Local Government

Contentious resolution seeking to redefine consent in sexual assault cases is postponed

The ABA House of Delegates has postponed indefinitely a resolution that would call on legislatures and courts to redefine the consent standard in sexual assault cases, after contentious debate Monday at the ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Aug 12, 2019 10:20 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Woman fined $100K for dirty pool and tall grass; county bar sued for pregnancy bias

• A Florida woman who was fined $100,000 for a dirty pool and overgrown grass is facing a lawsuit by the city of Dunedin. The woman, Kristi Allen, had moved out of the home and thought she no longer owned it because she signed an agreement allowing foreclosure. Now the…

Aug 9, 2019 4:27 PM CDT

Federal judge appears likely to certify unusual ‘negotiation’ class for nation’s cities in massive opioid case

A federal judge in Cleveland appears ready to approve a “negotiation” class representing the nation’s 33,000 cities, towns and counties to try to achieve a settlement in opioid litigation.

Aug 7, 2019 10:03 AM CDT

13 cops in this state will be fired because of offensive Facebook posts

Thirteen Philadelphia police officers will be fired for racist, violent and offensive Facebook posts uncovered because of the efforts of a local lawyer. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross announced the disciplinary action Thursday, report the Philadelphia Inquirer, ABC News, Injustice Watch and BuzzFeed News. Ross told reporters that the department’s…

Jul 22, 2019 2:02 PM CDT

Police officers illegally use information from arrests that have been sealed, lawsuit says

When a man named J.J. was arrested in the Bronx in 2016, the public defenders assigned to represent him assumed he’d get a good plea deal. After all, it appeared to be a low-level case. J.J. had been a passenger in his friend’s car when police had pulled them over for allegedly failing to signal a turn; the officers then searched the vehicle and found an unlicensed gun inside.

Jul 19, 2019 5:00 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Feds won’t charge cop in Eric Garner’s chokehold death, Cardi B defends her courtroom attire

• The U.S. Justice Department won’t charge the New York City police officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes. Garner cried out, “I can’t breathe” before his death. Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said the officer won’t be charged with a civil…

Jul 16, 2019 6:15 PM CDT

Impounded vehicles can’t be held after drivers file for bankruptcy, court says

Thousands of Chicago motorists may be able to get their cars and trucks out of city impound lots immediately after filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy following a federal appeals court ruling that the city could no longer hold onto the vehicles.

Jul 10, 2019 9:28 AM CDT

ACLU sues state police, alleging they’re acting as immigration authorities

Pennsylvania State Police troopers have routinely violated the law by stopping and holding people based solely on their Latino appearance, terrifying drivers and passengers while usurping federal authority to investigate supposed immigration violations, the ACLU claims in a federal lawsuit filed recently.

Jul 9, 2019 1:29 PM CDT

This state is set to expunge nearly 800,000 marijuana convictions in 2020

Illinois residents will automatically receive clemency for convictions of up to 30 grams of cannabis after a new state law goes into effect in 2020. The Cannabis Regulation & Tax Act, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week, makes cannabis legal for people age 21 and older and offers relief…

Jul 1, 2019 3:54 PM CDT

AG Barr announces funding, future plans to address public safety crisis in rural Alaska

A month after U.S. Attorney General William Barr visited Alaska to investigate the high rates of sexual assault and family violence and low police presence in rural communities, he has declared a law enforcement emergency in the state.

Jul 1, 2019 9:35 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: Does precedent matter to conservative justices on the Roberts Court?

How much does the Roberts Court care about precedent and stare decisis? Ultimately, this will be crucial as the U.S. Supreme Court reconsiders issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and gay and lesbian rights.

Jun 27, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

Liberating criminal justice data: How a Florida law provides a blueprint for the nation

In a self-imposed Sisyphean task, the team at Measures for Justice travels the U.S. unearthing, collecting and publishing criminal justice data. Today, Christian Gossett, district attorney for Winnebago County, Wisconsin, says more people are being released quicker pretrial, and he’s working with researchers to improve equity in diversion, thanks to the initial data made available by Measures for Justice.

Jun 18, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Kavanaugh decision rejects First Amendment claim against public access channel

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Monday against two producers who argued that a public access TV channel violated their First Amendment rights when it stopped airing their video. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion. He was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence…

Jun 17, 2019 3:15 PM CDT

46 ice cream trucks scooped up in ‘Operation Meltdown;’ mayor says it’s ‘the end of the road’

As part of the appropriately named “Operation Meltdown,” New York City seized 46 ice cream trucks June 5 for thwarting parking enforcement measures and evading millions of dollars of imposed penalties. The city alleges in a lawsuit filed May 30 against the owners of 76 ice cream trucks that the…

Jun 10, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Alaska Native leaders to AG Barr: Help fix our law enforcement crisis

Alaska Native leaders called on U.S. Attorney General William Barr for federal aid and greater authority for tribes to prosecute certain crimes, saying Wednesday that a dangerous lack of law enforcement is growing worse in the state’s most remote communities. Barr, sitting beside U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, heard that…

May 31, 2019 7:30 AM CDT