Courts

Public Citizen Joins Lawsuit to Force Agency to Release Records

Feb. 11, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is flouting three court orders requiring it to regularly provide a nationally recognized researcher with the statistical data she needs for her studies, according to a court action brought today by the researcher.    » read more »

January 25, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today signed into law a package of criminal justice reforms that establishes a new felony offense of “home invasion” and significantly strengthens the state’s system for dealing with paroles.    » read more »

January 24, 2008 -- Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is giving high praise today to the Utah Supreme Court for adopting the state’s first reporter privilege rule. The Utah Supreme Court adopted the draft of Rule 509 Reporter Privilege, a proposal that had been supported by the Attorney General. Shurtleff has been working with legislators, prosecutors, journalists and the Supreme Court for the past two and a half years to come up with a workable and reasonable rule that would allow reporters to protect confidential informants.    » read more »

January 24, 2008 -- The Georgia Supreme Court has denied Agri-Cycle, LLC’s latest bid to re-open a Jackson County waste processing facility that caught fire in early September 2007.    » read more »

January 15, 2008 -- OLYMPIA -- The Washington Attorney General’s Office filed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief yesterday in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting Snohomish County PUD (PUD) in its dispute with Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc (Morgan Stanley) over its 2001 power contract.    » read more »

Statement of Michael Kirkpatrick, Attorney, Public Citizen

Jan. 11, 2008 -- In a decision released Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston has given air carriers a license to discriminate against passengers based upon their race or ethnicity.

In writing that safety takes precedence over civil rights, the court put its stamp of approval on racial profiling. We believe this decision opens the door for airlines to arbitrarily violate the rights of passengers.    » read more »

20 December 2007 -- A judge has issued a ruling in the 1998 bombing in the Northern Ireland town of Omagh. Defendant Sean Hoey, who faced 56 charges relating to a car bomb that killed 29 people and injured more than 200, has been found not guilty.

A stunned silence in the public gallery of Belfast Crown Court greeted the verdict in the worst bombing during three decades of so-called troubles in Northern Ireland. Electrician Sean Hoey, 38, was accused of being the principle bomb-maker in a group of conspirators.    » read more »

Keith Rogers Appointed to the Washington County Circuit Court

December 19, 2007 -- Salem – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski today announced his appointment of Keith Rogers to the Washington County Circuit Court. Judge Rogers will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Tim Alexander, effective December 31, 2007.    » read more »

12/19/2007 -- Oklahoma’s Multicounty Grand Jury adjourned from its December session today after issuing one sealed indictment and a report, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said.

The indictment will be unsealed in Oklahoma County District Court at 9 a.m., Dec. 21 before Judge Kenneth Watson. That indictment names one person on 13 counts.    » read more »

December 19, 2007 -- ATLANTA – Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the appointment of Brian M. Rickman as the district attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit, comprised of Habersham, Rabun and Stephens Counties. The vacancy for this position was created by the resignation of Michael H. Crawford.

A brief biography is provided below:    » read more »

December 18, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that legislation to increase courtroom security passed the Senate unanimously last night and the House this morning, and now is on its way to the President to be signed into law.

"People in Illinois and Chicago know all too well the dangers to our judges and their families," Durbin said. "Judges should always feel secure in their courtrooms and safe at home. We owe it to them, and to their families, to do everything we can to protect them."    » read more »

Legislation bolsters federal efforts to protect judges

December 18, 2007 -- Washington, DC— U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada praised Senate passage of a bill that will enhance courthouse security and protect judges and their families.    » read more »

New judge to be assigned to California seat

December 18, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) today announced that the U.S. Senate has approved legislation to add a new judgeship to the Ninth Circuit, which is experiencing a judicial emergency so severe that judges have the highest caseload in the nation.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- December 18, 2007 -- The Senate Monday night unanimously passed legislation championed by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) to help protect Federal judges, witnesses and officers from threats and attacks.    » read more »

13 December 2007 -- A federal jury in Florida has cleared a man accused of plotting terrorist attacks in the United States, but said it was unable to agree on a verdict for six other defendants.

A judge in Miami declared a mistrial for the six other men, which leaves open the possibility that prosecutors can seek another trial.

The seven defendants were accused of plotting to join forces with al-Qaida and blow up FBI offices and topple the tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower in Chicago.    » read more »