US District Judge Richard Casey has dismissed Saudi Arabia, its defense minister and its ambassador to the UK as defendants in the litigation stemming from September 11th terrorist attacks, ruling that all have immunity from litigation. Judge Casey is considering pre-trial matters in eight consolidated cases brought by family members of those killed in the [...]

Leading Wednesday's corporations and securities law news, potential jurors for the trial of former WorldCom Inc. chief Bernard Ebbers were questioned today about any financial ties to the company and their knowledge of the case. Ebbers faces charges of conspiracy, fraud and making false filings to the SEC over the $11 billion accounting fraud at [...]

AP is reporting that the Louisiana Supreme Court has reinstated the an amendment to the state's constitution that bans same-sex marriage. 12:53 PM ET – In a unanimous decision, the Louisiana Supreme Court has reinstated a state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages and prevent the state from recognizing any legal status for common-law [...]

FOX News is reporting that the US Supreme Court has rejected Michael Newdow's bid for an injunction banning prayer at the Presidential inaugural ceremonies January 20th. Newdow asked the Court to intervene after US District Judge John Bates denied Newdow's original petition in a ruling Friday, saying that he was not likely to succeed on [...]

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voted to approve the nomination of Condoleezza Rice to be secretary of state. The nomination now goes for the full Senate for its formal approval.

A US general speaking from Baghdad Tuesday said that Iraqis would be able to vote in the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi , both scenes of repeated insurgent attacks against Iraqi and US targets, but that for security reasons the location of polling places would be kept secret until the last minute. Lieutenant General John [...]

In Wednesday's international legal news, Viktor Yushchenko , the pro-western reformer who led a popular charge to see the original November Ukranian presidential election results reversed on grounds of fraud, will most likely be inaugurated as the new president of Ukraine on Friday or Saturday of this week. The key break in the face-off between [...]

California prison officials executed three-time murderer Donald Beardslee Wednesday morning, the first execution in California in three years. Following a Board of Prison Terms recommendation , California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger denied clemency to Beardslee, saying: The state and federal courts have affirmed his conviction and death sentence, and nothing in his petition or the record [...]

A British court martial has released over twenty pictures that seem to show British troops abusing Iraqi civilians. The photos emerged as three Royal Regiment of Fusiliers soldiers are facing nine charges for allegedly abusing looters detained at a camp outside Basra in May 2003. Responding to the photos , head of the British Army [...]

Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Wednesday, Jan. 19. The US Supreme Court will hear 10 AM ET oral arguments in City of Ranchos Palos Verdes v. Abrams , in which it will resolve a circuit split over whether limits on land-use authority under the federal [...]