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341 entries in 'Top stories'

2024/04/11 Top Europe rights court condemns Switzerland in landmark climate ruling
2024/04/02 The Man Charged in an Illinois Attack That Left 4 Dead Is Due Back in Court
2024/03/14 Denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a Japanese high court says
2024/01/12 The top UN court is set to hear South Africa’s allegation of Israeli genocide in Gaza
2023/12/18 Late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor honored at Supreme Court ceremony
2023/11/02 Donald Trump Jr. takes the witness stand in fraud trial
2023/10/30 Court strikes down new law giving participants right to change venue
2023/10/20 Federal Judge rules California assault weapons ban unconstitutional
2023/08/21 The initial online search spurring a raid on a Kansas paper was legal
2023/07/25 Texas is using disaster declarations to install buoys and razor wire
2023/06/19 Judge weighs Missouri GOP dispute over estimated cost of allowing abortions
2023/06/06 Court upholds judge’s finding that Tesla acquisition of Solar City was fair
2023/05/24 Islamic scholar acquitted of rape by Swiss court
2023/04/12 Democratic senators urge chief justice to probe Thomas trips
2023/04/07 Court rules documents in Sanford case must be unsealed
2023/03/22 Republicans invoke Soros to steer narrative on Trump probe
2023/02/21 Supreme Court won’t upset Arkansas anti-Israel boycott law
2023/02/08 Belarus hands 8-year term to journalist for top Polish paper
2022/11/01 Indiana Democrats pin legislative gains on abortion debate
2022/10/24 Idaho Supreme Court won’t weigh legality of child marriage
2022/10/11 Fishermen hire Bush-era official in challenge to whale laws
2022/08/29 Pa. man who attacked police on Jan. 6 gets 46-month sentence
2022/08/02 Family loses Supreme Court bid to extend boy’s life support
2022/07/25 Louisiana Supreme Court’s chief justice reelected
2022/05/06 Man who stormed Capitol in caveman costume gets prison
2022/04/13 Abortion restriction bill signed by Florida Gov. DeSantis
2022/03/28 Retired judges will hear divorce cases to clear backlog
2022/03/23 Naturopathic doctor sentenced for selling misbranded drugs
2022/02/15 Minshew & Ahluwalia LLP Attorney - Nicholas C. Minshew
2021/08/04 Biden’s new evictions moratorium faces doubts on legality
2021/08/02 Is your site mobile-friendly?
2021/07/22 Bankruptcy proceedings can have long-term benefits
2021/06/01 Supreme Court ruling gives immigrant facing deportation hope
2021/03/30 Death penalty decision delayed in Rapid City murder trial
2020/12/24 Trump plan to curb drug costs dealt setback in court
2020/10/17 Supreme Court to review Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' policy
2020/10/08 High court nominee served as ‘handmaid’ in religious group
2020/09/09 Alaska court rules police need aerial surveillance warrants
2020/07/27 US Supreme Court denies Nevada church’s appeal of virus rule
2020/06/08 Black Lives Matter rallies start in Australia amid court ban
2020/05/13 Supreme Court appears likely to reject Trump immunity claim
2020/05/10 Catholic schools, ex-teachers clash in Supreme Court case
2020/04/22 Meghan's privacy case against tabloid heard at UK Court
2019/12/28 Court: Washington drivers must use turn signals to turn
2019/07/05 Court reviews judge who told woman to 'close your legs'
2019/06/08 Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Regulation Of Gun Silencers
2019/03/15 Veterans court may be collateral damage in immigration fight
2019/03/13 Detained Saudi women's rights activists brought to court
2019/01/20 Lawyer: Incapacitated woman who gave birth not in coma
