Justice

All Justice

Celebrity chef Mario Batali to serve up $5.25M to restaurant workers

Renowned chef Mario Batali and his business partner have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of workers at eight New York restaurants. Tip-skimming was one allegation.
Twist in Rutgers spycam trial: Defense implies the prosecution is biased

Lawyers for Dahrun Ravi, the former Rutgers student accused of using his webcam to spy on his gay roommate out of bias, began Friday to present their defense. They're working to pin the bias charge elsewhere.
Court backs Haley Barbour, rules governor has power to pardon at will

The Mississippi Supreme Court found Haley Barbour's pardon of 203 inmates upon leaving office in January constitutional, reaffirming a governor's unique power to override the justice system.
At Rutgers spycam trial, a struggle to prove antigay motive, say analysts

Legal analysts tracking the Rutgers spycam trial of former student Dharun Ravi say prosecutors have had a hard time proving the most serious charge – that Ravi targeted his roommate because he was gay.
Calm and subdued, Ohio school shooting suspect faces judge

T.J. Lane, the suspect in the Feb. 27 shooting at Chardon High School that left three students dead and three wounded, told the judge Tuesday he understood the charges against him.
Anonymous unmasked: hacker ringleader turned FBI informant

Anonymous and its spinoffs, including LulzSec, could be seriously damaged by the arrests of a half dozen high-level hackers.
Can foreigners sue international corporations in US courts?

A 223-year-old law says foreigners can file lawsuits in American courts for alleged violations of international law. But whether they can sue corporations remains a question for the Supreme Court.
West Memphis Three: $100,000 reward offered to clear their names

The West Memphis Three, convicted of killing three Cub Scouts, were released last year but not exonerated. A new $100,000 reward aims to clear their names.
Rutgers spycam case opening arguments: cyberbully or boy who acted stupidly?

There appears to be no middle ground in the Rutgers spycam case. The prosecution says the defendant hated his roommate because he was gay. The defense says he is 'not homophobic' and never tried to harm him.
Is taking DNA a reasonable search? US judges uphold California law.

A 2004 California law permits DNA samples taken from adults arrested for felonies to be stored in a national database. Challengers said that violates Fourth Amendment privacy protections.
Bradley Manning: Will the alleged WikiLeaks ally have a compelling defense?

Pfc. Bradley Manning is expected to enter a plea in response to 22 charges lodged by military prosecutors, including turning over to WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic documents.
Supreme Court debate: Is lying about being a war hero protected speech?

Supreme Court justices heard arguments over the Stolen Valor Act, which bars lies over receiving military medals, but the discussion broadened into whether there is any value worth protecting in falsehood.
Rutgers spycam case: why it's not open and shut

Dharun Ravi faces charges of, among other counts, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering. The most serious charge – bias intimidation – could draw a 10-year sentence.
Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases

The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue.
Stolen Valor Act at Supreme Court: Is lying about being a hero a right?

Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a military medal. Xavier Alvarez did that, but the claim harms no one, says his lawyer in his brief to the Supreme Court. The case is being argued Wednesday.
Gay Marriage: why Prop. 8 appeal is not going to Supreme Court ... yet

The coalition of groups that backs Prop. 8, California's ban on gay marriage, has asked all the judges of the Ninth Circuit to rehear the case decided by a three-judge panel on Feb. 7. An appeal to the US Supreme Court could still follow.
How Supreme Court ruling on Texas could reduce affirmative action across US

The Supreme Court, which has shifted to the right, may use the Texas case to overturn the 2003 decision that achieving classroom diversity could justify the use of race-based affirmative action.
Can silence before an arrest be used at trial? Supreme Court refuses case.

The appeal had asked the Supreme Court to examine whether the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination bars a prosecutor's use of a defendant's pre-arrest silence as evidence of guilt.
Do grandparents get visitation rights? Supreme Court declines case.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case in which grandparents demanded to visit their grandchildren but the parents intervened. The lack of a decision leaves no clear constitutional standard on the issue.
Affirmative action in college admissions goes back before Supreme Court

US Supreme Court is taking an affirmative action case about the University of Texas admissions policy, which permits race to be a factor in deciding which applicants are admitted.