The National Pulse

After Ferguson and North Charleston, more police are wearing body cams

In the central Florida town of Windermere, population 3,000, its 10 patrol officers began wearing cameras in the autumn of 2013 to rebuild trust. The former chief, Daniel Saylor, had been arrested on perjury charges for providing false testimony during the sexual battery trial of a friend. Last year he…

Jun 1, 2015 3:50 AM CDT

New Innovation Act, aimed at ‘patent trolls,’ would require more details in infringement complaints

It is a rare instance of bipartisan consensus. Democrats and Republicans in Congress agree that “patent trolls” are using dubious infringement claims to pressure others to purchase patent licenses, thus extorting millions of dollars annually from businesses large and small across the U.S. The trolls are a threat to both…

Jun 1, 2015 3:40 AM CDT

Cheerleaders file labor and employment suits against the NFL

A recent spate of lawsuits by professional cheerleaders against National Football League franchises has cast an unflattering light on how the league's sideline dancers are treated and compensated.

May 1, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

South Dakota class action highlights violations of the Indian Child Welfare Act

When South Dakota's Pennington County petitioned to take custody of Madonna Pappan's children, the hearing lasted slightly more than 60 seconds.

May 1, 2015 5:50 AM CDT

State copyright law now gives musicians performance rights

The legal rights to broadcast—or otherwise publicly perform—audio recordings have long been a complex, irrational mess, according to copyright lawyers.

The mess began with the Sound Recordings Act of 1971, which granted federal copyright protection to audio recordings made on and after Feb. 15, 1972. Composers, lyricists, performers and recording companies all obtain federal copyrights in their audio recordings, but these creators do not receive the same protection under federal copyright law. Composers and lyricists receive royalties when audio recordings of their works are broadcast. Performers and record labels often don't.

Apr 1, 2015 6:07 AM CDT

Kentucky tests new assessment tool to determine whether to keep defendants behind bars

During her time as a prosecutor, Anne Milgram remembers having to rely on her gut instinct to determine whether to seek pretrial detention for defendants. “The detention decision is one of the most important decisions made,” says Milgram, who was New Jersey’s attorney general from 2007 to 2010. Nationwide, more…

Apr 1, 2015 3:50 AM CDT

High school fumbles a last-gasp legal play over playoff game

In one of football's last-gasp comeback plays, the "Hail Mary" pass, the losing team's quarterback rolls back and launches the football as far as possible hoping one of his receivers can—as in the answer to a prayer—haul in the toss and win the game.

Mar 1, 2015 6:18 AM CST

Lawyers are dealing with changing rules on college sexual assault

As colleges grapple with the recent publicity over campus sexual assaults and violence, so, too, are lawyers dealing with the complicated legal issues involved in filing and investigating grievances. The problem, some lawyers say, is that due process has been abandoned in campus disciplinary procedures that address student-on-student sexual misconduct claims.

Mar 1, 2015 6:13 AM CST

How should states regulate drones and aerial surveillance?

With a police helicopter hovering over his Taos County, New Mexico, home, Norman Davis consented in 2006 to allow a platoon of law enforcement officers, armed with A-15 semi-automatic weapons, to search his premises. The choppers had spotted marijuana plants that Davis, then 72, claimed he grew for medicinal purposes.

Feb 1, 2015 6:24 AM CST

People with disabilities want the Internet to be more accessible

When Donna Hill self-published a book, The Heart of Applebutter Hill, in May 2013, she arranged for it to be distributed on electronic platforms, including Scribd, an online service that hosts digital books and other online documents, including court rulings. But when the legally blind 64-year-old author tried to use…

Feb 1, 2015 3:00 AM CST

International law bar takes aim at overbroad bans on Shariah law

The story of Florida's anti-Shariah law movement began three years ago with a courtroom bang, but it ended last May in a legislative whimper.

Jan 1, 2015 6:05 AM CST

American Indians challenging eagle feather rules get a boost from Hobby Lobby ruling

In many American Indian religions, the eagle is considered a link to the creator and the spirit world. Its feathers are an important part of rituals, facilitating spiritual or physical purification.

Jan 1, 2015 5:53 AM CST

States start to crack down on parents ‘re-homing’ their adopted kids

Among pet owners, "re-homing" an unwanted dog or cat is a relatively straightforward process. The owner who seeks an alternative home often places an ad on the Internet, and a private transaction occurs that moves the pet to a new family.

Dec 1, 2014 5:20 AM CST

Prosecutors are using rap music to convince jurors of gang ties

Desean Haywood of Richmond, California, didn't write or perform the lyrics in "What U Do It Fo," a rap video popularized on YouTube. He does stand behind the performers—a group of young men, most of them black, like Haywood.

Dec 1, 2014 5:10 AM CST

NY high court says anti-cyberbullying law won't pass First Amendment muster

The White House held a conference about it in 2011. Legislators have referred to it as the scourge of the Internet. It allegedly has caused teen suicides. Many school districts have policies aimed at it, and some state laws specifically address it. It is cyberbullying, a form of online harassment in which a person uses social media or other technological means to cause severe emotional distress to another.

Nov 1, 2014 5:20 AM CDT