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South African court rules against ICC withdrawal
U.S. Legal News |
2017/02/18 16:41
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A South African court has ruled that the government's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court was unconstitutional.
A judge in the North Gauteng High Court on Wednesday instructed the government to revoke its notice of withdrawal from the human rights tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands.
South Africa's main opposition party had gone to court, saying the government's notice was illegal because the South African parliament was not consulted.
South Africa's withdrawal announcement followed a 2015 dispute over a visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Al-Bashir was allowed to leave South Africa even though a local court ordered authorities to stop him. |
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Ethics measure backers ask high court to let them join case
U.S. Legal News |
2017/01/22 07:47
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Supporters of a voter-approved government ethics overhaul are asking the state Supreme Court to allow them to join a lawsuit challenging the initiative filed by Republican lawmakers.
South Dakotans for Integrity, a political committee that supported the initiative, is arguing that a lower court judge was wrong in denying their push to intervene in the case.
The judge in December issued an order blocking the entire law from taking effect while the court challenge moves forward.
The group can't appeal that order because they aren't intervenors. South Dakotans for Integrity says the majority of voters who enacted the measure have the right to be represented by advocates whose allegiance is "unquestionable."
Those bringing the lawsuit contend that provisions in the law are unconstitutional. The attorney general's office is defending it.
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Man accused of killing Orlando officer defiant in court
U.S. Legal News |
2017/01/17 07:46
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A man suspected of fatally shooting a Florida police officer spoke out of turn and was defiant in an Orlando courtroom where he made an initial appearance on charges of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend.
Forty-one-year-old Markeith Loyd told the judge Thursday morning that he plans to represent himself and said the charges against him were made up. The judge ordered Loyd held without bond.
Loyd's eye was bandaged and two officers flanked him as he stood at the podium wearing a bullet-proof vest. He was injured during his arrest Tuesday night following a weeklong manhunt.
Loyd faces multiple charges including first-degree murder, unlawful killing of an unborn child and attempted murder in the December death of Sade Dixon. He hasn't been charged in the death of Lt. Debra Clayton who was gunned down while she searched for him outside a Wal-Mart store Jan. 9.
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Ohio brother slaying case might return to juvenile court
U.S. Legal News |
2017/01/11 21:06
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An Ohio teenager accused of killing his 14-year-old brother after an argument over Halloween candy will have a hearing Feb. 9 to determine whether his case is handled in juvenile court or the adult court system.
The 16-year-old Springfield boy was charged with aggravated murder and pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in Clark County Common Pleas Court.
The Springfield News-Sun reports the case is returning to juvenile court for a hearing because of a recent Ohio Supreme Court case. In that ruling, justices said automatically transferring certain juvenile cases to adult courts is unconstitutional.
Authorities allege the Springfield teen beat his brother with a baseball bat, then stabbed him. Their grandmother found the younger teen dead in bed on Oct. 31. |
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High Court won't hear appeal over Backpage.com escort ads
U.S. Legal News |
2017/01/11 05:06
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The Supreme Court said Monday it won't hear an appeal from three sex trafficking victims who accuse advertising website Backpage.com of helping to promote the exploitation of children.
The justices left in place a lower court ruling that said federal law shields Backpage from liability because the site is just hosting content created by people who use it.
The women say they were sold as prostitutes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island through advertisements for escort services on the site when they were as young as 15. They say Backpage is not protected by the Communications Decency Act because the company not only hosted the ads, but created a marketplace that makes child sex trafficking easier. Backpage has denied those allegations.
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Muslim cleric is in US court fighting against deportation
U.S. Legal News |
2016/12/06 16:47
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The leader of one of New Jersey's largest mosques has taken the stand to defend himself against charges that he lied on his green card application.
Imam Mohammad Qatanani is the leader of the Islamic Center of Passaic County.
A judge ruled against immigration authorities' attempt to have him deported eight years ago. Federal officials say he didn't disclose that he'd been convicted in Israel for being a member of Hamas.
Qatanani began testifying Tuesday before an immigration court judge in Newark as part of the appeals process.
Qatanani denies he was ever part of the group classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. He says he was only detained and never convicted.
Qatanani came to the U.S. from Jordan. He was born in the West Bank.
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