US Legal News

Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp signed the State’s first hate crime bill into law on Friday. The bill adds enhanced penalties against defendants who are motivated by race, sex, disability, or other similar categories. Kemp signed HB 426 in a signing ceremony in the state capital, affirming “a simple but powerful motto: Georgia is a state too [...]

The ACLU of Indiana on Friday submitted a lawsuit against the city of Fort Wayne and Allen County, citing the alleged abuse of tear gas and pepper spray by Fort Wayne police during the recent George Floyd demonstrations. The report states that “Numerous persons have come together to attempt to engage in peaceful protest in downtown [...]

Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order on Thursday directing Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate individuals involved with the death of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado. The incident between McClain and officers occurred on August 24, 2019, after officers responded to a 9/11 call about a “suspicious person.” After confronting McClain, one of [...]

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, on Wednesday released the findings and recommendations of the state’s 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Report. The report is the culmination of a two-year investigation into the fracking industry. The report details systematic failures by government agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to fulfill their responsibility to oversee [...]

The US House of Representatives approved a bill Friday to admit Washington, DC, as a state. This is the first time either chamber of Congress has approved such a bill. The vote followed strict partisan lines. Every House Republican voted against the bill, and all but one Democrat voted in favor. To sidestep constitutional issues, [...]

US Attorney General William Barr denied in an interview on Thursday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) continuously upholds the interests of President Donald Trump. In response to a question about whether the president had power to use his authority in cases where he has an interest, Barr stated that those were cases in which [...]

The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address policing issues and law enforcement accountability. The bill passed by a vote of 236-181, mainly along party lines. The bill lays out a number of reforms. Among other things, the bill lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the US Supreme Court on Thursday to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In its brief, the DOJ argued that the ACA in its entirety is unconstitutional because Congress eliminated the individual mandate clause of the act. Since the individual mandate clause is so closely intertwined with the [...]

A federal judge found Wednesday that Kentucky’s COVID-19 restriction on mass gatherings is unconstitutional. On March 19 the Kentucky Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services instituted an order to slow the spread of COVID-19 by restricting “mass gatherings.” The order provides some exceptions, including transportation stations, medical facilities and shopping centers. The [...]

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at strengthening child-welfare programs nationwide. In the executive order, Trump stated that the states and communities have a legal obligation and privilege to care for those in foster care. Last year, the number of children both entering into and actually in foster care declined. However, more [...]