknowledged involvement.
- ACLU sues North Carolina county over Christian invocations at meetings
Rowan County commission meetings typically open with a pro-Christian invocation. In Lund v. Rowan County, some residents say the practice is offensive and makes them uncomfortable.
Iran plans to sue makers of 'Argo': Could lawsuit succeed?Iran's wants to sue the makers of 'Argo,' the Oscar-winning film about the 1979 hostage crisis. But legal experts say Iran will have a hard time finding any legitimate court to take the case.
Not guilty plea for James Holmes – but insanity option still on tableAt the arraignment Tuesday for James Holmes, the Colorado shooting suspect, his lawyers said he was not yet ready to enter a plea. The judge entered the not-guilty plea on the suspect's behalf.
Kwame Kilpatrick guilty: For destitute Detroit, downfall of ex-mayor completeKwame Kilpatrick, once seen as a fresh hopeful face for Detroit when he became the financially troubled city's youngest mayor, was found guilty of enriching himself while in office.
Bin Laden son-in-law's trial in New York reignites Guantánamo debateSulaiman Abu Ghaith, a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, is charged with conspiring to kill US nationals and will be tried in a civilian court in New York. Some say he should be sent to Gitmo.
Arkansas' tough new abortion law on shaky legal ground, experts sayWith a legislative override of the governor's veto, Arkansas has adopted perhaps the toughest abortion law in the country – outlawing abortions after 12 weeks. But legal challenges are coming.
Michigan judge delays case to await Supreme Court rulings on gay marriageThe Michigan case aims to allow same-sex couples to adopt children and, therefore, to marry, but it's likely to be impacted by two landmark gay-rights cases before the US Supreme Court.
One-cop Georgia town considers making gun ownership mandatoryNelson, Ga., might require homeowners to have a gun. The idea that people should be ready to protect themselves while waiting for police to come is percolating in gun-rights circles.
Attorney General Holder promises more openness about drone attacksThe White House is under pressure about targeting terrorists with drones, including a filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul. Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate committee, 'I heard you and the president heard you.'
George Zimmerman: Why did he abandon a 'stand your ground' hearing?George Zimmerman, the defendant in the Trayvon Martin murder case, was widely expected to claim immunity under Florida's 'stand your ground' law. The defense's calculations have changed.
Chicago homicides drop dramatically as police target 'hot zones'Chicago has been struggling with a rising homicide rate but February saw a drop to levels not seen in more than 50 years. A new police strategy might be helping, but it might not be sustainable.
Is Massachusetts more racist than Mississippi, as Chief Justice Roberts hints?In deciding whether to strike down a portion of the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court is focusing on whether the South has redeemed its racist history. Massachusetts, though, has a quibble with Chief Justice Roberts.
Bradley Manning pleads guilty to some WikiLeaks chargesArmy Pfc. Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to charges that he broke military rules in providing classified information to WikiLeaks. But he denies the more serious charges of aiding the enemy during wartime, for which he still faces a court martial.
- Illinois man convicted in noose attack ordered to write essay on lynching
Matthew Herrmann was sentenced to researching and explaining the history of lynching in America. Herrmann plead guilty to battery charges after he and two friends placed a noose around the neck of an African American teenager.
Gay marriage: why corporations are coming out against DOMANearly 300 US companies filed a brief on behalf of the New York woman whose challenge of DOMA has reached the Supreme Court. Why support gay marriage? For one, it's just good business.
Voting Rights Act case: Supreme Court questioning is lively, pointedAt the US Supreme Court on Wednesday, defenders of the 1965 Voting Rights Act argued that the judiciary should defer to Congress's judgment that the law is still needed as is. Several justices indicated that they thought not.
Progress WatchWhy juvenile incarceration reached its lowest rate in 38 yearsThe juvenile incarceration in the US rate has fallen 41 percent in the past 15 years, reaching the lowest level since 1975, a new study finds. What is behind the rapid decline?
Can police collect DNA when someone is arrested? Supreme Court to decide.At issue in the case the Supreme Court considered Tuesday is whether collecting DNA from an arrestee without first obtaining a warrant is an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment.