2019/01/01 Missouri death row inmate asks US Supreme Court to intervene
2018/12/25 Mississippi chief justice: Time for another to lead court
2018/12/23 A Colorado man of missing Colorado woman in court
2018/12/18 Uber loses UK case on worker rights, expected to appeal
2018/12/14 Dutch Supreme Court upholds weapon smuggling conviction
2018/12/08 Man accused of killing tourist appears in New Zealand court
2018/11/25 Government asks high court to hear transgender military case
2018/11/24 Russian court challenges International Olympic Committee
2018/11/16 Lawyer for WikiLeaks’ Assange says he would fight charges
2018/11/09 Trump moves to limit asylum; new rules challenged in court
2018/10/27 Synagogue suspect at courthouse; survivors recall ordeal
2018/10/14 Colorado Supreme Court hears high-stakes oil and gas lawsuit
2018/10/11 Former FIFA official Makudi at court for ban appeal hearing
2018/09/21 3 hurt in court shooting leave hospital; gunman identified
2018/09/16 Guatemala court orders UN anti-graft chief be readmitted
2018/09/12 Chicago, surfer group oppose US Steel settlement in court
2018/09/10 Indiana high court to consider city rental registration fee
2018/08/16 California high court rules for immigrant kids in visa fight
2018/08/11 N Carolina Supreme Court race lawsuit returning to court
2018/07/22 State Supreme Court returns stalking case to lower court
2018/07/17 Georgia officer charged in fatal shooting to appear in court
2018/07/06 Lawyers: 2014 arrest at Vegas hotel precursor to killings
2018/07/04 Feds say ex-firm of Stormy Daniels' lawyer owes unpaid taxes
2018/06/07 Supreme Court allows Arkansas to enforce abortion restrictions
2018/05/07 New York court says Trump can't delay defamation lawsuit
2018/04/25 Court won't reconsider making public family slain autopsies
2018/04/24 Trump travel ban is focus of Supreme Court's last arguments
2018/04/16 Clicking 'checkout' could cost more after Supreme Court case
2018/04/02 Supreme Court rejects appeal from Middle East attack victims
2018/03/18 California court body has paid $500K to settle sex claims
2018/03/04 Court rules in favor of fired transgender funeral director
2018/02/15 GOP to take new congressional map to court
2018/01/29 Top Pakistani court orders arrest of escaped police officer
2018/01/11 Doctor charged in wife's death moved after threat to him
2017/12/09 Idaho man upset with court tries to crash into courthouse
2017/11/22 The Latest: Senate panel approves tax overhaul bill
2017/10/28 Brazilian court revives case against Olympian Ryan Lochte
2017/10/26 Ohio court won't hear case in seizure of exotic animals
2017/10/26 Court gives government a win in young immigrants' cases
2017/10/20 Florida court sides with Gov. Scott in nursing home battle
2017/10/19 Oregon Supreme Court denies request for information release
2017/10/16 Court extends house arrest for Russian theater director
2017/10/08 Bosnian court acquits ex-Srebrenica commander of war crimes
2017/09/15 FBI Searched Ex-Oklahoma Senator's Office for Porn
2017/09/08 Abortion clinic dispute to be argued in Ohio Supreme Court
2017/09/06 Supreme Court Backs Dayton Veto of Legislature Budget
2017/08/17 French Designer Wins Court Case in Dispute with Brad Pitt
2017/08/10 German court orders sentence enforced in Chile abuse case
2017/08/02 NJ Supreme Court Reverses Decades-Old Divorce Law
2017/08/02 Academic accused in Chicago killing due in California court
2017/07/14 Federal court's agenda has topics that draw Trump's ire
2017/07/01 More court challenges expected for Trump's new travel ban
2017/06/26 Supreme Court agrees to take up Colorado gay wedding case
