Four Supreme Court Justices Seek Consensus

Bloomberg : "Kagan and Roberts are part of a quartet of relatively centrist justices, along with Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer, who at times can turn their chemistry into a consensus and avert a sharp divide." "The group will be tested during what could be a divisive stretch starting next week, when the court reconvenes after a month-long recess.

Washington Redskins’ Us Trademark Registrations Reinstated By The Fourth Circuit

On January 18, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reinstated the Washington Redskins' federal trademark registrations originally cancelled by the Trademark Trials and Appeals Board in 2014 in light of the Supreme Court's ruling that disparaging trademarks are protected by freedom of speech under the First Amendment in Matal v. Tam .

Lovings’ story provides inspiration for Valentine’s Day

Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving met in high school and fell in love in Caroline County in the 1950s. They decided to marry when Mildred became pregnant at 18. At the time, they couldn't wed in Virginia: Mildred was of African American and Indian descent, Richard was white and the state prohibited interracial marriages.

Judiciary leaders want action on preventing sexual misconduct in courts

The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee want to know how the agency overseeing the operation of federal courts is addressing sexual misconduct and harassment in the judiciary. Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and top Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California wrote in a letter to the head of the federal courts' administrative agency that they were "deeply troubled" by news reports and allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behavior in the court system.

Times shouldn’t ignore D.C. anti-abortion march; Focus South…

Pro-life demonstrators march towards the US Supreme Court during the 44th annual March for Life in Washington, DC, on January 27, 2017. Anti-abortion advocates descended on the US capital on Friday for an annual march expected to draw the largest crowd in years, with the White House spotlighting the cause and throwing its weight behind the campaign.

Oklahoma Woman Receives Reduced Sentence After Getting Sterilized

An Oklahoma woman convicted of using a counterfeit check has received a reduced sentence after getting medically sterilized at the suggestion of the judge. The Oklahoman reports that U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot showed leniency to 34-year-old Summer Thyme Creel during her sentencing Thursday because she had surgery to prevent pregnancies.

Pa. Republicans are assaulting the rule of law in gerrymander fight | Opinion

Republicans in control of the Pennsylvania Legislature gerrymandered the state's congressional districts, seeking to entrench their party in power. Now that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that the state's partisan gerrymandering was unconstitutional , we're seeing an unprecedented assault on the rule of law.

Contempt For Court

An old legal anecdote-attributed to such legal notables as Mae West and the Earl of Birkenhead -depicts a frustrated judge asking an obstreperous lawyer, "Are you displaying contempt of court?" I sometimes think simple politeness-a willingness to conceal contempt for other parties, judges, and even law itself-is all that differentiates true lawyers from thugs in contrast-collar shirts. But like other areas of public etiquette, this habitual courtesy is showing strain in the era of Donald Trump.

Wisconsin Supreme Court hopefuls present ideologies

Three candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court are pursuing what's supposed to be a nonpartisan job, but they demonstrated during a Monday forum that voters have a trio of distinct ideologies to choose from in two weeks. There's a conservative judge who draws inspiration from late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Supreme Court to weigh public sector union fees

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear a case that has the potential to rock the world of unions that represent public sector employees throughout the country. The court will decide whether state government workers who do not wish to belong to a union and pay union dues must still pay a "service fee" to cover the union's costs in negotiating and enforcing the terms of collective bargaining agreements.

Supreme Court rejects some redrawn North Carolina districts

The U.S. Supreme Court late Tuesday rejected some but not all of the North Carolina legislative districts that federal judges redrew for this year's elections. The justices partially granted the request of Republican lawmakers who contend the House and Senate maps they voted for last summer were legal and didn't need to be altered.

Supreme Court Declines To Place Hold On Pennsylvania Gerrymandering Decision

Roughly two weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling that invalidating the Congressional Districts drawn up by the state legislature in the wake of the 2010 Census. Under the terms of that ruling, which was based on state law and the state Constitution, the state legislature has until the end of the week to submit a new map to the Governor and a new map must be approved within ten days.