The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up a challenge to a federal marijuana law filed by licensed marijuana dealers in Massachusetts. The court’s decision not to hear Canna Provisions Inc. v. Bondi took the form of an unsigned … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to federal marijuana law

The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 19 allowed a lawsuit brought by immigration judges challenging a Biden-era policy that prevents them from speaking publicly about their jobs to move forward in the lower courts. On Dec. 5, Chief Justice John … Continue reading Supreme Court revives immigration judges’ free speech lawsuit

A federal appeals court blocked Michigan’s 2023 ban on counseling for minors that aims to dissuade patients from pursuing a so-called gender transition, declaring it violates the First Amendment rights of therapists. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of … Continue reading Sixth Circuit blocks Michigan’s conversion therapy ban on free speech grounds

Ghislaine Maxwell asked a federal court on Dec. 17 to set aside her sex trafficking convictions and 20-year prison sentence, citing “newly discovered evidence.” Maxwell was an associate of the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in … Continue reading Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell asks court to overturn her convictions

A federal district judge on Dec. 17 allowed the ongoing ballroom construction project at the White House to continue, turning away a preservation organization’s request to halt it, at least for the time being. The litigation is still underway, and … Continue reading Federal judge won’t block White House ballroom construction

A federal judge on Dec. 17 issued an order temporarily halting the Trump administration’s efforts to prevent members of Congress from making unannounced oversight-related visits to detention facilities run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Judge Jia Cobb of … Continue reading Judge blocks ICE policy requiring advance notice for congressional visits at detention centers

A federal appeals court on Dec. 17 allowed President Donald Trump’s use of District of Columbia National Guard troops in the nation’s capital to continue while an appeal of a lower court order blocking the deployment plays out. Trump has … Continue reading Appeals court allows Trump’s National Guard deployment in DC, for now

Florida executed a man on Dec. 18 who was convicted of killing a man and his girlfriend during a home invasion 38 years ago, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a reprieve earlier in the day. The condemned man, Frank … Continue reading Florida executes man claiming intellectual disability after Supreme Court denies reprieve

Maryland will form a commission to study the possibility of providing reparations for slavery after the state’s legislature reversed Gov. Wes Moore’s veto of enabling legislation on Dec. 16. Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865 with the … Continue reading Maryland legislature overrides governor’s veto of reparations commission

A federal district court in Los Angeles kicked off a multi-day hearing Dec. 15 over California’s new congressional map that state voters approved in a referendum last month. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit on Nov. 13 … Continue reading Court hearing over challenge to California redistricting begins

The Supreme Court on Dec. 15 ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling denying attorney’s fees to a white man who succeeded in blocking a Biden-era debt-relief program he alleged was racially discriminatory. The court’s decision in Holman … Continue reading Supreme Court vacates appeals court ruling over race-based USDA program

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and federal agencies on Dec. 12 over the ballroom construction project at the White House. Construction on the project, which involves demolishing part of the executive mansion … Continue reading National Trust sues Trump admin over White House ballroom project

The U.S. Supreme Court has turned away a Tennessee woman’s appeal of her state rejecting a personalized license plate for her car. The court rejected the petition in Gilliam v. Gerregano on Dec. 8 in an unsigned order without comment. … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t hear free speech case over vanity plate

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case of a Christian baker in California who was prosecuted for declining to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage celebration. The nation’s highest court turned away the petition without … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t hear appeal of Christian baker who declined to make a same-sex wedding cake

The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 12 declined to block a lower court order directing that a Japanese citizen with U.S. permanent resident status be extradited to Japan to face charges of vandalizing religious buildings. Justice Sonia Sotomayor denied the … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t halt extradition of Japanese man accused of vandalizing religious sites

President Donald Trump said on Dec. 11 that he is pardoning Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk convicted of election machine tampering in the aftermath of the disputed 2020 election. The presidential pardon of the Republican former officeholder appears … Continue reading Trump says he is pardoning former Colorado County Clerk Tina Peters

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana courts must reconsider the case of a man who was denied access to a physical therapy clinic’s pool because he has human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Supreme Court issued a brief, unsigned opinion … Continue reading Supreme Court sends HIV patient therapy case back to Louisiana Court of Appeal

A federal judge on Dec. 10 blocked President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Los Angeles to deal with civil unrest. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer rejected the Trump administration’s argument that protests against federal immigration authorities constituted … Continue reading Judge halts Trump’s deployment of National Guard in Los Angeles

The Supreme Court grappled with federal limits restricting political parties from coordinating spending with candidates during oral arguments on Dec. 9. Limits on spending coordinated between party committees and candidates were created on the theory that not having them encourages … Continue reading Supreme Court considers whether to undo campaign finance limits

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a challenge on Dec. 9 to a federal law restricting political parties from coordinating spending with candidates. The case pits those who say the First Amendment vigorously protects political speech against those who say … Continue reading Supreme Court to hear challenge to campaign finance restrictions