2017/06/17 After jury deadlocks, Bill Cosby faces 2nd sex assault trial
2017/06/14 Court: Ignorance about allergy medicine crime no excuse
2017/06/04 Bill Cosby arrives in court ahead of sexual assault trial
2017/06/03 Philippine lawmakers ask top court to nullify martial law
2017/06/02 Court filing questions innocence panel insistence on secrecy
2017/06/01 Trump admin asks Supreme Court to restore travel ban
2017/06/01 Court sides with towns over utilities in tax dispute
2017/05/21 Family of Colorado man killed by police settles lawsuit
2017/04/20 Not guilty pleas entered for accused in Canada polygamy case
2017/04/13 Official: Man accused in store attack misses court hearing
2017/04/01 Democrats tighten opposition of high court pick
2017/03/06 Oklahoma tribe sues oil companies in tribal court over quake
2017/02/15 Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear open meetings case
2017/02/12 Supreme Court nominee has defended free speech, religion
2017/01/17 Aaron Hernandez expected in court as murder trial nears
2017/01/11 Supreme Court temporarily blocks new NC districts, elections
2017/01/10 Gambia's leader says only court can declare who's president
2017/01/09 High Court won't hear appeal over Backpage.com escort ads
2017/01/08 Supreme Court won’t hear Giordano appeal in child-sex case
2017/01/03 Former Haitian rebel leader due in US court on drug charges
2017/01/02 Man who escaped from Rhode Island prison to appear in court
2016/12/21 California Supreme Court halts death penalty measure
2016/12/20 Court to unseal Clinton email search warrant
2016/12/19 Massachusetts teen due in court in texting suicide case
2016/11/29 Supreme Court won't hear challenge to FBI fitness test
2016/11/26 Kansas high court justices defend handling of capital cases
2016/11/21 Election judge pleads not guilty in absentee ballot case
2016/11/16 Nevada high court considering email public records question
2016/11/11 Supreme Court stays execution of Alabama inmate
2016/11/03 Supreme Court won't hear challenge to FBI fitness test
2016/11/02 Solar Advocates Ask Florida High Court to Invalidate Measure
2016/10/04 US Supreme Court won't hear Arizona death sentence case
2016/09/16 Court rules man treated for mental illness can have a gun
2016/09/14 LA Supreme Court considers teen robber’s 99-year sentence
2016/08/26 Appeals court refuses to reconsider Wisconsin voter ID cases
2016/08/18 2 teens killed in Atlanta suburb: Man accused due in court
2016/07/05 Obama rebukes Poland over paralysis of constitutional court
2016/06/13 Court Vacates $1.8M Ventura Award in 'American Sniper' Case
2016/06/12 High Court won't hear dispute over birthright citizenship
2016/06/08 Appeals court denies Hope Solo's bid to avoid trial
2016/06/02 Police union defends ex-officer in black musician's death
2016/05/31 Man admits kidnapping teen girl, raping her during captivity
2016/05/30 Court upholds $3M judgment against Gerber Products Co.
2016/05/26 Breyer says Supreme Court not diminished with only 8 members
2016/05/24 Breyer says Supreme Court not diminished with only 8 members
2016/05/21 Indiana court to hear woman's appeal of feticide conviction
2016/03/01 Reid pounds GOP united against Obama Supreme Court choice
2016/02/25 Texas court tosses criminal case against former Gov. Perry
2016/02/15 Supreme Court scuffle triggers constitutional clash
2016/02/09 South African court hears case against president
2016/01/13 High court seems skeptical of mandatory public union fees
2015/12/01 US court rejects Virginia death row inmate's appeal
2015/11/29 High Court rules against Northern Ireland's abortion law
2015/11/27 South African appeals court nears Pistorius ruling
