All Law & Courts
Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide.The US Supreme Court agreed to examine whether a group of US-based lawyers, activists, and journalists can challenge a Bush-era law authorizing broad surveillance overseas.
- What causes wrongful convictions? Lies, mistaken eyewitnesses top the list.
Researchers examined 873 wrongful convictions and found that perjury or false accusations were responsible for more than half. New report offers insight into what leads to miscarriages of justice.
Cover StoryUS prison inmates returning to society: How will they be received?States, eager to save money and adopt alternatives to incarceration, release inmates in record numbers. Is society ready for the surge?
Geraldo Rivera (again) says Trayvon Martin's 'thug wear' got him profiledGeraldo Rivera insisted again Friday that Trayvon Martin’s hoodie represented a kind of ‘thug wear’ that could have alarmed George Zimmerman, who shot Martin to death. The hoodie debate is not over.
- Appeals court upholds key provision of Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court could loom
A federal court on Friday rejected an Alabama county's argument that a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights act is outdated. That could set the stage for a Supreme Court hearing.
Latest evidence in Trayvon Martin case: Does it help George Zimmerman?A trove of evidence from the Trayvon Martin shooting released Thursday may buttress George Zimmerman's claims of self-defense, some analysts say. But one finding undergirds the prosecution: The shooter could have avoided the situation.
- Upset patient charged with using mercury as chemical weapon against hospital
Martin Kimber apparently had a billing dispute after receiving treatment at Albany Medical Center. According to court documents, he spread liquid mercury at the hospital on four occasions.
John Edwards trial: What will verdict mean for campaign finance?Closing arguments in the John Edwards trial are set to begin Thursday. But the political significance of the trial in defining the limits of campaign finance has been greatly dampened.
- Florida teacher, fired for premarital sex, has right to a trial, court rules
A teacher at a Christian school, fired in 2009 ostensibly for engaging in premarital sex, can proceed with her lawsuit against the school, a US appeals court ruled Wednesday. She says the real reason she lost her job was pregnancy.
Report: Trayvon Martin beat, bloodied George Zimmerman. Game-changer?A medical report showing that Trayvon Martin hit George Zimmerman hard enough to draw blood on his face and head has made a second-degree murder conviction a long shot, say experts.
Should the police file on the man who killed Trayvon Martin stay secret?Prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin case have presented their case against George Zimmerman's to the defense, increasing pressure on the judge to rule on their request to keep the evidence secret.
- Who gets to keep shipwreck treasure? Supreme Court declines Spain case.
Lower courts ruled that $500 million in coins that US treasure hunters had recovered belongs to Spain. The Supreme Court turned away the salvagers’ appeal Monday.
Will Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio's popularity continue amid lawsuit?Despite a mountain of legal troubles, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio remains popular with voters and has more than $3.4 million in the bank for his November re-election campaign.
Justice Department sues Joe Arpaio for discrimination: Is he cornered?The Justice Department alleges Joe Arpaio, an anti-illegal immigration icon and Arizona sheriff, discriminates against Latinos. Judges in such cases typically have a lot of leeway to intervene.
Trayvon Martin case: Online fund for George Zimmerman now being tappedSome $50,000 from an online defense fund for suspect George Zimmerman has been tapped to cover his living expenses and security, pending trial. He pleaded not guilty this week to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Prayer rugs and legal moves in trial of 9/11 defendantsDefendants in the trial of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others insisted on having their full charges read, an unusual move. Yet most seemed not to pay attention, then took a break for prayer.
World watches as 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others go on trialThe military trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 defendants could become the most important US war crimes tribunal since Nuremberg. But at their arraignment Saturday, the five men staged a protest.
9/11 mastermind arraigned: Can the US deliver real, lasting justice?Khalid Sheik Mohammed, Al Qaeda's former No. 3 man, is being arraigned Saturday on 2,976 counts of murder. It's being called a modern-day Nuremberg trial that will test the fairness of US military commissions.
- The 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: A quiz
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, is the lead defendant in what may become the most important US war crimes tribunal since Nuremberg. How much do you know about him and the case against him? Take our quiz.
'Torture memos' author can't be sued for harsh interrogations, court rulesJosé Padilla, who claims he was tortured while being detained on allegations of terror-related activity, was suing John Yoo, the Bush aide whose memos set out broadly permissive standards for inflicting physical and mental harm during interrogations.
