A U.S. federal judicial panel has taken a decisive step toward restructuring public defender programs by endorsing greater organizational independence within the federal judiciary. This move would empower lawyers representing indigent defendants with enhanced control over budgets, staffing, and policies. The proposal emerged in a report released Wednesday, summarizing discussions held during the U.S. Judicial…
Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Wednesday pressed the U.S. Supreme Court to deny TikTok and its parent company ByteDance’s request to block a law that would force the sale of the app or face a nationwide ban by January 19. The case, rooted in national security concerns, has been scheduled for oral arguments on…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit accusing pharmacy chain CVS of fueling the opioid epidemic by filling illegal prescriptions and billing federal health insurance programs. The complaint, unsealed on Wednesday in a Rhode Island federal court, outlines allegations spanning from October 2013 to the present. Allegations of Negligence and Profit-Driven Practices…
In a bid to enhance safety at the homes of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices, Congress allocated more than $25 million as part of a temporary funding measure. This stopgap legislation, designed to prevent a partial government shutdown, also ensures federal agencies remain operational through March 14, 2025. Lawmakers Scramble to Prevent Government Shutdown…
Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor faced a judicial misconduct ruling after publishing an essay in The New York Times criticizing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. In the May 24, 2024, essay, Ponsor condemned Alito for allowing provocative flags, including an upside-down American flag, to be displayed outside his homes. The flags resembled those used…
A conservative advocacy group aligned with Republican President-elect Donald Trump has filed a judicial misconduct complaint against U.S. Circuit Judge James Wynn. The Article III Project, founded by Trump ally Mike Davis, accused Wynn of violating judicial ethics after he reversed his decision to retire following the faltering of President Joe Biden’s nominee to succeed…
In a Dec. 3 filing revealed on Tuesday, Donald Trump’s legal team accused jurors of misconduct in his criminal trial. They claimed the alleged misconduct tainted his conviction for falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. However, the filing left many details vague, as most of it was…
TikTok Appeals to Supreme Court to Avoid U.S. Ban On Monday, TikTok made an urgent appeal to the Supreme Court, requesting a temporary block on a law that forces ByteDance, its China-based parent company, to divest the app by January 19 or face a nationwide ban. Both TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency request for…
Mangi Criticizes “Smear Campaign” After His Nomination Collapses On Monday, Adeel Mangi sharply criticized the “organized smear campaign” that ended his chance to become the nation’s first Muslim federal appeals court judge. In a letter to President Joe Biden, Mangi called the judicial appointment process “fundamentally broken” and expressed disappointment over the outcome. Despite Biden’s…
Law schools across the United States maintained racial and ethnic diversity in their 2024 incoming class, defying predictions of a steep decline following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to ban affirmative action in college admissions. Data released Monday by the American Bar Association (ABA) shows that the percentage of Black, Hispanic, and Asian law students…