Mark Sherman

June 09, 2009 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for Chrysler LLC's sale to Fiat, turning down a last-ditch appeal by opponents that included consumer groups and three Indiana pension plans. Chrysler, Fiat and the Obama administration had warned that the high court's intervention could have scuttled the sale. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had ordered a temporary delay just before a 4 p.m. deadline on Monday. A little more than 24 hours later, the Court freed the automakers to complete their deal.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

May 21, 2007 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - Parents need not hire a lawyer to sue public school districts over their children's special education needs, the SupremeCourt ruled Monday.The decision came in the case of an autistic boy from Ohio, whose parents argued they were effectively denied access to the courts because they could not afford a lawyer.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

December 02, 2009 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - The Supreme Court is wading into a new property rights dispute over who owns the sand the state of Florida dumped onto a stretch of beach to control erosion.The justices are being asked to rule for the first time that a court decision can amount to a taking of property. The Constitution requires governments to pay "just compensation" when they take private property for public use.

By MARK SHERMAN

2 minute read

November 09, 2009 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - The Supreme Court appears sharply divided over whether sentencing a juvenile to life in prison with no chance of parole is cruel and unusual punishment, particularly if the crime is less serious than homicide.The justices heard two hours of argument Monday in cases involving two Florida teenagers who are serving life prison terms.

By MARK SHERMAN

1 minute read

June 20, 2011 | Daily Report Online

The Supreme Court on Monday blocked a massive sex discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of women who work there.The court ruled unanimously that the lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. cannot proceed as a class action, reversing a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The lawsuit could have involved up to 1.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

March 20, 2008 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court threw out the death sentence and conviction in a Louisiana murder case Wednesday, citing racial prejudice in the actions of a prosecutor who kept blacks off the jury. By a 7-2 vote, the justices said state prosecutor Jim Williams improperly excluded blacks from the jury that convicted Allen Snyder of killing his estranged wife's companion. Snyder is black, and the jurors were white.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

February 17, 2011 | Daily Report Online

Almost anywhere in the United States, two holdouts among 12 jurors would prevent a conviction. Unfortunately for Troy Barbour, his trial for attempted murder took place in Louisiana, where he got 48 years in prison after a jury convicted him on a 10-2 vote.Now Barbour is asking the Supreme Court to end the practice - used only in Louisiana and Oregon - that allows defendants to be convicted of some crimes despite disagreement among jurors.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

June 14, 2007 | National Law Journal

States may force public sector labor unions to get consent from workers before using their fees for political activities, the Supreme Court said Thursday.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

January 14, 2009 | Daily Report Online

By MARK SHERMAN

3 minute read

June 26, 2013 | Daily Report Online

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that legally married same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read