2015/11/14 Court won’t hear case over grant to Planned Parenthood
2015/11/03 German court: former SS Auschwitz guard fit for trial
2015/11/03 High court won't hear appeal on mortgage ratings
2015/10/08 Arkansas court tosses conviction in woman's meth case
2015/09/24 Indiana's high court to consider State Fair stage collapse
2015/09/20 Court quashes some District of Columbia gun laws
2015/09/09 German court rules against Lufthansa pilot strike
2015/08/14 Court fines Washington state over education funding
2015/08/12 Texas inmate executed for killing police officer in chase
2015/08/09 Juvenile court decision due in Slender Man stabbing case
2015/08/06 Court: Lawsuit over Arkansas killing by cop may proceed
2015/08/03 Brady lawsuit transferred from Minnesota to New York court
2015/06/22 High court strikes down raisin program as unconstitutional
2015/06/21 Iowa court allows remote dispensing of abortion pill
2015/06/20 Illinois high court: Comcast must reveal anonymous commenter
2015/06/14 600 court cases under review in California corruption probe
2015/06/02 Abortion ban based on heartbeat rejected by appeals court
2015/06/02 Appeals court: Apple must submit to imposition of monitor
2015/05/17 Court: State can’t order unions, companies to reach binding contracts
2015/03/12 Missouri appeals judge appointed to take over Ferguson court
2015/01/13 Indian court charges Uber driver with rape, kidnapping
2015/01/06 Argentine court says US fugitive can be extradited
2014/11/04 Appeals court takes on NSA surveillance case
2014/08/22 High court blocks same-sex unions in Virginia
2014/08/06 Court schedules night deer hunting arguments
2014/06/03 Appeals court: Judge has no place in school grades
2014/04/17 Oklahoma gay-marriage case before US appeals court
2014/03/14 French court blocks secret recordings of Sarkozy
2014/03/07 High court sides with parent who fled with child
2014/02/28 CA man sentenced on drug charge in fed court in SD
2013/12/05 Court Won't Hear Appeal Of New York Internet Taxation
2013/11/25 Czech fugitive appears in South African court
2013/11/22 Supreme Court Refuses to Block Texas Abortion Law
2013/11/08 2 plead not guilty to killing students near USC
2013/10/11 Soldiers in fatal stabbing due in Washington court
2013/10/07 PG&E starts pipeline shutdown under court order
2013/09/30 Butte man pleads guilty in overdose death
2013/09/09 Court: Malpractice law covers doctors' businesses
2012/02/27 BP 'ready for long court battle over Gulf spill'
2012/02/24 Costner sculpture dispute heads to SD high court
2012/02/23 Court seems split on double jeopardy question
2012/02/02 Providence mayor warns of possible bankruptcy
2012/01/30 Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Files Class Action
2012/01/26 Hustler targeted for printing photos of dead woman
2012/01/25 In Vt., an attorney general's losses raise doubts
2012/01/18 Amazon Hit With Class Action Over Zappos Data Breach
2012/01/01 MT court restores corporate campaign spending ban
2011/12/31 Del. court says ex-HP CEO can't keep letter secret
2011/12/30 Appeals court upholds sentence of former deputy
2011/12/19 Operative gets prison for bilking NYC mayor
2011/12/19 Court schedules week of health care arguments
2011/12/11 Appeals court allows Albany hospital merger
2011/12/02 Farmers Insurance Settles Class Action Lawsuit
2011/11/21 Accused White House shooter to appear in DC court
2011/11/17 NY federal appeals court reverses Bruno conviction
2011/11/15 Justices unlikely to have last word on health care
2011/11/11 Govt asks justices to stay out of immigration case
2011/11/09 Calif high court hears debate over worker breaks
