Search Results for: sotomayor

The US Supreme Court ruled Thursday that wetlands must be adjacent to and “indistinguishable” from protected waters in order to qualify for protection under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Delivering a decision in Sackett v. EPA, the Court sided with the appellants, prioritizing the rights of wetland owners whose property is not adjacent to protected [...]

The US Supreme Court Monday declined to hear David Brown v. Louisiana, a case which concerns evidence rules in criminal trials. The man who petitioned the court to hear the case remains on death row, where he has been since his 2011 criminal conviction. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Sonia [...]

Can access to justice be enhanced via the advent of generative AI such as the widely and wildly popular ChatGPT app? I get asked this pointed question quite frequently. The straightforward answer is that generative AI provides a mixed bag, namely that in some respects this type of AI will indeed enable greater access to [...]

The US Supreme Court Wednesday granted a request by death row inmate John Cruz for post conviction relief from his 2005 death sentence. In an opinion by Justice Sotomayor, the court ruled that the Arizona Supreme Court incorrectly held that the 2016 case Lynch v. Arizona was “not a significant change in law” meriting a [...]

In a 5-4 vote the US Supreme Court Tuesday allowed Title 42, a Trump-era deportation policy, to remain in effect. With the decision, the court put on hold a lower federal judge’s decision that would have ended the Title 42 policy last week. The court stated that this ruling does not preclude the federal government [...]

The US Supreme Court Monday heard oral arguments in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. The Court will decide whether Colorado’s Antidiscrimination Act compels an artist to speak or stay silent and whether the law violates the First Amendment. Lorie Smith, the owner of 303 Creative, wishes to design wedding websites but would like to post [...]

The US Supreme Court Tuesday denied an application to stay the execution of Kevin Johnson, a man convicted of murdering a police officer. Johnson had filed a petition to stay his execution with the court alleging racial bias throughout his prosecution. The petition to the US Supreme Court was presented to Justice Brett Kavanaugh and [...]

US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Thursday rejected a bid to prevent New York City from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for teachers, firefighters and police officers. Sotomayor was unwilling to grant the emergency request, received on November 4, to block the policy. Petitioners brought the emergency request alongside their ongoing appeal of a lower [...]

The US Supreme Court Wednesday heard oral arguments in Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. v. Hewitt. The court was asked to determine whether a supervisor who makes over $200,000 a year is entitled to overtime pay under 29 CFR § 541.604, despite an exemption in 29 CFR § 541.601 for highly-paid executives. Michael Hewitt worked for [...]

The US Supreme Court Tuesday denied a black death row inmate’s appeal over claims his trial was tarnished by several jurors who stated their opposition of interracial relationships. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson dissented. Andre Lee Thomas was sentenced to death in 2005 for the murders of his wife, their son and her daughter from [...]