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Court rejects early appeal of surveillance ruling
Headline News |
2014/04/08 19:20
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The Supreme Court has declined an early look at a constitutional challenge to the National Security Agency's bulk collection of millions of Americans' telephone records.
Conservative lawyer Larry Klayman persuaded a federal judge in December to rule that the agency's activities likely violate the Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches. The justices on Monday rejected Klayman's unusual request to bypass the traditional appeals process and hear the case immediately.
Klayman says the case is too important to wait for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reach a decision. The district court judge granted an injunction against the NSA, but put it on hold pending a government appeal.
The Obama administration has defended the NSA program as a crucial tool against terrorism. |
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Court: Private email exempt from open records law
Court Feed News |
2014/04/03 23:29
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A California appeals court has ruled that private text messages, emails and other electronic communications sent and received by public officials on their own devices are not public records regardless of the topic.
The 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose ruled last week that the state's Public Records Act doesn't extend to officials' private devices.
The California Supreme Court is expected to be asked to step in and settle this long-simmering debate.
State laws do require the communications of elected officials and other officials involving public issues to be retained and turned over upon request.
Since the coming of email, activists and others in the state have been battling at all levels of government over whether public issues discussed on private devices with personal accounts are covered by the Public Records Act. Similar legal battles and political debates have sprung up across the country as well.
The March 27 ruling reverses a lower court decision in favor of environmental activist Ted Smith, who sought access to messages sent on private devices through private accounts of the San Jose mayor and City Council members
Smith's attorney James McManis said he will ask the state Supreme Court to review the case. If the high court refuses to take it, the appeals court ruling will stand. |
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U.S. Supreme Court voids overall contribution limits
Headline News |
2014/04/03 23:29
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The Supreme Court struck down limits today in federal law on the overall campaign contributions the biggest individual donors may make to candidates, political parties and political action committees.
The justices said in a 5-4 vote that Americans have a right to give the legal maximum to candidates for Congress and president, as well as to parties and PACs, without worrying that they will violate the law when they bump up against a limit on all contributions, set at $123,200 for 2013 and 2014. That includes a separate $48,600 cap on contributions to candidates.
But their decision does not undermine limits on individual contributions to candidates for president or Congress, now $2,600 an election.
Chief Justice John Roberts announced the decision, which split the court's liberal and conservative justices. Roberts said the aggregate limits do not act to prevent corruption, the rationale the court has upheld as justifying contribution limits.
The overall limits "intrude without justification on a citizen's ability to exercise 'the most fundamental First Amendment activities,'" Roberts said, quoting from the court's seminal 1976 campaign finance ruling in Buckley v. Valeo.
Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with the outcome of the case, but wrote separately to say that he would have gone further and wiped away all contribution limits. |
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Pakistani court indicts Musharraf in treason case
Attorneys News |
2014/03/31 23:49
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A special Pakistani court on Monday indicted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on five counts of high treason, a charge that potentially carries the death penalty and delivers a sharp blow to the country's powerful military.
The development is the first time that an acting or former army chief has been indicted for treason in Pakistan, where the military has taken power in three coups since the country was founded in 1947.
It's unclear whether the case will ever get to the verdict stage, however. Musharraf's lawyers are pushing for him to be allowed to go abroad to see his ailing mother.
The indictment — the latest high drama in a series of legal cases Musharraf has faced since returning to Pakistan a little over a year ago — showcases the tensions between a civilian government that initiated the case and the military, which has generally been above the law.
Musharraf, who appeared in court on Monday for only the second time since court proceedings began in December, pleaded not guilty and delivered a nearly 30-minute defense of his time in office.
The former general, who has been at a hospital in the nearby city of Rawalpindi since January, said he was appearing in the proceeding against the advice of his medical team.
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The Davis Law Group, PLLC
Lawyer News |
2014/03/31 23:48
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Southfield MI Criminal Defense Lawyer
The Davis Law Group, PLLC is an aggressive criminal defense firm. We handle cases throughout the Metro Detroit area including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County. Our attorneys are former prosecutors and have handled cases ranging from minor traffic violations to homicide offenses.
Having gone through numerous trials, our attorneys know the Metro Detroit courtrooms and the procedures they follow. This works as a major advantage for our clients as we are able to fight against the evidence and change the course of where your life is headed. We are dedicated and willing to do what it takes to get a successful outcome in your case.
We concentrate on defending our clients’ constitutional rights both in and out of the courtroom. If you or a love one has been charged with a crime you know your freedom is on the line. You need as experienced attorney that can get results.
Available 7 days a week 24 hours a day for free phone consultations. For urgent matters we always have at least one attorney on call.
The Davis Law Group, PLLC
27600 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 215
Southfield, MI 48034 |
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McKENNON LAW GROUP PC.
Lawyer News |
2014/03/31 23:48
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Insurance Bad Faith, ERISA and Business Litigation Attorneys
McKennon Law Group PC has offices throughout California, and handles cases all over the State, including the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco and the Central Valley.
When you need an attorney, choosing the right law firm is the most important decision you will make. We founded McKennon Law Group PC for one purpose: to provide our clients targeted, effective representation geared to get the best possible results. Our single-minded focus is to achieve our clients’ objectives in an aggressive yet professional manner.
We are counted among California’s leading insurance, ERISA, business, and consumer attorneys. We have arbitrated, tried, appealed, and resolved hundreds of disputes on all lines of insurance - life, health, disability, property/casualty, commercial general liability, professional liability, officers and directors liability, employment practices liability, homeowners and business owners property and liability. We have also litigated disputes involving insurance and real estate agent/broker liability, class actions, serious injury and wrongful death, and other consumer and general business matters, and we have recovered millions of dollars in judgments and settlements for our clients.
Office
20321 SW Birch St., Suite 200
Newport Beach, CA 92660 |
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