The Judicial Council, the policymaking body of the California courts, approved 11 temporary emergency rules on Monday to ensure California courts can meet the state’s health directives while also providing the public with due process and access to justice. The rules that were adopted include “setting bail statewide at $0 for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to [...]

A three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday that the state of Mississippi may stand trial for violating the Mississippi Readmission Act, which calls for “a uniform system of free public schools.” The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are four African-American mothers whose children attend public schools in Mississippi. [...]

Idaho Governor Brad Little signed two bills into law Monday that limit transgender individuals’ rights. House bill 509 prohibits transgender people from making changes to the biological sex recorded on their birth certificates. Under the law, an amendment can be made to the biological sex within one year of filing the certificate only if the [...]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a temporary policy regarding EPA enforcement of a variety of environmental laws on Thursday, saying regulated entities may have trouble complying with environmental standards due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The temporary policy applies to civil violations involving noncompliance and outlines what types of offenses will not be penalized as [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Monday that the Fourth Amendment does not bar an officer from stopping a vehicle to investigate a criminal misdemeanor that has already occurred. The case arose when police officers stopped Jermaine Jones’ vehicle to investigate allegations that he committed fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor in Kentucky. The [...]

The US House of Representatives passed a revised version of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Monday with unanimous consent. The resolution will now be sent to the Senate to be considered for a vote as the government attempts to manage the COVID-19 outbreak. The revised emergency coronavirus relief package outlined technical corrections to the [...]

Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill, known as SB 868, which aims to protect LGBTQ people from unequal treatment. Virginia will become the first southern state to successfully add sexual orientation and gender identity to its statewide nondiscrimination law once the bill is approved and signed into law by Governor [...]

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously ruled that, even in cases concerning federal bankruptcy and tax law, state tax law is to be applied concerning corporate property. The ruling vacates the decision of the lower court that applied a federal common-law rule known as the Bob Richards rule on how to allocate a tax [...]