Recent Updates

  • Supreme Court orders stay of execution

    Supreme Court orders stay of execution

    Recent Cases 01/30/2014

    The U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of execution for Missouri death row inmate Herbert Smulls on Tuesday night. Justice Samuel Alito signed the order that was sent out after President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech, about two-an...

  • Court upholds approval of BP oil spill settlement

    Court upholds approval of BP oil spill settlement

    Recent Cases 01/13/2014

    Over BP's objections, a federal appeals court on Friday upheld a judge's approval of the company's multibillion-dollar settlement with lawyers for businesses and residents who claim the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them money. BP...

  • Court order needed to stop Pa. center utilities

    Court order needed to stop Pa. center utilities

    Recent Cases 01/02/2014

    A judge says a court order is needed to shut off lights and other utilities at Pittsburgh's struggling August Wilson Center for African American Culture. Allegheny County Judge Lawrence O'Toole on Monday approved an order sought by the center's court...

  • Supreme Court denies appeal in arson case

    Supreme Court denies appeal in arson case

    Recent Cases 12/30/2013

    The Montana Supreme Court has denied a petition for post-conviction relief filed by a Billings man who argued that a District Court judge misinterpreted the state's arson law and that he had ineffective attorneys. The Dec. 20 Supreme Court ruling lef...

  • Appeals court vacates ban on US horse slaughter

    Appeals court vacates ban on US horse slaughter

    Recent Cases 12/16/2013

    A federal appeals court on Friday removed a temporary ban on domestic horse slaughter, clearing the way for companies in New Mexico, Missouri and Iowa to open while an appeal of a lawsuit by animal protection groups proceeds. The 10th U.S. Circuit Co...

  • Supreme Court Will Take up New Health Law Dispute

    Supreme Court Will Take up New Health Law Dispute

    Recent Cases 11/29/2013

    The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to referee another dispute over President Barack Obama's health care law, whether businesses can use religious objections to escape a requirement to cover birth control for employees. The justices said they will take ...

  • Spanish court sentences 'Robin Hood' mayor

    Spanish court sentences 'Robin Hood' mayor

    Recent Cases 11/25/2013

    A Spanish court has sentenced a town mayor and four others to seven months in prison for occupying unused military land they wanted to be loaned to farmers hard hit by the economic crisis. The regional court of southern Andalusia on Thursday convicte...

  • N. Ind. court helps veterans get back on track

    N. Ind. court helps veterans get back on track

    Recent Cases 11/11/2013

    A northern Indiana judge is helping troubled veterans get their lives back in order. Porter Superior Judge Julia Jent started the Veterans Treatment Court slightly more than two years ago. Case managers, mental health professionals, prosecutors and p...

  • Soldiers in fatal stabbing due in Washington court

    Soldiers in fatal stabbing due in Washington court

    Recent Cases 10/11/2013

    There may have been some "trash talk" between a car full of black soldiers and three white soldiers on foot, but race was not the main issue in the weekend stabbing death of a soldier near a large Army base in Washington, police and prosecutors said....

  • PG&E starts pipeline shutdown under court order

    PG&E starts pipeline shutdown under court order

    Recent Cases 10/07/2013

    Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says it will comply with a judge's order and shut down a natural gas pipeline after safety issues were raised. The utility said Sunday it believes the pipeline is safe despite an engineer's email questioning the safety ...

  • Appeals court panel considers TABOR challenge

    Appeals court panel considers TABOR challenge

    Recent Cases 09/25/2013

    Colorado is asking the federal courts to stay out of a dispute about whether its strict tax and spending limits has robbed the state of a republican form of government. In arguments Monday, state Solicitor General Daniel Domenico told a three-judge p...

  • Italian court insists Berlusconi devised tax fraud

    Italian court insists Berlusconi devised tax fraud

    Recent Cases 08/27/2013

    Italy's supreme court is defending its decision earlier this month to uphold the tax fraud conviction of Silvio Berlusconi, saying the evidence was clear that the former premier devised a tax fraud scheme for the acquisition of film rights for his me...