2011/11/03 Police investigate Texas judge over video beating
2011/10/24 Baker Donelson law firm acquires Houston practice
2011/10/24 Federman & Sherwood Announces Class Action Lawsuit
2011/10/20 Senate rejects GOP effort on terrorist trials
2011/10/18 Top Europe court bans stem cell technique patents
2011/10/15 Court mulls trial in absentia for Hariri case
2011/10/11 FDIC backs ban on banks trading for own profit
2011/10/11 Kentucky man sues Facebook over tracking cookie
2011/10/05 European court rules against Soros in trading case
2011/10/03 High court appears to favor Ala. death row inmate
2011/10/03 Court refuses to hear Maryland gun case
2011/09/20 Idaho inmates settle lawsuit over prison violence
2011/09/06 Ex-Va attorney convicted in law firm embezzlement
2011/08/30 Court approves Harry and David reorganization plan
2011/08/30 BofA sued over $1.75 billion mortgage trust
2011/08/26 No choking charges for Wis. Supreme Court justice
2011/08/19 Former U.S. attorney Lampton dies at 60
2011/08/15 Tech blogger won't be charged in Apple iPhone case
2011/08/15 White House criticizes court's health care ruling
2011/08/10 Ariz. governor on deadline for immigration appeal
2011/08/01 Court upholds Chinese journalist's jail sentence
2011/07/26 Calif Supreme Court rules on illegal local taxes
2011/07/05 Bill revision could mean money for NJ drug company
2011/07/04 Mich. man sues, wants Chevron stock at '04 price
2011/07/03 Law school enrollment in Missouri lags as legal jobs dry up
2011/06/24 N.Y. governor signs gay marriage into law
2011/06/13 Court won't hear restitution claim in Ponzi case
2011/06/10 Toyota class action suit to start with Utah case
2011/06/07 Court: No shield law for message boards posters
2011/06/02 NJ mom accused of starving child pleads not guilty
2011/05/29 Court: Sex-offender list is not cruel punishment
2011/05/23 Not guilty plea entered for teen in NJ webcam case
2011/05/18 Ala. chief justice warns more court layoffs coming
2011/05/10 Court in Va. to hear US health care law challenges
2011/05/10 Pa. lawmaker faces hearing on gun-related charge
2011/05/09 Judge dismisses EA from NCAA antitrust lawsuit
2011/05/06 Court puts Carl Lewis back on NJ primary ballot
2011/05/03 NH Senate rejects changes to anti-bullying law
2011/05/02 Firm hired by GOP ends work on gay marriage ban
2011/05/02 Bachmann uses Holocaust to illustrate tax point
2011/05/02 Court sides with Wyoming in dispute with Montana
2011/04/28 Kan. House debates forcing lawsuit over casino
2011/04/28 US envoy says rights talks with China yield little
2011/04/06 2 charged with insider trading involving law firms
2011/02/23 Court turns down campaign disclosure challenge
2011/01/31 Reno court accepts deal for model in arch crash
2011/01/18 High court denies man's gun arrest appeal
2010/12/30 Mich. court ruling would nix water discharge plan
2010/11/28 Judge denies class action in cigarette lawsuits
2010/11/28 Ruling on Wal-Mart class-action case may have broader impact
2010/11/28 Conn. high court to hear immigrant benefits case
2010/11/27 Supreme Court: drugs can be forced on defendant
2010/11/02 WA voters say no to state income tax Initiative 1098
2010/10/07 Genzyme board rejects Sanofi $69-a-share offer
2010/08/03 Murder conviction of mom reversed in California
2010/07/12 Judicial Vacancies Slow the Wheels of Justice
2010/02/25 Law firm probes Skipton ceiling contract clause
2010/02/16 Montgomery law firm files suit against Toyota
2010/02/12 The money question: At many law firms, these prices are in-SANE!
2010/02/08 Private equity firms brace for tax battle
2010/01/31 First class-action lawsuit filed against Toyota
