The Bush Administration is seeking to use a new privilege argument to try, again, to withholding records of the visits of convicted lobbyist jack Abramoff to the White House. The new claims mirror the so-called secret service privilege that failed during the Clinton Administration. Continue reading “Bush Administration Claims New Privileges in Renewed Effort to Conceal Contacts with Jack Abramoff”
Category: Constitutional Law
If a court statement that confirmed every stereotype of the United States as a rogue nation, the lawyer representing the U.S. in a British Court in a case involving Stanley Tollman, a former director of Chelsea football club and a friend of Baroness Thatcher, and his wife Beatrice. Continue reading “U.S. to British Court: We Have the Right to Kidnap Your Citizens if Your Courts Do Not Extradite Them”
A Massachusetts woman, Caroline Bilodeau-Allen, and her son, Christopher Allen, are suing the National Enquirer for defamation after the tabloid reported in 2006 that Christopher is really the son of Mass. Sen. Ted Kennedy. The Enquirer is standing by its sources in what could be a new test of the so-called New York Times v. Sullivan standard. Continue reading “National Enquirer Sued for Defamation Over Kennedy “Love-Child” Story”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy has formally determined that Karl Rove, John Bolten, former White House political director Sara Taylor and her deputy, J. Scott Jennings, are in violation of the Senate subpoenas and must comply “immediately” or face legal consequences. Continue reading “Leahy Starts Formal Process that Could Lead to a Contempt Citation for Karl Rove and Others”
Only hours after a Washington State judge ruled that Dennis Lindberg could refuse a life-saving blood transfusion as violative of his Jehovah’s Witness faith, he passed away at age 14. Continue reading “Washington Teen Dies After Court Blocks Parents Demand for Blood Transfusion Based on His Religious Beliefs”
The Bush Administration is seeking to train firefighters to serve as eyes and ears in the war on terror: a role that raises significant civil liberties questions. Under this plan, firefighters would look for evidence of possible terrorism in the homes and businesses that they inspect or enter. Continue reading “Homeland Security to Use Firefighters to Spot Potential Terror Suspects”
Dennis Lindberg is a 14-year-old Jehovah’s Witness who has leukemia. His parents (who do not have legal custody and are not Jehovah’s Witnesses) have demanded that he be given a needed blood transfusion. However, Judge John Meyer ruled that the boy can refuse the treatment, even though it will inevitably lead to his death. Continue reading “14-Year-Old Allowed to Refuse Life-Saving Treatment Over Objections from His Parents”
A case is brewing in California that could revisit controversies over constitutional taking of private property and the common law concerning public easements. Douglas Rigg, a 43-year-old architect, is challenging the property owners of a development called Seadrift near Stinson beach that bans the public from use of their beach. Continue reading “California Development Sued for Denying Public Use of Beach: A New Coastal Takings Case?”
A British Appellate court has ruled that a mother should be allowed to prevent a father from learning of the birth of their child and to secretly put the baby up for adoption. Continue reading “British Court: Mother May Conceal Fact of Birth from Father and Put Child Up for Adoption”
Thomas Nelson, an Oregon attorney representing two lawyers has filed a public complaint against individuals responsible for the interception of attorney-client communications as part of the NSA domestic surveillance program. Continue reading “Attorney Files Ethics Complaint Detailing Illegal NSA Surveillance Discovered in the Al-Haramain Case”
The Supreme Court has refused to give a death row inmate, Thomas Arthur, access to critical DNA evidence that he is seeking to prove his innocence. Continue reading “Supreme Court Refuses to Order Access to DNA Evidence Sought to Clear Death Row Inmate”
The Senate has rejected a retroactive immunity deal for telecommunications companies. However, lobbyists remain hard at work on some form of immunity and revisiting the issue of retroactive immunity. Continue reading “Bravo: Senate Rejects Retroactive Immunity Deal for Telecoms”
Senators Ted Kennedy and Arlen Spector are drafting legislation to finally address the widespread abuse of the military and state secrets privilege, a law that would require courts to seriously review the basis and scope of these assertions. As lead counsel in the Area 51 cases involving the privilege, it is welcomed and long over-due news. Continue reading “Kennedy and Spector To Offer State Secrets Legislation”
Giuliani appears intent on re-playing the Willie Horton card used by Bush Sr. against that other Mass. Governor Michael Dukakis — this time the villain is Daniel Tavares, Jr. and the judge is Kathe Tuttman. Continue reading “Romney’s Willie Horton Moment? Giuliani Pays the Judicial Activist Card”
A fascinating case is developing in Kansas where a gay man, Daryl Hendrix, is fighting for his right to recognition as a father to twins conceived artificially with a lesbian friend. Continue reading “Gay Man Fights for Right to Be Father of Twins Conceived with Lesbian Friend”