WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Drunk driver's sentence reduced to 35 years

  May 14, 2013 10:13 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A judge reduced the sentence today of Brett Gerald, the man who killed seven people in a drunken crash in East Baton Rouge Parish, in order to comply with a Supreme Court ruling. Gerald received a 70-year sentence after pleading guilty back in March. Today Judge... more »

• Voucher controversy and uncertainty leaves parents in limbo Play Video

  May 7, 2013 10:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Private schools and Governor Bobby Jindal tell benefactors not to worry, but parents are the ones left in a state of uncertainty when it comes to vouchers. Tuesday, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled funding of the state's voucher program was unconstitutional. Lawmakers used money set aside... more »

• La. Supreme Court rules voucher funding unconstitutional Play Video

  May 7, 2013 10:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state's highest court ruled today that the funding formula for Gov. Bobby Jindal's key education reform, school vouchers, violates the state's constitution. Today's ruling was 6-1, with Justice Greg Guidry dissenting. It affects Act 2, which diverts per-student funding to private and parochial schools to... more »

• Court rejects Alabama appeal on immigration law

  April 29, 2013 7:34 PM

  WASHINGTON- The Supreme Court turned down Alabama's appeal to revive portions of that state's immigration law struck down by lower federal courts. The lower courts have already ruled immigration reform is a function of the federal government and not the states. The Alabama Attorney General's office pointed to Justice Antonin... more »

• Definition of family declared unconstitutional Play Video

  April 25, 2013 6:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE - District Court Judge Janice Clark declared the East Baton Rouge Parish's definition of family unconstitutional. Before today, three or more unrelated people could not live together in neighborhoods zoned for single-family housing. Since 1954, East Baton Rouge's Unified Development Code has defined family as "an individual... more »

• Court: Can human genes be patented?

  April 15, 2013 1:04 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court seems worried about the idea of companies getting patents for genes found inside the human body. Justices on Monday grappled with whether to overturn Myriad Genetics Inc.'s patents on two genes linked to increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The company sells a test... more »

• Supreme Court hears DOMA case

  March 27, 2013 11:46 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is indicating it could strike down the federal law that prevents legally married gay couples from receiving a range of federal benefits for married people. Justice Anthony Kennedy, often the decisive vote in close cases, joined the four more liberal justices in raising questions about... more »

• High court hears case on federal benefits for gays

  March 27, 2013 8:44 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is hearing the second of back-to-back gay marriage cases, a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. A section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act says marriage may only be... more »

• Marriage equality weighed in Baton Rouge Play Video

  March 26, 2013 5:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - As the Supreme Court of the United States weighs marriage equality issues, leaders in Louisiana are voicing their opinions on the matter too. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, spoke to a group in Central today, focusing on the importance of protecting children from... more »

• Court could avoid wide-ranging ruling on gay marriage

  March 26, 2013 5:18 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court could end up avoiding a major national ruling on whether America's gays have a right to marry. During arguments today on California's ban on same-sex marriage, several justices raised doubts that the case should even be before them. And Justice Anthony Kennedy -- possibly the... more »

• Indiana court: School vouchers give parents choice

  March 26, 2013 10:47 AM

  INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Supreme Court says the state's school voucher law primarily benefits families, not schools or religious institutions. The court upheld the law Tuesday. The justices rejected the argument that the law violates the state constitution's ban on public funds going to religious institutions, saying any benefit to... more »

• Justices hear arguments on Calif. gay marriage ban

  March 26, 2013 10:33 AM

  WASHINGTON - A lawyer seeking an end to California's ban on same-sex marriage is comparing it to bans on interracial marriages, a prohibition the Supreme Court declared illegal decades ago. In charged back-and-forth exchanges with justices, lawyer Theodore Olson said that the court should look to its 1967 Loving case,... more »

• Gay marriage argument goes to high court today

  March 26, 2013 8:00 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is wading into the fight over same-sex marriage at a time when public opinion is shifting rapidly in favor of permitting gay and lesbian couples to wed, but 40 states don't allow it. The court's first major examination of gay rights in 10 years begins... more »

