Recent Updates
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Court: New health law doesn't infringe on religious freedom
Ethics 07/13/2015The federal health care law doesn't infringe on the religious freedom of faith-based nonprofit organizations that object to covering birth control in employee health plans, a federal appeals court in Denver ruled Tuesday. The case involves a group of...
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Religious beliefs, gay rights clash in court case over cake
Recent Cases 07/09/2015A suburban Denver baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple will argue in court Tuesday that his religious beliefs should protect him from sanctions against his business. The case underscores how the already simmering tension between ...
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US appeals court upholds EPA plan to clean up Chesapeake Bay
Recent Cases 07/08/2015A U.S. appeals court has upheld a federal plan limiting pollution in the Chesapeake Bay despite objections from farmers who accuse the Environmental Protection Agency of abusing its power. The ruling Monday upholds restrictions on farm and constructi...
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Michael Jackson’s doctor pleads not guilty
Recent Cases 07/07/2015Michael Jackson’s doctor pleaded not guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop star at a brief hearing that had all the trappings of another sensational celebrity courtroom drama. Dr. Conrad Murray, accused of giving Jackson a...
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Legal public nudity; cattle rustling; sheriff pays tax
National News 07/06/2015A Minnesota volunteer firefighter was suspended Sunday for flying a Confederate flag from an engine that he drove in a holiday parade, and he said he expects to be asked to resign. Brian Nielsen, 43, drove a Hartland Fire Department truck in the Thir...
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Bryant tells court it should affirm same-sex marriage ruling
Headline Legal News 07/05/2015Gov. Phil Bryant remains opposed to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, but he’s stopping his court fight against it. In a letter Wednesday, Bryant’s lawyer asks the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to return a Mis...
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Oklahoma court to look at blocking Tulsa grand jury probe
Law Firm News 07/03/2015The Oklahoma Supreme Court said Thursday it will consider whether to stop a grand jury investigation into an embattled sheriff whose longtime friend and volunteer deputy fatally shot an unarmed man. Attorneys for Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz wa...
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In Supreme Court loss, death penalty foes see an opening
Legal Events 07/01/2015A strongly worded dissent in the U.S. Supreme Court's narrow decision this week upholding the use of an execution drug offered a glimmer of hope to death penalty opponents in what they considered otherwise a gloomy ruling. One advocate went so far Tu...
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High court won't hear Nevada patient dumping case
Legal Events 07/01/2015The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from Nevada over a lawsuit that claims the state wrongfully bused indigent psychiatric patients to San Francisco without paying the costs of their medical care. The justices on Tuesday let stand a lower c...
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Decisions in last 3 Supreme Court cases expected Monday
Legal Events 06/29/2015The Supreme Court is meeting for the final time until the fall to decide three remaining cases and add some new ones for the term that starts in October. The court decided its two blockbuster cases last week by declaring the right of same-sex couples...
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Kansas court rules against parts of state school funding law
National News 06/29/2015A district court panel in Kansas declared Friday that key parts of a new state law for funding public schools violate the state constitution and ordered an immediate increase in aid. State officials and an attorney for four school districts challengi...
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Pennsylvania court rejects law that aided NRA gun challenges
National News 06/26/2015A Pennsylvania state court on Thursday struck down a law designed to make it easier for gun owners and organizations like the National Rifle Association to challenge local firearms ordinances in court. The Commonwealth Court said the procedure...