2009/12/28 Judge names Houston attorney to monitor company
2009/12/18 Ky. League of Cities audit goes to law enforcement
2009/10/26 NH judge refuses to dismiss poetry program lawsuit
2009/04/27 Judge waives waiting period for gay Iowa couple
2009/04/24 Judge in LA orders green card cases reopened
2009/04/21 US Supreme Court to rule on animal cruelty law
2009/02/26 Christian Boot Camp Accused of Abusing Kids
2009/02/20 Microsoft Dodges Class Action For Now
2009/01/26 FBI: Long Island investment firm boss surrenders
2009/01/05 Grocery Wholesaler in Federal Antitrust Action
2008/12/24 Court reinstates clean air rule during EPA fix
2008/11/23 Singapore rules Journal in contempt of court
2008/11/13 High court to rule when judges must bow out
2008/11/05 Court: Payday lending law violated constitution
2008/10/30 Alinghi, rivals call on BMW Oracle to drop lawsuit
2008/10/28 Hot-button social issues highlight state ballots
2008/08/28 Attorney Need Not Deliver Subpoenaed Transcript
2008/08/27 Citibank Stole From 53,000 Customers
2008/08/22 Court says Guantanamo documents should be released
2008/08/21 Urban League Challenges Illinois School Funding
2008/08/13 Steve Wynn Sues Soft-Core Porn King
2008/08/12 DuPont Loses Bid to Enforce Supply Contract
2008/08/11 DC Circuit dismisses Fannie Mae shareholder suit
2008/08/08 Texas executes second foreign national since ICJ order
2008/08/06 Female Football Player Claims Discrimination
2008/07/09 Anheuser-Bush Invokes Cuban Embargo To Fight Buyout
2008/07/08 Refco CEO Bennett Gets 16 Years
2008/07/03 DC police launch voluntary handgun search program
2008/06/20 Federal court issues stay in SC execution
2008/06/09 FTC Appeals D.C. Circuit Order In Rambus Case
2008/06/02 Hungarian Gypsies Lose Bid For Asylum In U.S.
2008/05/28 Harry Potter & The Librarian's Lawsuit
2008/05/07 Monopoly Alleged In Crane Certification
2008/05/06 Texas Judge Sets Execution for Mexican National
2008/05/02 Illegal Imimrants Sue Employer, Employer Sues Back
2008/04/23 Officers Denied Immunity For Arresting Protester
2008/04/22 Federal judge dismisses Katrina fraud claim
2008/04/10 Class Says Blockbuster Invades Privacy
2008/04/09 Two Attorneys Emerge in Detroit Mayor Case
2008/04/09 Discovery Across Borders
2008/04/07 Appeals court may let NSA lawsuits proceed
2008/04/04 Climate Work Heating Up at Law Firms
2008/04/03 Justices Weigh Definitions of Competency
2008/04/01 Expert Testimony Issues on the Rise
2008/03/28 DOJ to Continue Crackdown on Political Corruption
2008/03/27 Nebraska legislature rejects death penalty ban
2008/03/26 SEC Proposes "Naked" Short Selling Anti-Fraud Rule
2008/03/19 Cyclist Landis Appeals Arbitration Court Ruling
2008/03/14 Jackson Lawyer: Neverland Auction Off
2008/03/13 NewsScandal-hit Spitzer faces wait for law firm role
2008/03/09 MobiTV, HowardForums avoid legal skirmish
2008/03/07 Judge KOs Challenge to Internet Bet Law
2008/03/07 Bush: 'US Must Not Let Down Its Guard'
2008/03/06 Judge Wants to Resolve Indian Lands Case
2008/03/05 Swiss Bank Drops Wikileaks Lawsuit
2008/03/05 Judge Wants Shipwreck Evidence Worked On
2008/03/04 Lawsuit Dropped in Pain Doctor Case
2008/03/04 Ciolli Sues Yale Law Students in AutoAdmit Scandal
2008/03/03 Lawyer in Bribery Case Says Witness Lied
2008/03/03 Supreme Court May Re-examine What Is "Indecent"
2008/03/03 Court may opt to pay fees from Bible suit
2008/02/28 eBay Settles Patent Dispute With MercExchange
2008/02/27 Court Denies Altria Motions To Dimiss Claims
2008/02/25 A Law Firm Puts Its Chefs on Trial
2008/02/25 Former partner suing Dorsey & Whitney law firm
2008/02/25 Supreme Court to hear car search, tribal land cases