• Public braves snow for gay marriage case tickets

  March 25, 2013 10:48 AM

  WASHINGTON - People waiting to attend to gay marriage cases being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court have been undeterred by snow falling in the nation's capital. More than three dozen people were waiting Monday to get tickets to the cases, which will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday. Many of... more »

• La. Supreme Court hears arguments in voucher appeal Play Video

  March 19, 2013 6:47 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Arguments lasted for about an hour today at the Louisiana Supreme Court in the state's appeal of the school voucher funding formula. At stake is the ability to pay for Governor Bobby Jindal's centerpiece school reform, which a lower court ruled violated the state's constitution. The... more »

• State appeals voucher ruling in court Play Video

  March 19, 2013 10:03 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Supreme Court justices will hear arguments this afternoon from state attorneys as they appeal the ruling against the controversial school voucher program. Supporters of the program gathered on the courthouse steps to hold a rally this morning. District Court Judge Tim Kelley ruled the... more »

• Education reform ruling victory for teachers group Play Video

  March 4, 2013 6:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Federation of Teachers is applauding the judge who struck down the third part of Gov. Jindal's education reform, ruling it unconstitutional. President of LFT Steve Monaghan says, since the law has been enacted, it's created tension among the state's educators. "It was a... more »

• La. Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson takes oath

  February 28, 2013 2:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- The state's first black Supreme Court Chief Justice, Bernette Johnson, took her oath of office today in New Orleans. The public ceremony was held on the steps of the Supreme Court building in the French Quarter. Johnson succeeded Catherine "Kitty" Kimball, following her retirement. Johnson... more »

• Southern band to perform at Johnson's confirmation

  February 28, 2013 10:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Human Jukebox will perform today during the installation ceremonies of new Louisiana Supreme Court Judge Bernette Johnson. The university says the band will march down Royal Street to the steps of the Supreme Court building. They will perform a trumpet fanfare, the National Anthem... more »

• Supreme Court considers DNA collection case Play Video

  February 26, 2013 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The US Supreme Court is deciding if police have the right to collect DNA evidence without a warrant during an arrest. Right now, Louisiana law allows police to collect DNA when someone is arrested for a felony or some violent misdemeanors. "It allows us to bring... more »

• Obama considers weighing in on gay marriage case

  February 20, 2013 4:36 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is quietly considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage, a step that would mark a political victory for advocates of same-sex unions. President Barack Obama raised expectations among opponents of the Proposition 8 ban when he declared last month in... more »

• High court reject's rapper C-Murder's appeal

  February 19, 2013 9:03 AM

  WASHINGTON- The Supreme Court has passed up another chance to deal with an anomaly of constitutional law that requires federal juries to reach unanimous verdicts in criminal cases, but allows states to make different rules. The court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of the rapper known as C-Murder, who is... more »

• Kimball retires after 20 years at Supreme Court

  February 1, 2013 6:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - After 20 years of service on the Louisiana Supreme Court, Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball has formally retired. Kimball, who officially retired Thursday, became the first woman on the Supreme Court when she was elected in 1992 from the Fifth District, which covers Ascension, East and... more »

• Court: Obama appointments are unconstitutional

  January 25, 2013 10:08 AM

  WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court has ruled that President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate to fill vacancies on a labor relations panel. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit says Obama did not have the power to make recess appointments last... more »

• High court may block Stanford investor lawsuits

  January 18, 2013 9:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will hear an appeal that seeks to shut down class-action lawsuits from investors who lost billions in a massive Ponzi scheme orchestrated by convicted former Texas tycoon R. Allen Stanford. The justices on Friday said they would review appeals court rulings allowing the suits to... more »

• Justice Thomas speaks for 1st time in 7 years

  January 14, 2013 1:03 PM

  WASHINGTON - Justice Clarence Thomas did something at a Supreme Court argument Monday for the first time in nearly seven years - he spoke. But what Thomas said is not clear, other than he appears to have joked about Ivy League lawyers. The argument transcript only records a few words.... more »

