Former solicitors general pen letter supporting Gorsuch to congressional leaders
7:01 PM, Mar 15, 2017
Former solicitors general serving under Democratic and Republican presidents penned a letter of support for Judge Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination on Wednesday. The solicitors general — who served under former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama — wrote Senate leadership to express their support for Gorsuch's confirmation. The solicitors general signatories include Neal Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general under Obama after the preside Read more
The truth about Gorsuch's record on 'money in politics'
5:01 PM, Mar 15, 2017
Democrats and progressives are losing their minds over President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. One left-wing advocacy group released a video titled "3 Reasons to Fear Judge Gorsuch." Number one? According to them, if Gorsuch is on the Supreme Court, "our elections could be completely handed over to the powerful and the wealthy." That ludicrous statement refers to Gorsuch's concurring opinion in Riddle v. Hickenlooper , a campaign finance case. Riddle challenged Colorado's cont Read more
Schumer blasts Gorsuch: 'He prefers CEOs over truck drivers, executives over employers, and corporations over consumers'
12:21 PM, Mar 15, 2017
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, as favoring the powerful over the powerless. The New York Democrat on Wednesday complained about Gorsuch's ties to "secretive billionaire" Philip Anschutz and Chief Justice John Roberts. In a press conference with individuals Schumer said were hurt by Gorsuch's decisions, Schumer said the federal appeals court judge "has an instinctive reaction to side with big special corporate interests o Read more
Pro-Trump group launches ad buy boosting Gorsuch in 5 states
11:30 AM, Mar 15, 2017
The pro-Trump Great America Alliance is launching a multimillion-dollar ad buy Wednesday boosting Judge Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination in five states. Great America Alliance, the offspring of the Great America PAC that boosted President Trump during the 2016 campaign, will spend $3.5 million on television and digital ads in Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Great America Alliance's Patrick Dorinson told the Washington Examiner the group may expand the ad buy in Read more
Stanford Law Review spotlights Gorsuch ahead of Supreme Court nomination hearings
1:04 PM, Mar 14, 2017
The Stanford Law Review published a lengthy collection of essays on Judge Neil Gorsuch's record ahead of next week's Senate hearings on his Supreme Court nomination. While much work had been done comparing Gorsuch to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, the law review noted, Stanford delved into a broad array of his work including before he became a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals judge. Mark C. Hansen, who worked with Gorsuch in private practice, wrote that the future judge stood out as "a collea Read more
Twitter's censorship may be unconstitutional
8:00 AM, Mar 14, 2017
Does Milo Yiannopoulos have a constitutional right to tweet? Most Americans know they can speak their mind in the public square, thanks to the First Amendment. Speech on social media, however, can be censored because private companies own those cyber spaces. But a recent Supreme Court oral argument suggests Twitter's practice of banning controversial right-wing pundits could be deemed illegal. During a Feb. 27 hearing involving the constitutionality of a state social media law, Justice An Read more
Conservative-leaning group launches Gorsuch ads targeting red-state Senate Democrats
6:00 AM, Mar 14, 2017
Concerned Veterans for America is launching a series of web ads boosting Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch and targeting Senate Democrats in Colorado, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia. "American veterans fought to defend our Constitution," a narrator says in the ad. "We dedicated our lives to defend it. And Judge Neil Gorsuch would do the same. Qualified. Experienced. Committed to preserving our rights. A justice who will respect the Constitution and uphold it. The Su Read more
Liberal group: If Senate rushes Gorsuch's confirmation, 'shadow of illegitimacy' will fall on Supreme Court
12:53 PM, Mar 13, 2017
A liberal group organizing against Judge Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination says if the Senate confirms President Trump's selection in the next few weeks, a "shadow of illegitimacy" would fall over the Supreme Court. People for the American Way, an advocacy group that's part of " The People's Defense " coalition against Gorsuch, is urging the Senate to slow down its confirmation process for Gorsuch. "If Senate leadership rushes through confirmation of Gorsuch in the next few weeks, after Read more
New York court to consider whether a chimpanzee is a 'person'
10:39 AM, Mar 13, 2017
The appellate division of the New York Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in a case about whether two chimpanzees deserve the rights of "personhood." Tommy and Kiko, two chimpanzees reported to be in their late 30s, will be represented by the Nonhuman Rights Project in court on Thursday. In its petition before the New York court, the Nonhuman Rights Project asked that a chimpanzee not be considered a "legal thing to be possessed" but a "cognitively complex autonomous legal per Read more
Judges fight move to break up 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
1:01 AM, Mar 13, 2017
Judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are urging senators not to pass legislation to break up that district, which President Trump said was in a state of " chaos ." Two judges met privately with Republican senators in Washington recently to urge opposition to a court-splitting bill proposed by Republican Arizona Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain, according to multiple GOP Senate aides. Flake's staff said the judges also have requested a meeting with Flake. Trump trashed the 9th Circuit Read more
SEIU campaigns against Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination
1:42 PM, Mar 10, 2017
The Service Employees International Union is urging Americans to call their senators Monday to reject Judge Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination. "Judge Gorsuch is an extremist with a long history of favoring corporations over working people," the SEIU wrote in a solicitation to whip up opposition to Gorsuch. "We have too much at stake to not stand up against this nomination. Make the commitment to make the call now." The SEIU is one of several liberal groups plotting against the federal Read more
Sonia Sotomayor saddened by perception of judges as political
10:42 AM, Mar 10, 2017
