New York Times: “A federal judge ruled on Thursday that BP was grossly negligent in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout that killed 11 workers, spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and soiled hundreds of miles of beaches. “BP’s conduct was reckless,” United States District Court Judge Carl J.… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Courts
Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform: The Federal Role
“In the past decade, a number of state, local, and tribal jurisdictions have begun to take significant steps to overhaul their juvenile justice systems – for example, reducing the use of juvenile detention and out-of-home placement, bringing greater attention to racial and ethnic disparities, looking for ways to engage affected families in the process, and… Continue Reading
Decline in Prosecutions for National Internal Security and Terrorism
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse: “Criminal prosecutions in the area of national internal security and terrorism have declined steadily since fiscal year 2002. According to the latest available data from the Justice Department, there were 128 such prosecutions recorded in the first eight months of FY 2014. At this pace, 192 individuals will be prosecuted for… Continue Reading
Judge Posner Solves Sherlock Holmes Copyright Case
Rita Yoon, McDermott Will & Emery: “The original character of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, along with his sidekick, Dr. John H. Watson, are no longer subject to copyright protection. In an opinion by Judge Richard A. Posner, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that copyright protection in these century-old literary characters… Continue Reading
Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Background After United States v. Windsor
CRS – Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Background After United States v. Windsor. Alison M. Smith, Legislative Attorney. August 15, 2014. “The recognition of same-sex marriage generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in more than a dozen states and the District of Columbia. Conversely, many states have statutory or constitutional… Continue Reading
PACER is running out of disk space – removes cases from server
NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON PACER – As of August 10, 2014 the following information will no longer be available on PACER: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit Cases filed prior to January 1, 2010 U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit Cases filed prior to CM/ECF conversion U.S. Court of Appeals for the… Continue Reading
Security Experts: EPIC Correct About Body Scanners-Invasive and Ineffective
“The first independent analysis of backscatter x-ray body scanners corroborate the claims EPIC and others have made for several years: The scanners are invasive and ineffective. In a detailed report published in 2005, EPIC warned that the x-ray body scanners amounted to a virtual strip search and were an ineffective means of airport security. Freedom of Information Act documents later obtained… Continue Reading
Preliminary Draft of Proposed Amendments Federal Rules of Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, and Criminal Procedure
“On August 15, 2014, the public comment period opens for proposed amendments to: Appellate Rules 4, 5, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28.1, 29, 32, 35, and 40, and Forms 1, 5, 6, and New Form 7; Bankruptcy Rules 1010, 1011, 2002, 3002, 3002.1, 3007, 3012, 3015, 4003, 5009, 7001, 9006, and 9009, and New Rule… Continue Reading
New on LLRX – Case Law in an Era of Heightened Scrutiny
Via LLRX.com – Case Law in an Era of Heightened Scrutiny – Ken Strutin’s documents the scope of sources that encompass a critical issue that has recently repeatedly surfaced in mass media and the legal press – the fact that judicial decisions are believed to embody legal reasoning, societal values and support the foundations of our legal system. For… Continue Reading
NSA’s Internet Metadata Program Was Sharply Criticized By FISA Judges – EPIC
“Documents Obtained by EPIC Lawsuit Show NSA’s Internet Metadata Program Was Sharply Criticized By FISA Judges While Congressional Oversight Lagged for Year: In a FOIA lawsuit against the Department of Justice, EPIC has obtained many documents about the NSA’s Internet Metadata program. These include the Government’s original FISA application seeking authorization to collect data from millions of e-mails, as well… Continue Reading
Deconstructing and Reconstructing Rights for Immigrant Children
Corcoran, Erin B., Deconstructing and Reconstructing Rights for Immigrant Children (August 8, 2014). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2477955 “Children rights advocates and scholars alike continue to call for the development of innovative and alternative rights models, which specifically provide for an expansive conceptualization of children’s rights. Central to their calls for reform is a simultaneous recognition that… Continue Reading
Failing Expectations: Fourth Amendment Doctrine in the Era of Total Surveillance
Sylvain, Olivier, Failing Expectations: Fourth Amendment Doctrine in the Era of Total Surveillance (July 28, 2014). 49 Wake Forest Law Review 485. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2473101 “Today’s reasonable expectation test and the third-party doctrine have little to nothing to offer by way of privacy protection if users today are at least conflicted about whether… Continue Reading
