Thursday, April 18, 2024

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Thursday, April 18, 2024 | Back issues

Civil Rights

Seattle police cannot arrest street preacher for inciting hostility, Ninth Circuit rules

Alanna Mayham / April 18, 2024

A Ninth Circuit panel found that Seattle police likely violated an evangelical street preacher's First Amendment rights when they removed him from a pro-abortion rally and an LGBTQ+ pride event.

Third Circuit panel skeptical of felon’s right-to-carry claim

Alexandra Jones / April 18, 2024

A public defender asked the appeals court to consider whether his client’s past crime of carrying an unlicensed firearm should rob him of the right to bear arms.

Win for harassment victim

Brief / April 18, 2024

DALLAS — A federal court in Texas granted back pay and compensatory damages to an employee who says her former employer sexually harassed her on a daily basis, then fired her for not deleting his harassing text messages. The punitive damages she requested are denied because, in combination with her other damages, they would exceed statutory limits.

Baseball team discrimination

Brief / April 18, 2024

ALBANY, N.Y. — A federal court in New York preserved a high school student’s equal protection claim against his school’s varsity baseball coach, who allegedly denied him a spot on the team because he is biracial. To establish an inference of discrimination, the student offered a selection of white players who were selected for the team despite their lower athletic scores, but the court needs a jury to decide whether those players are sufficiently comparable to him.

11th Circuit takes up challenge to Florida restriction on property purchases by Chinese immigrants

Megan Butler / April 18, 2024

A group of Chinese immigrants living in Florida seeking to buy homes argue the law unconstitutionally discriminates against them based on their national origin.

Guns in the courthouse

Brief / April 18, 2024

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Supreme Court held that attorneys, as officers of the court, are authorized to possess handguns in courthouses. One suing attorney is collaterally estopped from pursuing his claims, because he brought the same ones in another suit, but the other plaintiffs may proceed.

Oregon city forces Supreme Court to contend with national homelessness crisis

Kelsey Reichmann / April 18, 2024

The high court will balance a city’s police power against the rights of the unhoused.

Lawyers for Nassar assault survivors have reached $100M deal with Justice Department

Associated Press / April 17, 2024

Nassar is serving decades in prison for assaulting female athletes, including medal-winning Olympic gymnasts, under the guise of treatment.

Family of Minnesota man shot to death by state trooper in traffic stop files civil rights lawsuit

Associated Press / April 17, 2024

“We as a family put God first, and we see the ugliness come out of the people that we expect to protect and serve,” said Ricky Cobb II's twin brother, Rashad.

Asylum rule stands

Brief / April 17, 2024

LAFAYETTE, La. — A federal court in Louisiana dismissed 19 states’ challenges to a new immigration procedure that changes the way asylum applications are considered after a “credible fear” determination is made. Louisiana and Florida do not have standing to challenge the process, and the other states abandoned their claims.

D is for discrimination?

Brief / April 17, 2024

PHILADELPHIA — A federal court in Pennsylvania denied a group of Black and Hispanic children’s motion for class certification in this case alleging the kids suffered racial discrimination when they visited Sesame Place Philadelphia. The proposed class of 130 members failed to meet the numerosity requirement for certification because the number of kids alleged to have faced discrimination is speculative.