Critics Say Ariz. Bills to Change Judicial Merit Selection Are a Legislative Power Grab

A conservative lawmaker in Arizona has introduced several bills that would change the state’s merit selection process for appellate judges and for trial judges in its two most populous counties. Critics say the bills introduced by Republican Sen. Ron Gould are an apparent attempt to politicize the judicial selection process…

Mar 17, 2011 1:49 PM CDT

Ex-Judge Gets 26 Years as Mastermind in Racketeering Conspiracy Vote-Purchase Case

A former Kentucky judge has been sentenced to over 26 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy among public officials to gain power and control by corrupting Clay County elections in 2002, 2004 and 2006. U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves called former Clay County Circuit Judge R.…

Mar 10, 2011 9:51 PM CST

John Edwards Hires Ex-White House Counsel in Bid to Stave Off Charges for Alleged Mistress Payments

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is trying to stave off criminal charges by hiring a new lawyer for his defense team. Former White House counsel Gregory Craig will be joining two North Carolina-based lawyers representing Edwards in a probe of possible campaign finance violations stemming from payments allegedly made…

Mar 3, 2011 1:08 PM CST

Candidates Say Public Campaign Funds Chill Their 1st Amendment Rights

Mar 1, 2011 10:01 AM CST

Expert Panel Given 10 Days to Complete Draft of Egypt’s New Constitution

A panel of legal experts that includes critics of former president Hosni Mubarak has been named to revise Egypt’s constitution. The Constitutional Amendment Committee has been told to complete an initial draft within 10 days that will pave the way toward elections, Reuters Africa reports. In three months, voters will…

Feb 17, 2011 11:30 AM CST

NY Rule Will Bar Judges from Hearing Cases if Litigants, Lawyers Made Large Contributions

New York State is tackling the appearance problem caused when judges take campaign contributions from lawyers. On Tuesday, the state’s chief judge will announce a new rule barring the assignment of cases to judges who, in the last two years, have accepted more than $2,500 in campaign contributions from the…

Feb 14, 2011 12:55 PM CST

Colo. Secty of State Changes Mind, Won’t Moonlight at Former Law Firm After All

Sharply criticized after he announced a plan to moonlight at his former law firm to supplement his government salary, the newly elected Colorado secretary of state has changed his mind. Scott Gessler announced today that he won’t be taking a second job putting in 20 hours per month at the…

Feb 2, 2011 12:35 AM CST

Hours After Appeal Filing, Top Ill. Court Rules Emanuel Stays on Ballot, Rebukes Appellate Panel

Capping an action-packed appellate week for the Illinois courts, Chicago election officials and a well-known city mayoral candidate, the state’s top court has just ruled—little more than 48 hours after an appeal was filed Tuesday—that former White House aide Rahm Emanuel will stay on the ballot. In a sharp rebuke…

Jan 28, 2011 12:19 AM CST

8th Circuit Tosses Case Claiming Minnesota Chief Justices Should Be Elected

A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit claiming Minnesota’s governor has misused the process for filling judicial vacancies to prevent elections for chief justice in the state. The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it has no jurisdiction to review a Minnesota ruling rejecting the claim,…

Jan 27, 2011 2:02 PM CST

Rahm Emanuel Back on Ballot for Chicago Mayor’s Race; Ill. Supreme Court Stays Appellate Ruling

Developing: After a brief setback yesterday, when an Illinois appellate court ruled that he could not run for Chicago mayor this year because he doesn’t meet residency requirements, Rahm Emanuel is back on the ballot. The Illinois Supreme Court today stayed the appellate court’s order yesterday that Emanuel cannot be…

Jan 25, 2011 7:09 PM CST

Divided Appeals Court Nixes Ex-Obama Aide’s Bid to Run for Chicago Mayor; He’s Not a City Resident

Updated: After two lower-level wins, a former top aide to President Barack Obama was booted from the ballot for the upcoming Chicago mayor’s race, as a divided Illinois appellate court panel today held that Rahm Emanuel did not meet a required one-year residency requirement. This is not expected to be…

Jan 24, 2011 6:41 PM CST

DeLay Gets 3 Years in Political Contributions Case, Blames Lawyers and Accountants

Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was sentenced to a three-year prison term today by a Texas judge in a conspiracy and money-laundering case concerning $190,000 in corporate political contributions he routed to help elect Republications to the state legislature. However, the the Texas Republican refused to apologize to…

Jan 10, 2011 9:37 PM CST

Ex-Obama Aide Remained a Chicago Resident, Stays on Ballot for Mayor’s Race, Judge Rules

Asked to overturn an administrative ruling that determined the former White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama remained a resident of Chicago while he worked in the nation’s capital and hence is qualified to run for election as the city’s mayor, a state-court judge in Illinois has instead…

Jan 4, 2011 9:19 PM CST

Judging the Judges: Landmark Iowa Elections Send Tremor Through the Judicial Retention System

Jan 1, 2011 6:59 AM CST

Supreme Court Tosses Suit Claiming US House Isn’t Big Enough

The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered dismissal of a lawsuit that claims the U.S. House of Representatives should be larger. In a summary disposition (PDF), the court vacated a federal ruling and ordered the suit dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, SCOTUSblog reports. A special three-judge panel had upheld the current…

Dec 13, 2010 4:13 PM CST