• Court to hear gay marriage cases

  December 7, 2012 3:37 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will take up California's ban on same-sex marriage, a case that could give the justices the chance to rule on whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. The justices said Monday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that... more »

• Runoff elections tomorrow in Louisiana

  December 7, 2012 12:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Secretary of State's office isn't expecting a high turnout for tomorrow's runoff elections. Not all parishes have a lot on the ballot, and so far more than 50,000 people voted early statewide. In Baton Rouge, voters will decide who takes an open seat on... more »

• Gay marriages could see Supreme Court action

  November 29, 2012 2:48 PM

  WASHINGTON - The running fight over gay marriage is shifting from the ballot box to the Supreme Court. Three weeks after voters backed same-sex marriage in three states and defeated a ban in a fourth, the justices are meeting Friday to decide whether they should deal sooner rather than later... more »

• Court will decide on collection of DNA samples

  November 9, 2012 2:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court says it will decide whether police may collect DNA samples from people under arrest in a case that pits privacy concerns against public safety interests. The justices say in an order Friday that they will review a Maryland court decision that effectively barred the collection... more »

• High court to take new look at voting rights law

  November 9, 2012 2:22 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court says it will consider eliminating the government's chief weapon against racial discrimination at polling places since the 1960s. Acting three days after the election, the justices are agreeing Friday to hear a constitutional challenge to the part of the landmark Voting Rights Act that requires... more »

• Guidry, Hughes head to Supreme Court runoff

  November 6, 2012 11:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE - John Michael Guidry and Jeff Hughes have advanced to a Dec. 8 runoff in the race to fill Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball's seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court. Guidry and Hughes were the leading vote-getters among eight candidates for the 5th Supreme Court District seat in... more »

• High court won't block early voting in Ohio

  October 16, 2012 11:48 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is siding with Democrats in refusing to block early voting in the battleground state of Ohio. The court on Tuesday refused a Republican request to get involved in a dispute over early voting in the state on the three days before Election Day. The campaign... more »

• La. high court rules Johnson will be chief justice

  October 16, 2012 10:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that Bernette Johnson will be the court's next chief justice, resolving a legal dispute that wound up in federal court. The court's ruling Tuesday says Johnson's years of appointed and elected service on the court give her the seniority that entitles... more »

• Court seems unclear on house versus boat question

  October 1, 2012 12:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court seems torn on when the law should treat some floating homes as houseboats and when it should treat them as houses. The question came up Monday as the court was trying to figure out whether Riviera Beach, Florida should have used maritime law to seize... more »

• Supreme Court refuses voucher program injunction

  August 16, 2012 5:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Supreme Court has refused to stop the launch of Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program, which began this month. The high court denied an injunction request by teacher unions and school boards to stall the voucher program as they challenge whether it is constitutional. A... more »

• Feds back Johnson's bid to be next chief justice

  July 27, 2012 5:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department is backing Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson's bid to become the next chief justice of the state's highest court. In a court filing Friday, attorneys for the department's civil rights division urge a federal judge to rule that Johnson's first few years of... more »

• Justice rejected deal to name next La. court chief

  July 25, 2012 3:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson says her colleagues don't have the authority to decide who is entitled to become the court's next chief justice. Johnson told a panel of state lawmakers Wednesday in New Orleans that she rejected a compromise that would have forced her to... more »

• Deadline moved in La. chief justice debate

  July 23, 2012 12:58 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Supreme Court is giving its justices an extra month to weigh in on a debate over naming the court's next chief justice. Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball had set a July 31 deadline for the justices to file briefs on which colleague is the "oldest... more »

• Landrieu endorses Johnson for La. chief justice

  July 11, 2012 3:19 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Sen. Mary Landrieu has waded into a debate over naming the next chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court and endorsed Justice Bernette Johnson for the job. In a statement Wednesday, the Louisiana Democrat says there is "no question" Johnson has the right to succeed Chief Justice... more »

