All Law & Courts
Rutgers spycam case opening arguments: cyberbully or boy who acted stupidly?There appears to be no middle ground in the Rutgers spycam case. The prosecution says the defendant hated his roommate because he was gay. The defense says he is 'not homophobic' and never tried to harm him.
- Is taking DNA a reasonable search? US judges uphold California law.
A 2004 California law permits DNA samples taken from adults arrested for felonies to be stored in a national database. Challengers said that violates Fourth Amendment privacy protections.
Bradley Manning: Will the alleged WikiLeaks ally have a compelling defense?Pfc. Bradley Manning is expected to enter a plea in response to 22 charges lodged by military prosecutors, including turning over to WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic documents.
- Supreme Court debate: Is lying about being a war hero protected speech?
Supreme Court justices heard arguments over the Stolen Valor Act, which bars lies over receiving military medals, but the discussion broadened into whether there is any value worth protecting in falsehood.
Rutgers spycam case: why it's not open and shutDharun Ravi faces charges of, among other counts, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering. The most serious charge – bias intimidation – could draw a 10-year sentence.
Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue.
Stolen Valor Act at Supreme Court: Is lying about being a hero a right?Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a military medal. Xavier Alvarez did that, but the claim harms no one, says his lawyer in his brief to the Supreme Court. The case is being argued Wednesday.
Gay Marriage: why Prop. 8 appeal is not going to Supreme Court ... yetThe coalition of groups that backs Prop. 8, California's ban on gay marriage, has asked all the judges of the Ninth Circuit to rehear the case decided by a three-judge panel on Feb. 7. An appeal to the US Supreme Court could still follow.
How Supreme Court ruling on Texas could reduce affirmative action across USThe Supreme Court, which has shifted to the right, may use the Texas case to overturn the 2003 decision that achieving classroom diversity could justify the use of race-based affirmative action.
- Can silence before an arrest be used at trial? Supreme Court refuses case.
The appeal had asked the Supreme Court to examine whether the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination bars a prosecutor's use of a defendant's pre-arrest silence as evidence of guilt.
- Do grandparents get visitation rights? Supreme Court declines case.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a case in which grandparents demanded to visit their grandchildren but the parents intervened. The lack of a decision leaves no clear constitutional standard on the issue.
Affirmative action in college admissions goes back before Supreme CourtUS Supreme Court is taking an affirmative action case about the University of Texas admissions policy, which permits race to be a factor in deciding which applicants are admitted.
Michigan's Hutaree militia: Band of gun enthusiasts or a threat to the US?Members of the Hutaree militia were arrested in 2010 for allegedly planning 'war against the United States.' Their trial on 'seditious conspiracy' and other charges opened this week.
US to seek life sentence for underwear bomber, saying he remains a threatThe sentencing hearing for the so-called underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, takes place Thursday. Prosecutors argue that he remains willing to carry out another martyrdom mission.
Do ex-daughter-in-law's allegations change Jerry Sandusky case?A judge ruled Monday that Jerry Sandusky can receive visits from most of his grandchildren. But a former daughter-in-law said Monday that Sandusky molested one of her children.
Health-care fraud crackdown nets $4.1b. Is that a lot?Officials say nearly $4.1b was recovered last year in the health-care fraud crackdown, an Obama priority, but it's unclear if that reflects the success of law enforcement or the magnitude of the problem.
Judge allows Jerry Sandusky visits with grandkids, with supervisionChild protection advocates express concern after a Pennsylvania judges allows former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky to see and correspond with his grandchildren, albeit in the presence of a parent.
Jerry Sandusky case: Should court let suspected pedophile see grandkids?Trial is set for May 14 for Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach charged with sexual abuse of 10 boys. His bail conditions bar interaction with minors, but he wants the court to let him talk with and see his grandchildren.
- Creator of Revolution Muslim website, inspiration to US jihadis, pleads guilty
Jesse Curtis Morton, who ran RevolutionMuslim.com, admitted to influencing would-be American militants including 'Jihad Jane' and the Pentagon model-plane bomber.
Steve Jobs FBI file: What did his neighbors think about him?Steve Jobs FBI file readers will find some interesting nuggets, including what neighbors thought about his landscaping plans and evidence that most FBI agents aren't at all like Jack Bauer.
