Sealing Court Records and Proceedings: A Pocket Guide, Robert Timothy Reagan, Federal Judicial Center, 2010 “In practical terms, it may be of little consequence whether a right of access is rooted in the First Amendment or only in the common law. It may be a rare situation in which the need for confidentiality is strong… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Courts
The State of Sentencing 2010 Developments in Policy and Practice
The Sentencing Project – The State of Sentencing 2010 Developments in Policy and Practice, Nicole D. Porter, February 2011 “Today, 7.2 million men and women are under correctional supervision. Of this total, five million are monitored in the community on probation or parole and 2.3 million are incarcerated in prisons or jails. As a result… Continue Reading
Federal Prosecution Data for November 2010 Released
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse report: “Federal criminal prosecutions totaled 12,494 for the month of November according to the most recent data released by the Department of Justice. The Department of Homeland Security was the lead agency for over half (57%) of these prosecutions; other agencies with substantial numbers of referrals were the Drug Enforcement Administration… Continue Reading
Growth in Bankruptcy Filings Slows In Calendar Year 2010
“Bankruptcy filings in the federal courts rose 8 percent in calendar year 2010, according to data released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Total filings remain at a five-year high. The number of bankruptcies filed in the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2010, totaled 1,593,081, up from 1,473,675 bankruptcies filed in CY… Continue Reading
New York State Public Health Legal Manual – A Guide for Judges, Attorneys and Public Health Professionals
“In todays world, we face many natural and man-made catastrophic threats, including the very real possibility of a global influenza outbreak or other public health emergency that could infect millions of people. While it is impossible to predict the timing or severity of the next public health emergency, our government has a responsibility to anticipate… Continue Reading
New Federal Court Management Statistics Available
“Federal court statistical profiles for the nations 12 regional appeals courts and 94 district courts for fiscal year 2010, the 12-month period ending September 30, 2010, are newly available. Federal Court Management Statistics also provides national totals for the appellate and district courts, allowing the statistical totals of each individual court to be compared to… Continue Reading
California Supreme Court Rules Zip Code is Personal Information
EPIC: “In Pineda v. William Sonoma, the California Supreme Court has determined that merchants may not require credit card customers to provide ZIP codes. In a unanimous decision, the Court found that ZIP codes are “personal identification information” under the state Credit Card Act of 1971. In the Pineda case, the customer believed that providing… Continue Reading
TRAC: Federal Enforcement Shifts Under President Obama
“A detailed analysis of Justice Department and other records has found that criminal enforcement under President Obama is significantly different than it was during the last two years of the Bush Administration. One key finding is that with the increasing focus on immigration, other kinds of felony prosecutions — particularly in those districts not on… Continue Reading
Abandoning Law Reports for Official Digital Case Law
Abandoning Law Reports for Official Digital Case Law, Peter W. Martin, Cornell Law School, January 25, 2011, Cornell Legal Studies Research Paper No. 11-01 “In 2009, Arkansas ended publication of the Arkansas Reports. Since 1837 this series of volumes, joined in the late twentieth century by the Arkansas Appellate Reports covering the state’s intermediate court… Continue Reading
Florida District Judge Rules Health-Care Reform Act Ruled Unconstitutional
State of Florida v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 10-cv-00091, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida (Pensacola) Roger Vinson – Senior United States District Judge, Case No.: “This case, challenging the Constitutionality of the Act, was filed minutes after the President signed. It has been brought by the Attorneys General and/or Governors… Continue Reading
National Corrections Reporting Program – Statistical Tables (update)
National Corrections Reporting Program – Statistical Tables (update), Thomas P. Bonczar, January 20, 2011: “This update adds data for 2007 and 2008 to the electronic series of selected tables on most serious offense, sentence length, and time served in state prison. The National Corrections Reporting Program collects demographic information, conviction offenses, sentence length, credited jail… Continue Reading
Who Does Justice Look Like? Images of the symbol of law
Follow up to Justice Scalia’s Comments on equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, via Slate – Who Does Justice Look Like? Her changing features and skin color over the centuries, by Dennis Curtis and Judith Resnik “Justice Antonin Scalia recently reminded us that when the 14th Amendment was… Continue Reading