• Health care up for vote in Senate today

  July 11, 2012 7:29 AM

  WASHINGTON - The House has voted more than 30 times to repeal or undercut the health care law President Barack Obama signed in March of 2010, only to have its efforts die in the Senate. And House Republicans plan to try again today. This time, they're arguing that... more »

• La. chief justice declines to discuss successor

  July 10, 2012 6:23 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball says the state's code of judicial conduct prohibits her from meeting with a group of community leaders to discuss their concerns about the court's impending debate over naming Kimball's successor. Several supporters of Justice Bernette Johnson, who sued last... more »

• 3 judges recuse themselves from La. justice's suit

  July 6, 2012 5:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Three federal judges in New Orleans have recused themselves from presiding over Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson's lawsuit seeking to block her colleagues from debating and voting on whether she is legally entitled to be the court's next chief justice. The case was transferred Friday to... more »

• Veterans react to Supreme Court's Stolen Valor decision

  June 28, 2012 6:10 PM

  BATON ROUGE - "Shocked" and "disgusted" were two words on many veterans' minds after they learned the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Stolen Valor Act was unconstitutional. The Act would have made it illegal for anyone to display military metals as accomplishments that he or she did not earn.... more »

• Small biz: questions, waiting after health ruling

  June 28, 2012 5:28 PM

  NEW YORK - A big worry for small businesses who were against the Obama administration's health care law was that it would increase their costs. But now that the Supreme Court has upheld it, some small companies could opt to go a route that will save them thousands of dollars... more »

• News organizations don't all get ruling right

  June 28, 2012 12:34 PM

  NEW YORK - A bid for speed in reporting the Supreme Court's decision on President Barack Obama's health care law has tripped up some news organizations. Both CNN and Fox News Channel incorrectly reported Thursday that the law's central provision, requiring virtually all Americans to have health insurance, had been... more »

• Dissenters say entire law was invalid

  June 28, 2012 11:33 AM

  WASHINGTON - The ruling that upheld the vast majority of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul came from the court's four liberal justices, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts. The dissenters were Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. In a joint statement, they said, "The act... more »

• Local doctors, patients still have reform questions

  June 28, 2012 11:06 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Local doctors and their patients still have questions about what today's Supreme Court ruling over healthcare reform means to them. Many people with pre-existing conditions have been able to get insurance after the Affordable Care Act was passed and signed into law. Today's ruling upheld the... more »

• Court upholds individual mandate in health care law

  June 28, 2012 9:14 AM

  WASHINGTON - The individual mandate survives. The Supreme Court has upheld the heart of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul -- ruling in favor of the requirement that most Americans can be required to have health insurance, or else pay a penalty. The decision means the historic overhaul will continue... more »

• Health care ruling expected today

  June 28, 2012 6:44 AM

  WASHINGTON - The stakes are huge as the anticipation grows for today's announcement of the Supreme Court's decision on the health care overhaul, but no matter what the court decides, it's unlikely to be the final word. The problems of high medical costs, widespread waste and tens of millions of... more »

• Federal hotline set up on Arizona immigration

  June 25, 2012 5:34 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has set up a hotline for the public to report potential civil rights concerns regarding the Arizona law that requires police to check the immigration status of those they stop for other reasons. The hotline phone number is 1-855-353-1010. The email is: SB1070(at)usdoj.gov. The Supreme... more »

• Court strikes down Montana law rather than re-examining Citizens United ruling

  June 25, 2012 4:58 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is rejecting a plea that it take another look at its ruling from two years ago on campaign finance. Instead, the court today struck down a Montana law that limits corporate campaign spending. The same five conservative justices who made up the majority in the... more »

• Florida to carry out health law if upheld by court

  June 20, 2012 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON - Florida's Republican governor - one of the staunchest opponents of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul - says his state will carry out the law if the Supreme Court upholds it. Gov. Rick Scott told reporters Wednesday "if it is the law of the land, then we are... more »

• Deadline set to weigh-in on Kimball's successor

  June 14, 2012 7:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court has set a deadline for her colleagues to weigh-in on who should succeed her in the post. Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball plans to retire in January 2013. On Wednesday, Kimball ordered any justice interested "in a legal determination"... more »

