US Appeals court news stories on Newser

Birthers Can't Sue Obama: US Court

Matt Cantor — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:26:23 CST

Sorry, birthers: You've got no right to sue the president, a US court of appeals says. Dozens of birthers tried to bring President Obama to court over claims he wasn't born in the US, but their complaint contains no grievance that the court has the power to remedy, a panel...

Appeals Court: Health Reform Constitutional

Matt Cantor — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:48:15 CST

A third federal appeals court has declared President Obama’s health law to be constitutional. The influential District of Columbia court says Congress’s powers over interstate commerce give it the means to require individuals to buy health care or face a financial penalty. “The right to be free from federal regulation...

Court Declares Terrorist's 17-Year Sentence Too Short

Kevin Spak — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:59:41 CDT

A federal appeals court voted 2-1 today to throw out the 17-year sentence handed to alleged “dirty bomber” Jose Padilla, saying that it was too low given his criminal history and the threat he poses. “Padilla’s sentence of 12 years below the low end of the Guidelines range reflects a...

Appeals Court Upholds Health Care Reform

John Johnson — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:43:44 CDT

President Obama's health care reform scored a legal win today: A federal appeals court in Cincinnati ruled that requiring people to obtain insurance or pay a penalty does not violate the Constitution, reports CNN . "We find that the minimum coverage provision is a valid exercise of legislative power by Congress...

Appeals Court Temporarily Allows Stem Cell Funding

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:50:09 CDT

A federal appeals court today permitted US government funding of stem cell research to proceed for now, while it considers a judge's ruling that had temporarily shut off the funds. The government is asking the appeals court in Washington to strike down a preliminary order by US District Judge Royce...

Obama Blasted for Letting GOP Hold Up Judges

Jason Farago — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:21:47 CDT

At this point in their first terms, Bill Clinton had had nine federal judges confirmed and George W Bush eight—but Barack Obama has got only three judges through, despite sending 23 names to the Democratic-controlled Senate. Part of the problem is Republican obstructionists who've threatened filibusters and used parliamentary...

Animal Cruelty Case Hits Supreme Court

Harry Kimball — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:14:00 CDT

Animal cruelty takes the floor of the Supreme Court tomorrow, as the justices consider whether to overturn an appeals court judgment that allows the depiction of animal cruelty under the auspices of the First Amendment. The lower court wasn’t keen on animal cruelty, but found that our furry friends—unlike...

Failed Execution Cited in Stay for Another Man

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:55:00 CDT

A federal appeals court today halted the execution of an Ohio inmate three weeks after problems with a lethal injection foiled another man's execution. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to grant a stay to 43-year-old Lawrence Reynolds Jr., who had been sentenced to die for strangling...

Court Rescinds Cap on Political Spending by Nonprofits

Nick McMaster — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:15:54 CDT

A federal appeals court today rescinded FEC limits on “soft money,” the Washington Post reports. The federal regulations had required that funds used by a nonprofit to influence a federal election be drawn from “hard money” accounts—individual contributions of “hard money” are capped at $5,000. The court agreed...