Union divide contributed to Janus bill’s demise

Less than a month before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a public sector union's right to charge fees to non-members, House Speaker Robert DeLeo was already thinking about what could be done in response. At a podium in front of 6,000 Democrats at the DCU Center in Worcester, the Winthrop Democrat assured labor that Massachusetts would not allow the court to weaken them by cutting off a key source of funding.

How the Pope’s death penalty stance could be a quandary for Catholic politicians

Pope Francis' decree that the death penalty is "inadmissible" in all cases could pose a dilemma for Roman Catholic politicians and judges in the United States who are faced with whether to strictly follow the tenets of their faith or the rule of law. Some Catholic leaders in death penalty states have said they'll continue to support capital punishment.

Is it ‘Palate’ or ‘Palette’? Cleaning Up the Supreme Court’s Messes

The U.S. Supreme Court posts changes to opinions, like this one from the term past where a Justice Stephen Breyer opinion misspelled "laissez-faire." U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, a French-speaking Francophile, must have shouted "zut alors!" on June 25, when it was discovered that the *May exclude premium content Already have an account? Sign In Now Interested in customizing your subscription with Law.com All Access? Contact our Sales Professionals at 1-855-808-4530 or send an email to groupsales@alm.com to learn more.

Death penalty decree could be quandary for US politicians

Pope Francis' decree that the death penalty is "inadmissible" in all cases could pose a dilemma for Roman Catholic politicians and judges in the United States who are faced with whether to strictly follow the tenets of their faith or the rule of law. Some Catholic leaders in death penalty states have said they'll continue to support capital punishment.

ALJs Could Get Political With New Executive Order

The new executive order granting agency chiefs the power to hire administrative law judges according to their own standards - and eliminating the exam and competitive hiring process formerly in place - could turn the position of ALJ into a politicized one, critics of the move argue. The "Executive Order Excepting Administrative Law Judges from the Competitive Service," signed by President Donald Trump on July 10, attempts to solve the problems raised by the Supreme Court's decision this year in Lucia v.

Never Trumper Attends Trump Rally,Changes His Mind Instantly

A man who said he had reservations with President Trump in the 2016 election because he thought the president would not be "a good Republican" said he might just vote for the president in 2020. The man who attended Trump's rally in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday said he changed his mind about the president because of Trump's work on tax reform and his two Supreme Court picks to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia and retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Environmentalists raise concern over Kavanaugh

A conservative who would replace the more moderate Justice Anthony Kennedy, Kavanaugh has a record of slapping back Environmental Protection Agency regulations during his 12 years as a federal appeals court judge. Kavanaugh could shift the court to the right in many areas.

The Baltimore Sun: Why hide Kavanaugh’s White House past?

Just because the current political landscape in Washington suggests that most, if not all, Senate Democrats will oppose Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court while their Republican counterparts are likely to endorse it, the Senate is not absolved of its constitutional duties. Advice and consent should be informed.

Borked? Hatch throws colorful terms at Democrats opposed to Supreme Court nominee

Sen. Orrin Hatch lit into Democrats again Thursday with some colorful language to describe their efforts to stop Brett Kavanaugh from being confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. "It's just amazing to me that they make such a farce out of this," Hatch, R-Utah, said at news conference with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

According to the court, the school board was unconstitutionally endorsing a religion.

Supporters of prayer at school board meetings hold signs while they listened to public comments during the Chino Valley Unified School District's special meeting in Chino, Ca., , Monday, March 7, 2015. The Chino Valley Unified school board is asking a higher power for help in its ongoing legal battle over prayer at meetings: the U.S. Supreme Court.

The GOP Is Preparing to Ram Kavanaugh Down Our Throats

I am going to quote this Politico piece on the Republicans' plan to ram Brett Kavanaugh down our throats at length because I think condensing it would lessen the impact. Senate Republicans are pressing ahead on confirming Brett Kavanaugh before the midterm elections even after National Archives said Thursday that it can't meet the GOP's request for records until the end of October, days before the midterm elections.

National Archives says it won’t be able to produce all Kavanaugh documents until end of October

Sen. Thom Tillis , left, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley hold a news conference to discuss the document requests for Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh's time at the White House. The National Archives says it won't be able to produce the full cache of documents requested by Senate Republicans on Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh until the end of October - raising questions whether he can be confirmed by the midterm elections this fall.

Tennessee Supreme Court asked clarify laws on life sentences

A federal appeals court has asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to clarify whether a woman serving a life sentence for killing a man when she was 16 can ever gain parole. The Tennessean reported the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asked the Tennessee high court Wednesday to weigh in before it issues a ruling in the case of Cyntoia Brown, who argues her life sentence was unconstitutional.