• Gov't report: health cost relief only temporary

  June 12, 2012 3:07 PM

  WASHINGTON - The nation's been enjoying a respite from rising health care costs, but government experts say don't look for it to last. Health care spending will grow faster than the economy for the foreseeable future, says a report Tuesday from Medicare's nonpartisan economic analysts. President Barack Obama's health care... more »

• Supreme Court takes up Arizona immigration law

  April 25, 2012 9:37 AM

  WASHINGTON - The fate of Arizona's tough immigration law is in the balance as the Supreme Court hears its final day of arguments for the current term today. The Obama administration challenged the law in federal court soon after Arizona's governor signed it two years ago. Five other states have... more »

• Vitter supports Arizona immigration law

  April 24, 2012 3:48 PM

  Washington - U.S. Sen. David Vitter today issued the following statement in advance of the Arizona immigration law heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. "The Arizona law is absolutely constitutional. If President Obama doesn't want states to act on immigration, he should start doing his job and controlling the... more »

• Health care arguments: Now what about Medicaid?

  March 28, 2012 1:22 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court's liberal justices are making clear they will vote to uphold the massive expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income Americans that is part of the health care overhaul. In the finale of three days of arguments over President Barack Obama's health care law, the justices... more »

• High court takes up fight over Obama health law

  March 26, 2012 7:09 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is front and center at the Supreme Court for three days of hearings to determine the fate of a law aimed at extending health insurance to more than 30 million Americans. The justices will hear arguments beginning today in a highly partisan... more »

• Court Adds 30 additional minutes for Health Care Case

  February 21, 2012 7:27 PM

  The U.S. Supreme Court decided the upcoming arguments over President Obama's health care plan requires six hours over three days and it added 30 extra minutes. It means 90 minutes for discussion of the effect on the health care case of a federal law intended to make tax collections run... more »

• Supreme Court to take new look at affirmative action

  February 21, 2012 2:31 PM

  A white student who was denied a spot at the flagship campus of the University of Texas is going to have her appeal heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Lawyers for the University of Texas said Abigail Fisher she has no standing to sue. Fisher is soon to... more »

• Court seems ready to overturn La. conviction

  November 8, 2011 3:26 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court seems ready to overturn a Louisiana death row inmate's conviction because New Orleans prosecutors did not give defense lawyers statements that cast doubt on the murderer's identity. Justices repeatedly pounded a lawyer from the New Orleans district attorney's office with questions Tuesday about why... more »

• `2 dads' case goes to Supreme Court

  July 11, 2011 6:23 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A gay rights organization is seeking Supreme Court review of the case of a gay couple who wanted both their names to appear on the birth certificate of the Louisiana child they adopted in New York. Lambda Legal said Monday it filed for court review in... more »

• 40 years after leak, Pentagon Papers are out

  June 13, 2011 1:02 PM

  WASHINGTON - Call it the granddaddy of WikiLeaks. Four decades ago, a young defense analyst leaked a top-secret study packed with damaging revelations about America's conduct of the Vietnam War. On Monday, that study, dubbed the Pentagon Papers, finally came out in complete form. The National Archives... more »

• Slidell woman's case headed to Supreme Court

  March 29, 2011 10:39 AM

  SLIDELL- The case of a Slidell woman, who claims a generic drug caused damage to her brain leaving her disabled, will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Julie deMahy claims the medication she took to treat acid reflux disease from 2002 to 2007 caused a severe neurological movement disorder... more »

• Supreme Court refuses to hear ex-N.O. cop's appeal

  March 28, 2011 2:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the case against a former New Orleans police officer who was sentenced to death for arranging a woman's murder. Attorneys for the former officer, Len Davis, asked the court to consider whether prosecutors impermissibly struck black potential jurors... more »

• Charges reinstated against 2 BR rap figures

  December 23, 2010 8:45 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state appeals court has reinstated attempted murder and other charges against two managers of Baton Rouge-based rap music label Trill Entertainment. Attorneys for Melvin Vernell Jr. and Marcus Roach say they will appeal Wednesday's ruling to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Vernell and Roach, both 37, are... more »

