West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and former Bishop Michael Bransfield for knowingly employing child sexual abusers. The Diocese operates six high schools and 19 elementary schools in the state. The Diocese published a report in November that listed 18 priests who have been credibly accused of [...]
Oregon’s House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would ban the use of hydraulic fracturing for the exploration of or production of oil and gas in Oregon. The bill was passed by a vote of 42-12. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would ban fracking until January 2, 2030. [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in Nielsen v. Preap that immigrants who have committed certain crimes are not entitled to a bond hearing and once detained can be held in federal custody until their removal proceedings are resolved. In an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court overturned two Ninth Circuit decisions (Preap v. [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that maritime tort law permits manufacturers to be sued for modifications to their products made by a third party when those modifications are known by the manufacturer. The suit was brought by two veterans, Kenneth McAfee and John DeVries, who alleged that they were exposed to asbestos while enlisted [...]
The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from a Hawaii bed and breakfast owner who turned away a lesbian couple due to her Christian beliefs, thus leaving open the question of what protections are afforded public business owners who act in violation of anti-discrimination laws but in accordance with closely held religious [...]
The US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) told a federal judge on Monday that Elon Musk’s tweet concerning Tesla Inc.’s production targets violated the settlement agreement with the SEC and an unambiguous court order approving the terms of the settlement. The SEC filed a motion in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in February, requesting to [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled Monday that Alabama cannot keep its lethal injection protocol secret from the public. At issue was the failed execution of Doyle Hamm in February 2018. After several failed attempts to insert a needle into his veins, the execution was called off. The Associated Press and [...]
An Israeli court ruled Sunday against a local bank that attempted to close accounts linked to Bitcoin over money laundering concerns. Judge Limor Bibi of the Tel Aviv District Court found the bank’s argument against depositing funds it suspected to be tied to criminal activity sound but rejected the bank’s request to close the account and [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in two cases: the Virginia racial gerrymandering case, Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill; and a reviewability of agency decision case, Smith v. Berryhill. The Virginia lawsuit was filed in 2014 by residents in 12 different districts in the state. The challengers contended that the legislature, by adopting the 2011 map [...]
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that the statutory protections of doctor-patient privilege do not cover investigations into Medicaid fraud. The court rejected the claims of Chalice Zeitner, who appealed a fraud conviction on the basis that the court erred by allowing the introduction of medical records as well as the testimony of her [...]
