State Government

Supreme Court justices get around-the-clock security after leak of draft abortion opinion; 25 state AGs call for action

U.S. Supreme Court justices began getting around-the-clock security last week, as protesters who fear an end to abortion rights gathered outside the homes of conservative justices.

May 20, 2022 10:17 AM CDT

Federal judge strikes down sign law requiring transgender bathroom warnings

A federal judge in Nashville, Tennessee, has struck down a state law requiring businesses to post warning signs if they allow transgender people to use restrooms that match their gender identity.

May 19, 2022 1:16 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Judge lifts Trump sanction, for now; $997M settlement offered in condo collapse

Judge willing to accept $110K, cooperation to end Trump sanction A trial-level judge in New York lifted a $10,000 daily civil contempt sanction against former President Donald Trump on Wednesday. But Judge Arthur Engoron warned that the sanction could be reinstated if Trump doesn’t pay $110,000 in accumulated fines and…

May 13, 2022 2:37 PM CDT

Texas law banning censoring of social media users for viewpoints can take effect, 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has allowed a Texas law to take effect that prohibits larger social media platforms from censoring users based on their political views.

May 13, 2022 9:06 AM CDT

California bill would discourage secrecy in court orders and settlements

A bill that cleared California’s Senate Judiciary Committee last month would discourage secrecy about safety hazards discovered in litigation.

May 12, 2022 8:31 AM CDT

New Arizona law will require state bar to pay attorney fees in lost legal discipline cases

A new law requires the State Bar of Arizona to pay legal fees of lawyers targeted for legal discipline who prevail in their ethics cases.

May 10, 2022 9:13 AM CDT

Citing Purcell principle, 11th Circuit reinstates voting restrictions in Florida

A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated provisions in Florida’s restrictive election law, saying a lower court judge had blocked the restrictions too close to the August primary.

May 10, 2022 8:57 AM CDT

Bid to block Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from ballot fails after state judge rules in her favor

An administrative law judge in Georgia ruled Friday that there is insufficient evidence to show that Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia engaged in insurrection, dealing a defeat to challengers who claimed that the U.S. Constitution banned her reelection.

May 9, 2022 3:44 PM CDT

Texas state prosecutor faces ethics complaint over election suit; AG Paxton says he’s next

Texas disciplinary authorities on Friday filed a lawsuit against a Texas assistant attorney general for alleged “dishonest” assertions in a U.S. Supreme Court case claiming that voting machines had switched votes.

May 9, 2022 1:23 PM CDT

State AG probes Texas Bar Foundation for allegedly aiding ‘mass influx of illegal aliens’

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into the Texas Bar Foundation for “possibly aiding and abetting the mass influx of illegal aliens,” according to a May 6 press release.

May 9, 2022 11:44 AM CDT

Execution stayed for Texas woman who confessed in toddler’s death after 100 denials

The top criminal court in Texas has stayed the execution of Melissa Elizabeth Lucio, who confessed to the murder of her 2-year-old daughter after repeated denials during an hourslong interrogation.

Apr 25, 2022 3:26 PM CDT

Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him $10K per day in fight over business documents

A state court judge in New York City has held former President Donald Trump in civil contempt and ordered him to pay $10,000 per day until he turns over subpoenaed documents or takes other steps to show that they don't exist.

Apr 25, 2022 1:11 PM CDT

As states consider regulation targeting transgender youths, some minds have been changed

A lawyer at the National Center for Lesbian Rights says despite several legislative obstacles, many LGBTQ clients are finding support from churches, neighbors and schools.

Apr 25, 2022 8:39 AM CDT

GOP targets state courts with campaign cash, laws that change judicial elections

Seeking a more favorable climate in fights over election maps, Republicans are planning to spend record amounts on state supreme court races and introducing legislation to make judicial elections more political.

Apr 15, 2022 10:04 AM CDT

GOP opposition blocks bill to name federal courthouse after Black judge, a ‘legal legend’

A measure to name a federal courthouse after the first Black judge on the Florida Supreme Court was recently blocked in the U.S. House of Representatives after one lawmaker found a news clip on a prayer ruling.

Apr 13, 2022 10:50 AM CDT