• High court upholds death penalty in church deaths

  November 30, 2010 4:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana's Supreme Court has upheld the convictions and death penalty for Anthony Bell, who killed four of his in-laws and his wife after bursting into a Baton Rouge church in 2006. Bell was convicted in 2008 of five counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted first-degree... more »

• Ex-judge disbarred after bribery conviction

  November 29, 2010 10:58 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former state district judge who is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for taking bribes has been permanently blocked from practicing law in Louisiana. Louisiana's Supreme Court permanently disbarred Michael Walker this month, noting his conviction in 2008 for taking bribes in return for lowering bonds.... more »

• Ex-Slidell man is OK with conviction reinstatement

  November 13, 2010 10:59 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former Slidell man's drug and weapons convictions have been reinstated by the Louisiana Supreme Court, and according to the man's attorney, that's just the way the man wants it. Twenty-nine-year old Terrence R. Scott has already served his sentence on his May 2008 conviction on charges... more »

• Supreme Court won't hear appeal of TX man on death row

  October 18, 2010 10:28 AM

  The Supreme Court will not review a claim from a Texas death row inmate who says his mental impairment should prevent his execution. A federal trial judge and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans have found that Michael Hall is not mentally impaired. Hall... more »

• Big tobacco gets $270 million reprieve in Louisiana

  September 14, 2010 1:12 PM

  Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has temporarily blocked a state court order requiring tobacco companies to pay $270 million for a smoking cessation program in Louisiana. Scalia granted a request from the companies on Tuesday, but said he would reconsider his order later this month after hearing from Louisiana... more »

• Wal-Mart wants Discrimination Lawsuit Thrown Out

  August 25, 2010 7:59 PM

  Wal-Mart asked the Supreme Court to throw out a class action lawsuit that alleges gender discrimination over pay for female workers. Wal-Mart could faces billions in damages if the suit is heard and the company loses. The suit was first filed by six women in 2001 and a federal appeals... more »

• Gay Adoptions upheld in Mexico City

  August 16, 2010 7:42 PM

  The Supreme Court of Mexico upheld a law in Mexico City that allows adoptions by same-sex couples. The ruling rejects a legal challenge by federal prosecutors and others who argued the law fails to protect adoptive children against ill-effects or discrimination. The court voted earlier this month to uphold another... more »

• Senate confirms Kagan as 112th justice

  August 5, 2010 3:12 PM

  The Senate has confirmed Elena Kagan as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The vote was 63-37 for President Barack Obama's nominee to succeed retired Justice John Paul Stevens. Five Republicans joined all but one Democrat and the Senate's two independents to... more »

• Elena Kagan approved by Senate Judiciary Committee

  July 20, 2010 11:34 AM

  The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. The 13-6 vote sends Kagan's nomination to the full Senate, where she's expected to be confirmed as early as next week to succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. Just one Republican, Sen. Lindsey... more »

• La. Supreme Court issues stay in Clark trial

  July 16, 2010 5:59 PM

  The Louisiana Supreme Court has issued a stay in the first-degree murder trial of a Louisiana State Penitentiary inmate accused in the 1999 stabbing and beating death of a prison guard. The high court's decision Friday came in the case involving Jeffrey Cameron Clark, one of five Angola prisoners... more »

• Justices extend gun owner rights nationwide

  June 28, 2010 10:26 AM

  The Supreme Court has come down on the side of gun rights, ruling today that the Second Amendment restrains the government's ability to significantly limit "the right to keep and bear arms." In a 5-4 vote, the justices also signaled that less severe restrictions could survive legal challenges. ... more »

• Supreme Court strikes down part of anti-fraud law

  June 28, 2010 10:00 AM

  The Supreme Court has struck down part of the anti-fraud law enacted in response to Enron and other corporate scandals from the early 2000s. The justices, in a 5-4 vote Monday, say that the Sarbanes-Oxley law enacted in 2002 violates the Constitution's separation of powers mandate. The court says... more »

