Congressional Democrats have introduced a legislative package designed to bring greater transparency to the Supreme Court’s handling of emergency orders, commonly referred to as the shadow docket. The three bills, introduced Thursday by Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, would require justices to provide written explanations for their emergency rulings and restructure how cases are selected for...
California’s cardroom operators secured a significant legal victory on Thursday when a San Francisco Superior Court judge blocked state officials from implementing controversial new blackjack regulations that industry representatives warned could devastate their businesses. Judge Richard Darwin granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state Bureau of Gambling Control from enforcing regulations that would have dramatically...
A Cook County Circuit Court judge has denied a petition seeking the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate potential criminal conduct by federal immigration officers during Operation Midway Blitz, a major immigration enforcement action that took place last year. Judge Erica Reddick, who presides over the criminal division of the Cook County Circuit Court,...
A Kentucky school district has reached a settlement agreement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, resolving claims related to the alleged harmful effects of social media on students. The Breathitt County Board of Education had been pursuing damages exceeding $60 million to address what it described as the negative impacts of addictive...
A federal magistrate judge heard extensive arguments Thursday as Google pursued a new trial in its protracted patent dispute with Sonos, challenging a 2023 jury verdict that awarded the speaker manufacturer more than $32.5 million in damages. The hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Kang in San Francisco stretched over two hours, with attorneys from...
The state of Texas has launched a lawsuit against WhatsApp and its parent company Meta, alleging that the messaging platform has misrepresented the privacy protections it offers to users. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the complaint in Harrison County District Court on Thursday, claiming that WhatsApp’s assertions about complete message encryption are false. The legal...
A three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court’s decision that would have required the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct new safety assessments on fluoride levels in drinking water. The appellate court determined that Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Chen exceeded his judicial authority when he delayed his ruling...
A federal judge indicated Thursday that a controversial project to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool from its traditional dark gray to “American flag” blue will likely proceed despite legal challenges from preservationists. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols expressed skepticism during a hearing about granting an immediate injunction to halt the $6.9 million project, which...
In June 2024, a case in Columbus, Ohio, brought attention to the serious consequences that can arise when individuals in positions of trust violate their responsibilities. Payton Shires, a former youth counselor, appeared in court after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old boy under her supervision. She pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including...
In April 1988, eight-year-old April Marie Tinsley disappeared while walking to a friend’s house in Fort Wayne, Indiana, beginning one of the most haunting child m*rder investigations in the United States. Three days later, her body was discovered in a ditch outside the city. Investigators determined that she had been abducted, assaulted, and k*lled. In...