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor bemoaned people losing confidence in judges they believe to be political while taking questions at the University of California, Berkley on Thursday. Sotomayor urged the crowd, "[D]on't give up hope on us" and said judges are "human beings who care deeply about what we're doing," according to the Associated Press. The justice also said since the late Justice Antonin Scalia's death that the eight remaining justices are "talking more" and "trying to reach Read more
Bar Association rates Gorsuch 'well-qualified' to serve on the Supreme Court
7:32 PM, Mar 09, 2017
The American Bar Association rated Judge Neil Gorsuch "well-qualified" to serve on the Supreme Court. ABA standing committee chairwoman Nancy Scott Degan wrote a letter Thursday to the Senate Judiciary Committee's leadership reporting the results of the ABA's review. "As you know, the [ABA standing] committee confines its evaluation to the qualities of integrity, professional competence and judicial demeanor," Degan wrote. "After an exhaustive evaluation process, the committee has determined Read more
Four states sue over Trump's newest travel ban actions
2:36 PM, Mar 09, 2017
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Thursday his office is asking a federal judge to extend its blockade of President Trump's immigration ban to the newest executive action taken by the president. Three states joining Washington's effort include Minnesota, New York, and Oregon. The state of Hawaii was the first to go to court against Trump's new immigration ban, in a suit on Tuesday. "President Trump's latest executive order is a Muslim Ban by another name, imposing policie Read more
Justice turns over documents on Gorsuch's department tenure to Congress
2:08 PM, Mar 09, 2017
The Justice Department turned over documents on Judge Neil Gorsuch's tenure in the agency under President George W. Bush to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. A Grassley aide told the Washington Examiner the trove includes more than 100,000 pages of documents, which the Judiciary Committee plans to post online "as soon as is logistically possible." While most of the documents are expected to be made available in a searchable PDF format to the Judiciary Committee, CNN repo Read more
McConnell: Gorsuch to be confirmed by April recess
10:21 AM, Mar 09, 2017
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell guaranteed Thursday that Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, will be confirmed by the Senate by the April recess, which begins April 8. "We are going to be dealing with Judge Gorsuch the week before the April recess," McConnell said before being pressed on the confirmation itself. "We're going to confirm him before the April recess." McConnell's remarks came during a Politico Playbook brea Read more
More than 150 of Neil Gorsuch's Columbia classmates wrote letter of support
3:49 PM, Mar 08, 2017
More than 150 of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch's classmates at Columbia University wrote a letter of support to congressional leaders this week. The alumni wrote about how the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals judge distinguished himself as an undergraduate student in the letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and the Judiciary Committee's ranking Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "He was Read more
Hawaii goes to court against Trump's new travel ban
12:11 PM, Mar 08, 2017
Attorneys for the state of Hawaii filed a request late Tuesday asking that portions of President Trump's new executive action on immigration be invalidated. Hawaii's action against the new immigration ban is the first such suit. The attorneys argued in the suit that Trump's new order "is damaging Hawaii's institutions, harming its economy and eroding Hawaii's sovereign interests in maintaining the separation between church and state as well as in welcoming persons from all nations around th Read more
In talks with Trump, conservatives make Ryan the scapegoat
03/14/17 12:01 AM
Conservatives ratchet up pressure to ditch Senate rules
03/14/17 12:01 AM
Trump asks public to help fix, cut government, sees billions in savings
03/13/17 04:33 PM
Schools want out of Michelle Obama's lunch rules, kids say 'Yuck'
03/13/17 10:00 AM
Franken skeptical of Gorsuch nomination after meeting
6:39 PM, Mar 07, 2017
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., expressed concern over Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court after their Tuesday afternoon meeting and said he will wait until after the hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 20 to announce whether he will support his nomination. Franken, who serves on the committee, told reporters after the meeting that he was not satisfied with many of the answers he got from Gorsuch, particularly on "corporate" rulings made by the Supreme Court under Read more
Judge writes long scenario about cats in case that has nothing to do with cats
1:28 PM, Mar 07, 2017
Cats took center stage at a federal appeals court this week when Judge Richard Posner wrote a long-winded opinion about the fluffy felines in a suit about ... eye drops. At issue in Eike et al. v. Allergan is a class-action dispute over a claim that six pharmaceutical companies' eye drops are unnecessarily large and therefore in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act. The plaintiffs, who have glaucoma, say the optimal size of an eye drop is 16 microliters, but the drops sold by the si Read more
Pelosi: Supreme Court's transgender decision a 'disappointing detour'
1:23 PM, Mar 06, 2017
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the Supreme Court's decision not to weigh in on a transgender bathroom case "a disappointing detour," but noted that the decision "does not change" federal law protecting transgender students. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled in favor of a transgender public school student who sought to use the bathroom corresponding with his gender identity. The high court vacated that decision, and sent the case back to the 4th Circuit for reconsideration. Read more
Florida Supreme Court reviews proposed amendment to restore felons' voting rights
1:02 PM, Mar 06, 2017
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday began reviewing a proposed state constitutional amendment that would give felons the right to vote. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi sought an advisory opinion from Florida's high court on the proposed amendment, which would restore voting rights to felons except for those convicted of murder or sex crimes. The Florida Supreme Court looks at such citizens' initiatives to ensure that they deal with only one subject and that the ballot title and summary Read more
Is Angus King warming to Neil Gorsuch?