• High court sides with ex-Enron CEO Skilling

  June 24, 2010 9:29 AM

  The Supreme Court has sided with former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling in limiting the use of a federal fraud law that has been a favorite of white-collar crime prosecutors. The court says the "honest services" law could not be used in convicting Skilling for his role in the collapse of... more »

• Court: NFL is 32 teams, not single business

  May 24, 2010 1:32 PM

  The Supreme Court rejected the National Football League's request for broad antitrust law protection Monday, saying that it must be considered 32 separate teams - not one big business - when selling branded items like jerseys and caps. "Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL... more »

• Justice questions the way court nominees are grilled

  May 14, 2010 8:36 PM

  Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is questioning the way some senators may grill the woman nominated to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Kennedy said lawmakers should not try to figure out how Elena Kagan would rule on speciifc issues. He says they should instead look at if her... more »

• Kagan nominated for Supreme Court

  May 10, 2010 9:15 AM

  President Barack Obama is nominating Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. If she's confirmed, it'll be the first time in history that the court has had three women serving at once. more »

• Obama to announce Kagan for Supreme Court

  May 10, 2010 8:47 AM

  The Supreme Court nominee President Barack Obama will announce today has a reputation for bringing together people of competing views and earning their respect. A source close to the selection process says that was one of the reasons Obama has settled on Solicitor General Elena Kagan. The source says Kagan... more »

• La. high court to hear suit over sex assault

  April 2, 2010 6:08 AM

  The Louisiana Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in a lawsuit against the Lafayette Parish School Board over a middle school student's alleged sexual assault in 2004. The girl's family sued the school board after she reported being assaulted while walking home from school after detention. Her lawsuit... more »

• Local soldier speaks out against church protest

  April 1, 2010 10:16 PM

  The US Supreme Court will hear arguments from the father of the Marine who was killed in action. Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder died in Iraq four years ago. Protesters from the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas showed up at Snyder's funeral. The Westboro Church believes that soldiers are being... more »

• High court hears appeal from ex-Enron CEO

  March 1, 2010 11:10 AM

  Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is asking the Supreme Court to throw out his convictions in connection with the collapse of the energy giant that cost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. Lawyers for Skilling and the government are appearing before the high court Monday as he appeals his... more »

• Kimball released from stroke rehab hospital

  February 23, 2010 4:51 AM

  The chief justice of Louisiana's Supreme Court has been released from the Neuromedical Rehabilitation Hospital of Baton Rouge, where she was undergoing post-stroke rehabilitation therapy. Chief Justice Catherine Kimball suffered a stroke on Jan. 10. A news release from the high court says Kimball will continue to undergo several weeks... more »

• Cameras indefinitely banned from Prop. 8 trial

  January 13, 2010 4:45 PM

  In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court has ruled to indefinitely block cameras from covering the high-profile federal court trial on the constitutionality of California's ban on gay marriage. Conservative justices were in the majority. On Monday, the Supreme Court responded to a request from gay marriage opponents and... more »

• LA Supreme Court justice has stroke

  January 10, 2010 7:13 PM

  Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine D. Kimball has suffered a stroke and is in intensive care. A statement from the Supreme Court says Kimball underwent successful surgery to remove the blockage and was in recovery. The 64-year-old Kimball of Ventress is the first woman to serve as... more »

• Supreme Court refuses to block execution

  November 9, 2009 11:57 AM

  The U.S. Supreme Court refused to block Tuesday's scheduled execution of sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad. He is scheduled to die by injection at a Virginia prison for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers at a gas station during a three-week spree in October 2002 across Maryland, Virginia and... more »

• Alito troubled by concerns about catholics on court

  October 20, 2009 8:40 PM

  U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito voice frustration about persistent questions regarding the number of Catholics on the high court. Roman Catholics have a majority. He aired the concerns in a speech in Philadelphia to an Italian-American law group. He says respected people in serious publications questioned if the Catholic-raised... more »