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 [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Monday reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a religious freedom complaint against California’s state controller. The court reinstated the claims because they believe the plaintiff alleged enough facts to demonstrate the loyalty oath and her religious beliefs are in conflict and the state office does not face [...]

The US Senate repealed the authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs) against Iraq Wednesday by a vote of 66-30. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) made opening remarks addressing the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs formerly passed by Congress. He said: The United States, Iraq, the entire world has changed dramatically since 2002. These AUMFs [...]

The US Supreme Court Monday declined to hear Steven Donziger v. United States, a case concerning a human rights lawyer charged with multiple criminal counts of contempt and prosecuted by special prosecutors. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented and would have heard the appeal. Gorsuch argued that the appointment of the private attorneys as [...]

The American Library Association (ALA) Wednesday released a report quantifying a dramatic increase in demands for book censorship last year. The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom compiled data on the number of attempts to restrict access to certain library books. 2022 saw the highest number of demands to censor library books and materials since the [...]

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued an emergency regulation Monday asserting that current state law prohibits gender transition “interventions” for minors without meeting specific procedural requirements. Missouri law prohibits “experimental healthcare procedures,” so the AG stated that current law does not allow gender transition care for minors without certain requirements because it is an experimental [...]

The Idaho legislature Monday passed House Bill 186 which will allow firing squads as a method of execution, making death by firing squad the standard execution procedure if lethal injections are found to be unconstitutional. The bill also gives the state’s Department of Corrections (DOC) the authority to set the procedures for firing squad executions. [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint Monday against Rite Aid claiming the corporation and its state branches filled prescriptions for controlled substances that were not medically necessary, did not have a valid prescription or were issued by prescribers acting outside their usual areas of practice. The Controlled Substances Act categorizes prescription drugs [...]

The Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy voted 8–3 Monday to advance a bill that would largely criminalize and further restrict the provision of sex-reassignment hormones and procedures to minors. Introduced by Florida State Senators Clay Yarborough and Keith Perry, Senate Bill 254 would give Florida courts temporary emergency jurisdiction over any child present in [...]

West Virginia, Missouri and Florida Monday announced they will no longer participate as member states in the Election Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC was founded in 2012 as a bipartisan effort to “improv the accuracy of America’s voter rolls and increas access to voter registration for all eligible citizens.” West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner [...]