The Intermediate Court of Appeals of the State of Hawai‘i has affirmed the judgment against Kenneth Edward Texeira, effectively dismissing his appeal which raised fifteen separate points of error concerning pre-trial rulings and procedural issues related to his traffic violation case. The court’s decision hinged on a fundamental rule of…
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Supreme Court Clarifies Hearing Requirements for New Trial Motions
The Ohio Supreme Court has weighed in on a crucial procedural question for criminal defendants: when a motion for a new trial is based on newly discovered evidence, must the trial judge hold a formal, in-person hearing? The answer, according to the majority opinion, is no—but an evidentiary review is…
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Donald Trump Wins Appellate Court Stay Blocking Order to Withdraw National Guard From D.C.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has granted an emergency stay pending appeal, effectively pausing the district court’s order that sought to immediately withdraw National Guard troops deployed in the District of Columbia. The appellate court signaled that the federal defendants—including President Trump and the Department of…
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Fifth Circuit Says Chinese National Lacks Standing to Challenge Texas Property Ban
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a Chinese national challenging Texas Senate Bill 17 (SB 17), a law restricting property acquisition by individuals domiciled in certain foreign countries, including China. The court ruled that the plaintiff, Peng Wang,…
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Arkansas Supreme Court Clears Way for Legislative Edits to Medical Marijuana Law
The Arkansas Supreme Court has delivered a landmark ruling concerning the power of the state’s General Assembly to amend voter-approved constitutional changes, specifically those related to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016 (Amendment 98). In a decision that overturns decades-old precedent, the Court found that the legislature *does* possess…
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Judicial Overreach Doesn’t Void Drug Defendant’s Plea, Third Circuit Rules
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has affirmed a lower court’s decision to accept Jerome Brown’s guilty plea, despite acknowledging that the District Judge improperly involved himself in the plea bargaining process. While the court found a clear violation of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, it…
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First Circuit Overturns Injunction Against New Medicaid Funding Restrictions Targeting Planned Parenthood
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has vacated preliminary injunctions that had previously blocked the enforcement of a 2025 law designed to withhold Medicaid funding from certain abortion providers, primarily affecting Planned Parenthood affiliates. The appellate court disagreed with the district court’s finding that the Planned Parenthood…
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Court Finds Warrantless Search Unconstitutional in Renewed Investigation of James Comey
A federal district court in Washington D.C. has sided with attorney and law professor Daniel Richman, ruling that the U.S. government violated his Fourth Amendment rights by retaining and subsequently searching his personal electronic files without a warrant years after the initial investigation concluded. The ruling grants Richman’s motion under…
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Nanticoke Authority’s Eminent Domain Power Overturned: Missing Paperwork Dooms Senior Housing Project
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has reversed a lower court’s decision, halting the General Municipal Authority of the City of Nanticoke’s (the Authority) plan to condemn property for the ambitious “Nantego Project.” The court found that while the project’s goals—providing affordable senior housing and public transit—are laudable public purposes, the…
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Prison Officials Win Partial Victory in Mail Censorship Fight, But Delays Cost Them Immunity
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a mixed ruling in a long-running dispute between the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) and officials at Washington’s Coyote Ridge Corrections Center over the censorship and delayed delivery of legal materials sent to inmates. While the court shielded prison officials from paying damages…