law news stories on Newser

Pet Court Cracks Down on Furry Delinquents

Dustin Lushing — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:10:58 CST

Every dog has its day, sometimes its day in court. At least in San Antonio, where the city has set up a unique legal enterprise: a court just for pets, where transgressions of the law involving dogs, cats, and other animals are tried, reports the Wall Street Journal . The 10-month-old...

Lawyers Untangle Superhero Legal Issues

Kevin Spak — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:15:24 CST

Criminals of Gotham take note: any evidence Batman gathers on you is probably inadmissible in court. His partnership with Commissioner Gordon makes him a "state actor," and hence subject to search and seizure restrictions. At least, that’s the conclusion of James Daily and Ryan Davidson, the lawyers who run Law...

Kagan Supports Cameras in Supreme Court

Emily Rauhala — Tue, 11 May 2010 09:00:46 CDT

Would Elena Kagan support putting cameras in the Supreme Court? Looks like it. C-SPAN footage posted on Mediaite shows the nominee discussing the issue in July 2009. Having cameras in court would allow the public to see "an amazing and extraordinary event," she says. People would see "an institution of...

States Consider Uniting to Offer One Bar Exam

Jen Paton — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:45:30 CST

Good news for aspiring lawyers: State bar associations are considering adopting a national bar exam. The move would allow lawyers trying to find a job in a competitive market to practice in any state; consumers would be able to use one lawyer for cases that span state lines, potentially saving...

Old Paris Law Still Stands: No Pants for Women

Emily Rauhala — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:06:13 CST

Turns out fashion-forward Paris has some rather retro regulations. Namely, a ban on women wearing pants. It's the type of law associated with the Sudan, not the Champs-Elysées, but more than 200 years after it was enacted by the city's police chief, the law stands. But today's cops may have...

Calif. Holds Hearings on Legalizing Pot

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:21:18 CDT

The push to legalize—and, especially appealing at the moment, tax—marijuana is picking up momentum in California, with legislators holding hearings today on what would be the first such law in the nation. Organizers are currently collecting signatures to put three separate pot legalization initiatives on the ballot next...

Japanese Law Prevents Boy's Life-Saving Transplant

Drew Nelles — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:35:00 CDT

A Japanese law prevents 11-year-old Hiroki Ando from receiving the heart he so desperately needs, CNN reports. Ando suffers from cardiomyopathy and will likely die—as his sister did 5 years ago—without a heart transplant. But the minimum age for organ donations in Japan is 15. "This stipulation has...

Sentimental Souter: 'Just Give Them My Love'

Harry Kimball — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:42:46 CDT

Supreme Court Justice David Souter thinks the worth of a jurist is “not in the great moments, but in being part of the great stream,” he said in an emotional farewell today to appeals-court judges. Souter said he didn’t intend that news of his retirement be leaked but was glad...

Crowd Attacks Afghan Women Protesting New Marriage Laws

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:40:51 CDT

A group of some 1000 Afghans today swarmed a demonstration of 300 women in Kabul protesting a new conservative marriage law. The women were pelted with small stones as police struggled to keep the two groups apart. The law, passed last month, says a husband can demand sex from his...