Vick: I’m Not Guilty in Dogfighting Case

One of the nation’s marquee professional football players, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he has run an illegal dogfighting operation out of his property in rural Surry County, Va. since 2001. A federal magistrate in Richmond entered the plea today and released Vick…

Jul 27, 2007 12:35 AM CDT

Conservatives Fret Over 4th Circuit

The federal appeals court based in Richmond, Va., has long been viewed as a conservative bastion. But with four vacancies, that could change. President Bush has not nominated anyone to fill those spots after withdrawing two controversial nominees, and energized Democrats could drag their feet when he finally acts, Legal…

Jul 10, 2007 12:58 PM CDT

Last Resorts of Court

One date that’s on almost every federal judge’s calendar this summer is the meeting of his or her circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, at which trial and appellate judges review the work of the court and socialize at some of the nicest resorts and hotels in the nation.…

Jul 1, 2007 7:04 PM CDT

Rehearing Sought in ‘Sleeper Agent’ Case

The U.S. Justice Department says it will ask a federal appeals court for an en banc rehearing of a three-judge panel’s ruling yesterday that the military could not hold a civilian indefinitely.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling said Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri could be charged with a crime, deported or held as a material witness. But he has a right to habeas corpus and must be released from military detention, the Richmond, Va.-based court said.

A Justice Department statement said al-Marri trained at Osama bin Laden’s terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and was an al-Qaida sleeper agent sent here to explore methods of disrupting the U.S. financial system.

Jun 12, 2007 1:21 PM CDT

Court Rebuffs Bush on Civilian Detainee

A federal appeals court has ruled the Bush administration does not have the authority to hold a civilian indefinitely in military detention.

The plaintiff, a suspected terrorist captured within the United States, has a right to habeas corpus, according to the ruling (PDF) today by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The suspect, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, must be released in a reasonable time period, the court said. However, the court said he can be turned over to civilian prosecutors to be tried on criminal charges.

“The president’s constitutional powers do not allow him to order the military to seize and detain indefinitely al-Marri without criminal process,” the court said.

The ruling is a major blow to the Bush administration’s assertion of broad powers to fight terrorism, according to the Washington Post.

Jun 11, 2007 7:10 PM CDT

Conduct Uncensored in 4th Circuit’s Ruling

An “adults only” en banc opinion by a federal appeals court says a college soccer coach’s comments may violate Title IX’s ban on sexual discrimination in public schools. The opinion contains many uncensored examples of coach Anson Dorrance’s alleged comments about his women players’ sex lives and physical appearances, according…

Apr 20, 2007 2:58 PM CDT

4th Circuit Allows Harassment Suit Againt Coach

A federal appeals court has ruled that a sexual harassment lawsuit may proceed against a soccer coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Plaintiff Melissa Jennings claims coach Anson Dorrance had degrading, sex-oriented discussions, the News and Observer reports. In an en banc ruling, the Richmond, Va.-based…

Apr 10, 2007 1:57 PM CDT