Top Europe rights court condemns Switzerland in landmark climate ruling
Top stories | 2024/04/11 15:00

Europe’s highest human rights court ruled Tuesday that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change, siding with a group of older Swiss women against their government in a landmark ruling that could have implications across the continent.

The European Court of Human Rights rejected two other, similar cases on procedural grounds — a high-profile one brought by Portuguese young people and another by a French mayor that sought to force governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But the Swiss case, nonetheless, sets a legal precedent in the Council of Europe’s 46 member states against which future lawsuits will be judged.

“This is a turning point,” said Corina Heri, an expert in climate change litigation at the University of Zurich.

Although activists have had success with lawsuits in domestic proceedings, this was the first time an international court ruled on climate change — and the first decision confirming that countries have an obligation to protect people from its effects, according to Heri.

She said it would open the door to more legal challenges in the countries that are members of the Council of Europe, which includes the 27 EU nations as well as many others from Britain to Turkey.

The Swiss ruling softened the blow for those who lost Tuesday.

“The most important thing is that the court has said in the Swiss women’s case that governments must cut their emissions more to protect human rights,” said 19-year-od Sofia Oliveira, one of the Portuguese plaintiffs. “Their win is a win for us, too, and a win for everyone!”

The court — which is unrelated to the European Union — ruled that Switzerland “had failed to comply with its duties” to combat climate change and meet emissions targets.

The Man Charged in an Illinois Attack That Left 4 Dead Is Due Back in Court
Top stories | 2024/04/02 16:24

A northern Illinois man charged with killing four people and injuring seven others by stabbing, beating and driving over them is expected back in court on Tuesday.

A judge in the city of Rockford is expected to consider prosecutors' request that Christian Soto remain jailed pending trial. The 22-year-old appeared briefly in court on Thursday, a day after the attacks in Rockford and his arrest. His defense asked for more time to prepare for the hearing.

The Winnebago County Public Defender's office, listed as Soto's representative in court documents, has not returned messages from The Associated Press seeking comment on his behalf.

The Winnebago County coroner on Thursday identified those killed as 63-year-old Romona Schupbach; 23-year-old Jacob Schupbach; 49-year-old Jay Larson; and 15-year-old Jenna Newcomb.

Authorities last week described a series of frenzied attacks within minutes at multiple addresses in a Rockford neighborhood, but said they had not determined a motive.

Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said Soto told police after his arrest that he had smoked marijuana with Jacob Schupbach and believed the drugs “were laced with an unknown narcotic" that made him paranoid.

Authorities have said Soto first stabbed Schupbach and his mother then violently attacked other people in the area and inside other homes. They said he beat, stabbed and used a truck to run over Larson, who was working as a mail carrier; wounded three people inside one home; and beat Newcomb, her sister and a friend with a baseball bat inside another home.

Authorities said Winnebago County sheriff deputies arrested Soto as he fled from another home where he had stabbed a woman and had been slowed down by a man driving by who stopped to intervene.

Denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a Japanese high court says
Top stories | 2024/03/14 13:52

A Japanese high court ruled Thursday that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and called for urgent government action to address the lack of any law allowing for such unions. Plaintiffs and the LGBTQ+ community in Japan cheered it as a landmark decision that gives them hope for change toward equality.

The court does not have the power to overturn the current marriage law, which has been interpreted to restrict marriage as between a man and a woman. Government offices may continue to deny marriage status to same-sex couples unless the existing law is revised to include LGBTQ+ couples or a new law is enacted that allows for other types of unions.

The Sapporo High Court ruling said that not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as straight couples violates their fundamental right to equality and freedom of marriage. The case was brought by three same-sex couples who appealed three years ago after a lower court recognized the unconstitutionality of excluding same-sex couples from marriage equality but dismissed compensation claims for their suffering.

A lower court issued a similar ruling earlier Thursday, becoming the sixth district court to do so. But the Tokyo District Court ruling was only a partial victory for Japan’s LGBTQ+ community calling for equal marriage rights, as it doesn’t change or overturn the current civil union law that the government says defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Five previous court decisions in various cities said Japan’s policy of denying same-sex marriage is either unconstitutional or nearly so. However, unlike the Sapporo ruling Friday, none of the district-level courts clearly deemed the Japanese government’s existing policy to reject same-sex couples unconstitutional.

Sapporo High Court Judge Kiyofumi Saito said the constitutional freedom of marriage is about partnership between two human beings, and the right to marry should equally protect couples of different and same sexes. With their exclusion, same-sex couples have experienced significant disadvantages, suffering or loss of identity, the judge said.

