Legal News

The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Friday dismissed the prosecution’s request to delay the March trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minnesota police officer charged will killing George Floyd, after the prosecution cited safety concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The appeals court also rejected the prosecution’s request to hold a joint trial for Chauvin [...]

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday that defendants who are facing prolonged incarceration due to COVID-19 trial delays have the right to a new detention hearing if certain requirements are met.    The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey and the Office of the Public Defender brought this case. The New Jersey [...]

Five nonprofit legal service organizations sued the presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, seeking to prevent the court system from compelling in-person court appearances for traffic and unlawful detainer hearings. The lawsuit, filed by Public Counsel and other legal service groups, asserts that Presiding Judge Kevin Brazile’s order requiring in-person [...]

The US Supreme Court on Monday lifted an order that would have required Michigan prosecutors to retry a 2007 murder case by May 2021 or release the defendant after state officials cited COVID-19-prompted trial delays. Michigan state prosecutors filed for a stay in December, pending the outcome of a petition for a writ of certiorari. [...]

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Monday launched an investigation into widespread COVID-19 infections and deaths in US meatpacking plants. Representative James Clyburn, Chairman of the Subcommittee, sent letters to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS USA. The letter to OSHA claims that under the [...]

The Ukrainian parliament passed a bill Friday aimed at expediting Ukraine’s approval of COVID-19 vaccines. The bill also prohibits the use of Russian vaccines. The law establishes a new procedure for approval of medicinal products in “emergency situations.” Under this new framework, the Ministry of Health is able to approve a medication where: 1) there [...]

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office filed a request with the Minnesota Court of Appeals Thursday, asking for intervention in the Hennepin County District Court’s refusal to hold a single trial in the summer for the four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the George Floyd murder case. In an unusual move, Attorney General Keith Ellison [...]

The Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, Ferdinand Grapperhaus, told press on Tuesday that arrested rioters of the government-imposed curfew will face prompt and harsh prosecution. On Monday night, 184 rioters were arrested and many more fined, with the fine for breaching curfew being 95 euros. Monday was the third day of protests in the [...]

The Greek government implemented a weeklong ban on public gatherings of more than 100 people on Tuesday, including protests. The government cited the ongoing pandemic as the reason for the ordinance, which fines individuals USD $3,650 and groups $6,070 for violations. The restriction on the size of public protests drew criticism from left-wing political groups [...]

The US Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition for certiorari by Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley regarding Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 reopening orders. Sisolak’s May Emergency Directive 021 allowed businesses like amusement parks, museums and gyms to open at 50 percent capacity but specified that religious institutions could host no more than 50 people [...]