The US Supreme Court declined Monday to hear challenges to eight wrongful death lawsuits against two large cigarette companies, allowing the cases to proceed. In a series of denials of certiorari without a written statement the court refused to hear challenges to a series of appellate court rulings against two major tobacco companies, Phillip Morris [...]

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the death penalty sentence of Bobby James Moore for the second time, again finding that he lacks the mental capacity to be subjected to capital punishment. Moore was convicted of the murder of a grocery store clerk during a botched robbery in 1980 and sentenced to death. His [...]

The US Senate on Thursday confirmed William Barr as Attorney General, replacing acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. Barr previously served as Attorney General under President George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993 and has since practiced in the private sector. Barr’s confirmation fills a position that has been vacant since President Donald Trump’s first Attorney [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth ruled Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had the legal authority to repair and replace existing fences and walls along the Mexican border in southern California without following certain requirements of federal environmental protection laws. The appeals court’s ruling upholds a lower district court’s decision [...]

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill Jr. filed a petition with the US Supreme Court Monday asking the court to determine whether the state’s law requiring an ultrasound be performed at least 18 hours before receiving an abortion is constitutional. In 2016 the Indiana General Assembly enacted House Enrolled Act 1337, imposing strict limits on medical [...]

A federal judge in Virginia on Monday delayed sentencing for former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort due to his pending trial in the District of Columbia. Manafort was convicted of eight charges of fraud in August by a jury in Virginia and was set to be sentenced next week. However, District Judge TS Ellis III [...]

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Thursday announced the elimination of a rule enacted by the Obama administration that required large employers to file individual incident reports for workplace accidents and injuries. Under the prior rule companies with more than 250 employees were required to file two electronic forms, Form 300 and [...]

The US Supreme Court issued an order on Tuesday to reverse a lower court’s injunction preventing the Trump administration from implementing its ban on transgender individuals from serving in the military. The Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the injunction in November. The injunction, issued by the US District Court for the Western District [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration’s plan to include a question asking the citizenship of respondents on the 2020 census exceeded the authority of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The case is the first of six separate cases challenging the legality of the [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday struck down a restrictive law that prevented Canadian citizens living outside the country from casting ballots in national elections. The question before the court revolved around a section of the Canada Elections Act that stated that citizens of Canada have the right to vote as long as they [...]