FEDERAL COURTS
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Alaska challenged listing of polar bear as endangered species
May 22, 2013
On May 22, 2008, Alaskan officials announced that they would file a legal challenge to the Department of the Interior (DOI)'s decision to list the polar bear as threatened on the endangered species list. Governor Sarah Palin claimed that the listing was unnecessary and would have a negative economic....... [more]

Federal appeals court rules crack cocaine offenders have right to resentencing hearing
May 19, 2013
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on Friday ruled that people convicted of crack cocaine offenses have a right to resentencing hearings under the Fair Sentencing Act (FSA). The case was brought by two incarcerated defendants seeking retroactive relief from racially discriminatory, 10-ye....... [more]

Federal judge blocks Arkansas 12-week abortion ban
May 17, 2013
A judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas on Friday temporarily blocked enforcement of a law law banning abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy. US District Judge Susan Webber Wright granted a motion for preliminary injunction against the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection....... [more]

Federal judge allows challenge to Arkansas abortion law to proceed
May 17, 2013
A judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas on Wednesday rejected Arkansas' attempt to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the state's law banning abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy. US District Judge Susan Webber Wright denied the motion to dismiss, ruling that the lawsuit mad....... [more]

US appeals court denies asylum to German family wanting to homeschool
May 17, 2013
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on Tuesday denied an appeal by a German family seeking asylum in the US in order to homeschool their children for religious reasons. The Romeike family alleged that Germany's ban against homeschooling caused them a well-founded fear of persecution based....... [more]

Federal judge denies class action certification in Google copyright case
May 16, 2013
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday denied a motion to certify a putative class action against Google's YouTube involving copyright owners from around the world. Named plaintiffs included the English Premier League, the French Tennis Federation, the N....... [more]

Wells Fargo ordered to pay $203 million for misleading customers
May 16, 2013
A federal judge on Tuesday reinstated a $203 million penalty against Wells Fargo in a class action suit alleging that the bank affirmatively misled customers and then charged excessive overdraft fees. Rather than processing purchases in a chronological order, as is the common practice, the bank proc....... [more]

Texas group sued to block border fence construction
May 16, 2013
On May 16, 2008, the Texas Border Coalition, a group of Texas-based business owners and officials, filed a class action lawsuit to enjoin the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from constructing a fence on the US-Mexico border. The group claimed that approval of the fence's construction violated....... [more]

Anti-illegal immigration ordinance was challenged in court
May 15, 2013
On May 15, 2007, two advocacy groups requested a temporary restraining order from the US District Court of the Northern District of Texas in an effort to block an anti-illegal immigration city ordinance passed in Farmers Branch, Texas. The ordinance was scheduled to go into effect that same day afte....... [more]

Germany court orders Google to remove defamatory autocomplete results
May 14, 2013
The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on Tuesday ordered Google to remove defamatory autocomplete results if notified. The plaintiffs, an unidentified company selling nutritional supplements and its founder, claimed when their names were entered on Google's German-language website, autocomplete....... [more]

Supreme Court to decide whether indigent plaintiffs can amend their complaints
May 13, 2013
The US Supreme Court granted certiorari Monday in Burnside v. Walters to determine whether the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit erred in holding that the in forma pauperis (IFP) statute prohibits indigent plaintiffs from amending their complaints. Arkansas resident William David Burnside, p....... [more]




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