Leading Friday's states brief, the Iowa Supreme Court today refused to address the ruling of a lower court that dissolved a Vermont civil union . The Supreme Court did not judge the merits of the legal claim...

Texas Governor Rick Perry Friday signed into law legislation which creates a new life-without-parole sentencing option in state capital murder cases. Previously, Texas juries have only had the option of sentencing offenders to death...

A UN panel has expressed "great concern" at the increase in unsentenced detainees in Canadian prisons following recent federal sentencing reform . There are currently in Canada more incarcerated persons awaiting trial or sentencing than there are...

The lower chamber of the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature approved a ban of the morning-after pill on state college campuses Thursday, sending the bill to the state Senate. The proposed legislation would ban University...

Leading Friday's corporations and securities law news, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has been sued by the US Department of the Treasury's Comptroller of the Currency and by the Clearing House , a...

Under new guidelines , US military health professionals are permitted to observe and advise on "lawful" interrogations of detainees, but may not participate in questioning and must report any inhumane treatment. The guidelines, contained in a June...

By a vote of 221-184 the US House of Representatives has passed the United Nations Reform Act of 2005 calling for broad reforms at the UN and allowing the US to withold up to 50 percent of...

Former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski and former CFO Mark Schwartz were convicted Friday of grand larceny in connection with huge bonuses and other compensation amounting to over $150M they improperly received while in charge of the...

Ethiopian officials announced Friday that 336 detainees seized in the wake of post-election protests have been freed. A government spokesman said that any additional prisoners found not to have been involved in the protests would be released....

US District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel has approved the settlement of a civil rights lawsuit between Ford Motor Company and its black employees, granting these employees access to an apprenticeship program. In February, the...