Supreme Court votes 6–3 to uphold murder conviction based on another defendant’s confession

The Supreme Court upheld by 6–3 along ideological lines the conviction of Adam Samia, who was found guilty in a murder-for-hire scheme on the strength of another person’s written confession. In the June 23 ruling, the six conservative justices found … Continue reading Supreme Court votes 6–3 to uphold murder conviction based on another defendant’s confession

Rep. Biggs decries Biden DOJ for re-prosecuting man whose sentence was commuted by Trump

The Biden administration’s effort to retry former healthcare executive Philip Esformes is “a travesty of justice,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said at a congressional oversight hearing on June 22. Convicted in a healthcare fraud scheme, Esformes was sentenced to 20 … Continue reading Rep. Biggs decries Biden DOJ for re-prosecuting man whose sentence was commuted by Trump

Supreme Court won’t acquit alleged hacker in fishing data theft

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against an Alabama man whose trade secrets theft conviction in Florida for stealing proprietary fishing information from a Florida-based website was vacated because his trial took place in the wrong state. The ruling means that the government is free … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t acquit alleged hacker in fishing data theft

Supreme Court upholds law aimed at preventing non-Indian families from adopting Native American children

The Supreme Court upheld by 7–2 a racially discriminatory adoption law aimed at preventing non-Indian families from adopting Native American children. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the new ruling in Haaland v. Brackeen (court file 21-376) … Continue reading Supreme Court upholds law aimed at preventing non-Indian families from adopting Native American children

California high school forced to withdraw ‘anti-Christian’ material

A California high school has backed down after parents and students demanded the removal of a controversial photograph, which they called “anti-Christian bigotry,” from one of its courses. Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California, included a photograph taken by Andres … Continue reading California high school forced to withdraw ‘anti-Christian’ material

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

Supreme Court won’t hear Ohio’s lawsuit over using pandemic relief for tax cuts

The Supreme Court refused on June 12 to hear Ohio’s argument that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) unconstitutionally prevents states from using COVID-19-related pandemic relief funding to offset tax cuts. This is the second time this year that the … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t hear Ohio’s lawsuit over using pandemic relief for tax cuts

ProPublica article left out fact justice was cleared of ethics violations: Clarence Thomas defender

A friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says a highly publicized media report that accused the justice of violating ethical norms contained “old news” and failed to disclose that Thomas was cleared of accusations of wrongdoing “more than a … Continue reading ProPublica article left out fact justice was cleared of ethics violations: Clarence Thomas defender