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Washington Supreme Court to hear education funding case
U.S. Legal News |
2017/10/25 01:21
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The Washington state Supreme Court is set to hear argument on whether the state has met its constitutional requirement to fully fund K-12 education.
Tuesday morning's hearing is on whether the state should still be held in contempt for lack of progress on satisfying a 2012 ruling that found that school funding was not adequate. Lawmakers needed a funded plan in place this year ahead of a Sept. 1, 2018 deadline the court had set.
The plan approved and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee earlier this year relies largely on an increase to the statewide property tax that starts next year. The tax increases from $1.89 to $2.70 per $1,000 of assessed value, with the increase earmarked for education. The plan — which keeps in place local property tax levies but caps them beginning in 2019 at a lower level— will ultimately raise property taxes for some districts and lower them in others. |
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Ohio court won't hear case in seizure of exotic animals
Headline News |
2017/10/24 08:21
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Another court has dealt a blow to an Ohio man who is trying to get his six tigers and several other exotic animals back from the state.
The Ohio Supreme Court earlier this month said it would not hear an appeal in the case involving the owner of a roadside animal sanctuary near Toledo.
Ohio took custody of 11 animals from Kenny Hetrick in January 2015 after officials say he ignored warnings that he needed a permit.
Hetrick argues he was treated differently than other exotic animal owners and has asked the courts to force the state to give him a permit and return the animals.
The tigers, bear, leopard and cougar are now being kept in out-of-state sanctuaries during the state's appeal. |
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Immigrant teen seeking abortion asks court to reconsider
U.S. Legal News |
2017/10/24 01:21
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Attorneys for a pregnant teen being held in a Texas immigration facility are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision not to order the government to let her obtain an abortion.
Lawyers for the 17-year-old on Sunday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to hold another hearing before all the judges on the court.
A three-judge panel ruled against the teen Friday, giving the government until Oct. 31 to find a sponsor to take in the teen so she could get an abortion on her own.
Her lawyers have accused federal officials of unlawfully restricting the teen's rights. But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says it has a policy of "refusing to facilitate" abortions for minors in its care.
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Tennessee church shooting suspect due in court Monday
U.S. Legal News |
2017/10/23 01:22
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The man accused of fatally shooting one person and wounding six others at a Tennessee church is slated for a court appearance.
A preliminary hearing for 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson is scheduled for Monday morning in front of a Davidson County general sessions judge.
Samson is charged with murder in the Sept. 24 slaying of a woman at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville. Additional charges are expected. He's being held without bond.
An arrest affidavit says Samson waived his rights and told police he arrived armed and fired at Burnette. Police haven't determined a motive.
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Florida court sides with Gov. Scott in nursing home battle
Business Law Info |
2017/10/22 01:22
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Florida Gov. Rick Scott has won the first round in a legal tug-of-war over his mandate that nursing homes and assisted living facilities install generators.
The 1st District Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected a legal challenge to emergency rules put in place by the Scott administration. A panel of judges split 2-1 over the challenge. The court has not yet issued a full opinion explaining the decision.
Groups that represent nursing homes and assisted living facilities asked the appeal court to review whether or not there was an emergency that warranted the rules. A separate legal challenge to the actual rules is still ongoing.
Scott issued his order after residents at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills died in the days after Hurricane Irma wiped out power to much of South Florida.
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Court weighing whether graffiti mecca was protected by law
U.S. Legal News |
2017/10/21 01:23
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For two decades, Jerry Wolkoff let graffiti artists use his crumbling Queens warehouse complex as a canvas for their vibrant works. Artists gave the spot the name "5Pointz" — a place where all five New York City boroughs come together — but painters traveled from as far as Japan and Brazil to tag, bomb and burn at what became a graffiti mecca and a tourist destination.
But like most graffiti, it didn't last. Wolkoff whitewashed the building in 2013 then tore it down to build luxury apartment towers.
Four years later, some of the artists whose work was destroyed are in court, arguing that even though the building belonged to Wolkoff, the art was protected by federal law.
A trial that started Tuesday at a federal court in Brooklyn will determine whether the artists should be compensated for the lost work.
More than 20 artists sued Wolkoff under the Visual Artists Rights Act, or VARA, a 1990 federal statute that protects artists' rights even if someone else owns the physical artwork.
A trial that started Tuesday at a federal court in Brooklyn will determine whether the artists should be compensated for the lost work.
More than 20 artists sued Wolkoff under the Visual Artists Rights Act, or VARA, a 1990 federal statute that protects artists' rights even if someone else owns the physical artwork.
Barry Werbin, an attorney specializing in intellectual property, said the case is significant because no lawsuit under the statute has been tried by a jury before. |
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