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Md. reaches settlement with puppy seller as ban on retail dog sales faces federal appeal
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh announced a settlement with an online puppy retailer under the state's ban on retail dog sales.
4th Circuit ends PG tax sale preference for county residents, employees
A federal appeals court struck down a Maryland statute that gave Prince George's County residents, employees and other groups the chance to buy properties at tax sale auctions ahead of the public.
Conservative Catholic group finalizes contract after appeals court sides with it in First Amendment dispute
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has found in favor of a far-right Catholic group that wants to hold a prayer rally at the MECU Pavilion later this month over the objection of Baltimore city’s lawyers, who have cited concerns about violence and counterprotests. In a brief decision Wednesday, the federal appeals court affirmed […]
Federal appeals court will consider Maryland’s ‘puppy mill’ ban
A dispute over Maryland's ban on retail dog sales is headed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Book casts a light on the ‘hidden judiciary’
Fifty years in the making, a “hidden judiciary” has taken root and flourished within the federal appellate system, William L. Reynolds says.
Supreme Court: Warrant needed for GPS tracking
WASHINGTON — In a rare defeat for law enforcement, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed on Monday to bar police from installing GPS technology to track suspects without first getting a judge’s approval. The justices made clear it wouldn’t be their final word on increasingly advanced high-tech surveillance of Americans. Indicating they will be monitoring the […]
4th Circuit upholds conviction for swindling
RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and 100-year prison sentence of a Miami businessman who swindled clients out of about $126 million to finance a lavish lifestyle that included luxury cars and a yacht he named after a woman he married in a $200,000 ceremony. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court […]
‘Court of last resort,’ but not always the last word
WASHINGTON — Nothing about the Supreme Court — not its magnificent building atop Capitol Hill nor its very title — suggests that its word is anything other than final. Yet federal appellate judges and even state court judges sometimes find ways to insist on an outcome the Supreme Court has rejected. Just last week, the justices rebuked […]
Supreme Court reinstates ‘shaken baby’ conviction
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has again reinstated the conviction of a California woman for shaking her 7-week-old grandson to death, a final ruling that ends a protracted dispute with the federal appeals court in San Francisco. The justices voted 6-3 Monday to reverse the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in favor of Shirley […]
Court affirms dismissal of Alcolac poison-gas lawsuit
RICHMOND — A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging the chemical company Alcolac Inc. illegally sold chemical-weapons materials to the Saddam Hussein regime in the 1980s. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously agreed Monday with a federal judge in Maryland who ruled that Alcolac, […]
Appeals court strikes health insurance requirement
ATLANTA — A federal appeals court panel on Friday struck down the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul package that virtually all Americans must carry health insurance or face penalties. The divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the so-called individual mandate, which is considered the centerpiece of […]
Ruling goes against former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi
PHOENIX — A federal appeals court has rejected a bid by former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi to block the Arizona Republican’s trial on corruption charges. Renzi argued that prosecution evidence concerning negotiations on proposed real estate deals was improperly presented to a grand jury. He claims the evidence violates a constitutional protection for so-called “legislative […]
