A Baker’s Dozen: Dems Unveil Plan for 13 Seats on Supreme Court
The call to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices is gaining momentum, but Republicans are not the only ones skeptical.
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judiciary
EU Magistrate Slams Poland Over Changes to Top Court
In its latest reprimand against the country, a magistrate for Europe’s top court says Poland broke the law by establishing special chambers in the Supreme Court to handle judges’ complaints.
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Judicial Appointments
The Montana Supreme Court quashed a legislative subpoena seeking emails received by Court Administrator Beth McLaughlin between Jan. 4 and April 8 in a dispute arising from legislation that allows the governor to choose interim judges and eliminates the state’s Judicial Nomination Commission.
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Biden to Form Panel to Study Overhaul of High Court
Delivering on a campaign promise to look at Supreme Court reforms after three Trump appointments, the president is setting up a commission to examine potential changes including an expansion of the high court.
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EU Takes Poland to Court Over Judicial Independence Concerns
The European Union is referring Poland to Europe’s top court over long-standing concerns about respect for the rule of law and the independence of the country’s Supreme Court judges, EU officials said Wednesday.
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Biden Unveils Diverse First Round of Judicial Picks
Progressives are praising President Biden’s first slate of judicial nominees, many of which will break racial and gender barriers.
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Milwaukee County Judge Charged With Possessing Child Pornography
Prosecutors say the judge used a messaging app to upload several images and videos of children being sexually abused.
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History-Making Black Supervising Judge Retires in San Diego
Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement to pursue a career in law, San Diego Superior Court Judge Randa Trapp’s career was marked by many firsts. This week, she retires after serving as the court’s first Black supervising judge of the civil division.
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Dark Money Judicial Influence Examined in Senate
Senators seemed in agreement during a hearing Wednesday to root out anonymous political donations to nominees of the judicial branch.
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EU Magistrate Backs Changes to Romanian Supreme Court Panels
The advisory opinions come in a group of cases questioning the independence of the Romanian judiciary.
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EU Court Rules Against Poland in Dispute Over Supreme Court Shakeup
Europe’s top court delivered another blow to Poland’s attempts at overhauling its judiciary, this time questioning the lawfulness of changes to the way Supreme Court judges are appointed.
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Trump’s Influence on Immigration Policy to Last
Can President Biden undo the former president’s immigration legacy? Sure, experts say, but he probably won’t.
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Congress Dives Into National Paucity of Federal Judges
Justice delayed is justice denied, a bipartisan group of lawmakers agreed Wednesday while considering the excessive caseloads that plague judges across the United States, particularly in the Ninth Circuit.
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Maine Courts Impose No-Access-Before-Process Policy Contrary to First Amendment
Maine court officials on Monday replaced a draconian access policy with a new policy that still runs counter to First Amendment rulings around the country.
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Debts and Pandemic Combine to Present Bleak Outlook for California Court Funds
Two reports from the independent Legislative Analyst show insolvent construction funds and the Covid-19 pandemic’s long-term effect on court operations.
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Trump Appointees Make Up 28% of Active Judiciary, but Not for Long
As President Joe Biden closes out his first month in office, a large gap remains in his administration: dozens of open seats in federal and appellate courts across the country, with more to come in the next few months.
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LA County Court Sued to Stop In-Person Hearings During Pandemic
Pro bono law firms say the Covid-19 pandemic makes holding traffic and eviction court hearings at Los Angeles County Superior dangerous to their health.
Read moreJudicial Appointment
The Iowa Supreme Court upheld Governor Kim Reynolds’ 2018 appointment of district court judge, which was challenged by a private citizen who claimed the governor missed her 30-day deadline to make the decision. The governor informed her chief of staff of the decision on the 30th day but did not inform the nominees or the secretary of state that day. The chief justice accepted the governor’s view that the appointment was timely.
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Fourth Circuit Skeptical of Maryland Ban on Rebroadcast of Court Recordings
The Fourth Circuit appeared unlikely Thursday afternoon to side with Maryland in a dispute over state courts’ ability to limit the dissemination of otherwise publicly available court recordings.
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California Judicial Council Disburses Pandemic Funds for Court Backlogs
The council voted to send emergency funds to the courts to address case backlogs that aren’t going away any time soon.
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