“Disallowing marriage to same-sex couples is a discrimination that lacks rationality,” the ruling said. But allowing same-sex marriage creates no disadvantage or harm to anyone, it said.

A plaintiff, Eri Nakaya, said the traditional definition of marriage repeatedly made her feel that same-sex couples are treated as if they do not exist.

“The ruling clearly stated that same-sex couples have the same right as others and deserve to live in this country, and reminded me it’s okay just to be me,” she said.

Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven nations that still excludes same-sex couples from the right to legally marry and receive spousal benefits.

The top UN court is set to hear South Africa’s allegation of Israeli genocide in Gaza
Top stories | 2024/01/12 13:23

A legal battle over whether Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide opens Thursday at the United Nations’ top court with preliminary hearings into South Africa’s call for judges to order an immediate suspension of Israel’s military actions. Israel stringently denies the genocide allegation.

The case, that is likely to take years to resolve, strikes at the heart of Israel’s national identity as a Jewish state created in the aftermath of the Nazi genocide in the Holocaust. It also involves South Africa’s identity: Its ruling African National Congress party has long compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank to its own history under the apartheid regime of white minority rule, which restricted most Blacks to “homelands” before ending in 1994.

Israel normally considers U.N. and international tribunals unfair and biased. But it is sending a strong legal team to the International Court of Justice to defend its military operation launched in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

“I think they have come because they want to be exonerated and think they can successfully resist the accusation of genocide,” said Juliette McIntyre, an expert on international law at the University of South Australia.

In a statement after the case was filed, the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry urged the court to “immediately take action to protect the Palestinian people and call on Israel, the occupying power, to halt its onslaught against the Palestinian people, in order to ensure an objective legal resolution.”

Two days of preliminary hearings at the International Court of Justice begin with lawyers for South Africa explaining to judges why the country has accused Israel of “acts and omissions” that are “genocidal in character” in the Gaza war and has called for an immediate halt to Israel’s military actions.

Thursday’s opening hearing is focused on South Africa’s request for the court to impose binding interim orders including that Israel halt its military campaign. A decision will likely take weeks.

Israel’s offensive has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. About two-thirds of the dead are women and children, health officials say. The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

In the Oct. 7 attack, in which Hamas overwhelmed Israel’s defenses and stormed through several communities, Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians. They abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom have been released.

Late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor honored at Supreme Court ceremony
Top stories | 2023/12/18 11:32

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, was remembered Monday as a trailblazer who never lost sight of how the high court’s decisions affected all Americans.

O’Connor, an Arizona native who was an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism for more than two decades, died Dec. 1 at age 93. Mourners at the court on Monday included Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to serve in her role, and her husband Doug Emhoff.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke at a private ceremony that included the nine justices and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, as well as O’Connor’s family and court colleagues.

She would often say, ‘It was good to be the first, but I don’t want to be the last,’” Sotomayor said of O’Connor’s distinction as the first woman. She lived to see a record four women serving on the high court.

“For the four us, and for so many others of every background and aspiration, Sandra was a living example that women could take on any challenge, could more than hold their own in any spaces dominated by men and could do so with grace,” Sotomayor said.

O’Connor’s body lay in repose after her casket was carried up the court steps with her seven grandchildren serving as honorary pallbearers. It passed under the iconic words engraved on the pediment, “Equal Justice Under Law,” before being placed in the court’s Great Hall for the public to pay their respects.

Funeral services are set for Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral, where President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts are scheduled to speak.

O’Connor was nominated in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the Senate, ending 191 years of male exclusivity on the high court. A rancher’s daughter who was largely unknown on the national scene until her appointment, she received more letters than any other member in the court’s history in her first year and would come to be referred to by commentators as the nation’s most powerful woman.

O’Connor had “an extraordinary understanding of the American people,” and never lost sight of how high court rulings affected ordinary Americans, Sotomayor said.

She was also instrumental in bringing the justices together with regular lunches, barbecues and trips to the theater. “She understood that personal relationships are critical to working together,” the justice said.

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