10th Circuit Court

Workers File Massive $100M Wage Suit Against Bank of America

In a lawsuit that could eventually include some 180,000 plaintiffs, current and former workers at the Bank of America are seeking compensation for allegedly unpaid wages and overtime. In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., they seek to consolidate complaints filed in five states and…

Jun 7, 2010 7:26 PM CDT

Dad Troubled by 10th Circuit Decision Against Right to Determine Son’s Cancer Care

A federal appeals court has ruled that a Utah couple is not entitled to pursue damages against state officials who sought to force their son to undergo chemotherapy for Ewing’s sarcoma. The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held in a May 5 opinion (PDF) that the state officials…

May 6, 2010 4:16 PM CDT

U of Wyo. Must Let Controversial 1960s Radical Bill Ayers Speak, Federal Judge Rules

A federal judge has countermanded the University of Wyoming’s decision not to let 1960s radical Bill Ayers speak on campus today. The state-funded institution had cited safety concerns, but U.S. District Judge William Downes held yesterday that protesters’ threatened violence was too vague to justify excluding Ayers, reports the Associated…

Apr 28, 2010 11:57 PM CDT

Gardner to Face Firing Squad for Murdering Lawyer During Botched Utah Courthouse Escape

After nearly 25 years of appeals, a Utah prison inmate is now scheduled to face a firing squad in June for murdering an attorney during a botched 1985 escape from a Salt Lake City courthouse, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Ronnie Lee Gardner, who is now 49, was found…

Apr 23, 2010 9:16 PM CDT

Courthouse Cooler Warned of Explosion But Actually Contained Phone Books

A note on a soft-sided cooler outside the federal courthouse in downtown Kansas City, Mo., today said its contents would explode. But after the building was evacuated and a number of employees were sent home for the day, investigators determined that the cooler contained phone books, Fox News and the…

Apr 5, 2010 5:33 PM CDT

Federal Judge Green-Lights Suit Over Inmate’s 27-Year Solitary Confinement

A federal judge has given the green light to litigation being pursued by University of Denver law students on behalf of an inmate held in solitary confinement since 1983. District Judge Philip Brimmer this week rejected a motion by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to dismiss inmate Tommy Silverstein’s constitutional…

Mar 25, 2010 4:34 PM CDT

Pol Denies Brother Nominated to 10th Circuit to Secure Health Care Vote

An article suggesting a possible link between an appeals court nomination and a health care vote is prompting denials from the congressman whose brother was tapped for the judgeship. The Weekly Standard noted that President Obama is trying to woo U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to switch his vote to…

Mar 4, 2010 3:26 PM CST

Making Herstory

U.S. Circuit judge encourages the next steps toward equality

Mar 1, 2010 9:00 AM CST

Do Lawyers Have 1st Amendment Right to Interview Jurors? 10th Circuit Says Maybe

In a novel case sure to catch the attention of trial lawyers and researchers, the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says that attorneys may have a First Amendment right to interview jurors involved in trials in which they did not participate. But the right may extend only to…

Feb 11, 2010 1:44 PM CST

10th Circuit Dismisses Libel Suit Against John Grisham

A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a libel suit filed by an Oklahoma prosecutor and other state officials against best-selling author John Grisham. The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Grisham and other defendants were protected by an Oklahoma statute imposing high burdens on libel…

Feb 2, 2010 3:08 PM CST

10th Circuit Chief Surprises Colleagues, Resigns to Head University

Robert H. Henry, chief judge of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, stunned colleagues, friends and staff Thursday when he announced that he’ll give up his lifetime federal appointment to become head of Oklahoma City University. A Clinton appointee, Henry has been on the 10th Circuit for nearly…

Dec 11, 2009 1:20 PM CST

DOJ Sues Attorney, Says Law Office Banned Service Dog, Violating ADA

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a disability discrimination lawsuit against a Colorado attorney for allegedly barring a woman from giving a deposition in his law office because she was accompanied by her service dog. The animal, an Australian shepherd, is trained to help the…

Nov 3, 2009 11:19 PM CST

10th Circuit: Court Reporter Not Entitled to Fee for Copied Transcript

A federal appeals court has ruled against a court reporter seeking a “missed fee” from a lawyer who obtained a transcript of a court hearing at a lower price from the city of Albuquerque. In an unpublished decision, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the court reporter is…

Aug 31, 2009 12:33 PM CDT

10th Cir. Nixes Novell Win in Unix Case, Puts $1B IBM Copyright Claim on Track for Trial

A trial judge’s grant of summary judgment for defendant Novell in a key portion of a dispute over the ownership of the Unix code was overturned yesterday by a federal appeals court, putting it and a related $1 billion copyright dispute between the plaintiff and IBM back on track for…

Aug 25, 2009 9:03 PM CDT

DOJ Won’t Appeal Ruling Likely to Cut Sentence for Nacchio

The Department of Justice won’t appeal a ruling last month expected to result in a lower insider trading sentence for the former CEO of Qwest Communications. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said on Monday that the ruling would not be appealed, but she did not indicate the reason why, Reuters…

Aug 18, 2009 6:39 PM CDT