12:41 PM, Mar 06, 2017
Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, is on the fence about Judge Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination. King held an approximately four-hour town hall about the Supreme Court Sunday night at the University of Southern Maine to gather input from his constituents. The first-term senator indicated he had not made up his mind, but praised some of Gorsuch's record. "Somebody said how will you vote? I haven't decided," King told the crowd. "And I think it's p Read more
Supreme Court: Jury deliberations may be probed for evidence of racial bias
12:05 PM, Mar 06, 2017
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that jury deliberations, which are ordinarily kept secret, may be probed for evidence of racial bias among the jurors. The 5-3 ruling came in a case in which a juror tied Miguel Angel Pena-Rodriguez's guilt in a sexual assault case to his Mexican heritage. The high court held that he may deserve a new trial. After Pena-Rodriguez was convicted of sexual battery following sexual advances he made toward two teenage girls in the bathroom of the horse-racing track Read more
Supreme Court kicks transgender bathroom case to lower court following Trump administration action
9:42 AM, Mar 06, 2017
The Supreme Court on Monday sent back to a lower court a case on the legality of federal policy on bathroom access for transgender people. The high court vacated and remanded Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals after the Justice Department and Department of Education issued new guidance last month removing the Obama-era rules. The Obama administration's guidance called on public schools nationwide to allow transgender students to have access to th Read more
With Trump in charge, Republican attorneys general develop plan of attack to reverse Obama-era rules
12:00 AM, Mar 05, 2017
Republican attorneys general are exceedingly optimistic about Donald Trump's presidency, preparing to move ahead on issues important to conservatives, such as getting rid of environmental regulations, fighting labor rules and taking action on immigration. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, head of the Republican Attorneys General Association, said his cadre of attorneys general expect to have an immediate impact through existing litigation, intervention into new matters, weighing Read more
John Roberts, Merrick Garland to speak at same event before Gorsuch's Supreme Court hearings
2:27 PM, Mar 03, 2017
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and appeals court Judge Merrick Garland, former President Barack Obama's failed Supreme Court selection, will speak at the same event next week. Roberts and Garland will attend a program commemorating 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Henry Friendly alongside former clerks and colleagues on March 10 in New York, according to the New York Law Journal. Both Roberts and Garland were clerks for Friendly. The event comes 10 days before the Senate begins h Read more
Federal court cites 'My Cousin Vinny' in case against left-wing Supreme Court hecklers
1:49 PM, Mar 03, 2017
Left-wing hecklers who disrupted Supreme Court oral arguments in 2015 were just handed a defeat in court, and will now face two separate federal charges, thanks to a new ruling from the Federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals . A three-judge panel that included Judge Sri Srinivasan, President Obama's former Deputy Solicitor General, upheld the constitutionality of the law that forbids heckling the justices during oral arguments. By the time the events in this case took place, the small 99Rise m Read more
Labor dispute finally ends after causing an Obama-era constitutional crisis
2:07 PM, Mar 02, 2017
At the end of February, three dozen Teamsters Union members working at Noel Canning, a Pepsi distributor in Yakima, Wash., ended a week-long strike as the company finally agreed to resolve charges of unfair labor practices going all the way back to 2010. But this was not your garden-variety labor dispute. This one became an occasion for the Obama administration to create a minor constitutional crisis that went all the way to the Supreme Court . And in ruling against Barack Obama, the justice Read more
Mitch McConnell: 'No one better' than Neil Gorsuch
10:32 AM, Mar 02, 2017
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called on Senate Democrats to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, pointing to high praise from a federal judge appointed by President Carter. Gorsuch, McConnell said, has received wide support in from the legal community across the political spectrum, including from 200 Colorado lawyers who recently signed a letter backing him and Judge John Kane, a Carter appointee. Kane, McConnell pointed out, recently penned an op-ed for Mimesisla Read more
