Mark Sherman

March 21, 2012 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that property owners have a right to prompt review by a judge of an important tool used by the Environmental Protection Agency to address water pollution.The court sided with an Idaho couple who object to an EPA order that blocked construction of their new home near a scenic lake and threatened fines of more than $30,000 a day.

By Mark Sherman

4 minute read

January 22, 2009 | National Law Journal

The Child Online Protection Act, a federal law intended to restrict children's access to Internet pornography, died quietly Wednesday at the Supreme Court, more than 10 years after Congress overwhelmingly approved it. The law did not make it as far as a high court hearing. The justices rejected the government's final attempt to revive the law, turning away the appeal without comment. The American Civil Liberties Union led the challenge to the law on behalf of writers, artists and health educators.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

October 06, 2008 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday with denials expected in hundreds of appeals and arguments over limits on lawsuits against tobacco companies.The court's term begins, by law, on the first Monday in October.The justices had roughly 2,000 appeals before them at their private conference last week.

By MARK SHERMAN

2 minute read

January 18, 2012 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a new hearing for an Alabama death row inmate who missed a deadline to appeal when court notices to his lawyers at a big firm in New York were returned unopened.The court voted 7-2 Wednesday to reverse a federal appeals court ruling that cut off appeals for Cory Maples.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

June 10, 2010 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - A study from a liberal interest group says the Supreme Court of Chief Justice John Roberts has a decidedly pro-business tilt, echoing the line Democrats are taking in support of the nomination of Elena Kagan to fill its latest vacancy.The analysis from the Constitutional Accountability Center finds that the court's five conservative justices side with the U.

By MARK SHERMAN

3 minute read

June 25, 2007 | Daily Report Online

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

June 22, 2007 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court made it harder Thursday for most defendants to challenge their federal prison sentences. In his majority opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer said that appeals courts that review prison terms imposed by trial judges "may apply a presumption of reasonableness" to sentences that fall within the federal sentencing guidelines. The Court took the case to resolve uncertainty created by its 2005 decision giving federal judges more freedom to decide what a fair sentence is.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

October 21, 2008 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court is taking a look at federal prosecutors' efforts to pin identity theft charges on undocumented foreign workers who have Social Security and identification numbers that belong to others. The justices said Monday that they will hear arguments next year to resolve an issue that has divided federal appeals courts around the country.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

October 27, 2008 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - Fordham University's plan to give an award to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has drawn criticism from alumni and the leader of the Catholic church in New York over Breyer's support for abortion rights.Cardinal Edward Egan has spoken to the Catholic university's leaders to ensure "that a mistake of this sort will not happen again," said New York Archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling.

By MARK SHERMAN

2 minute read

October 07, 2008 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - The Supreme Court picked up Monday where it left off last term, signaling support for efforts to block lawsuits against tobacco companies over deceptive marketing of "light" cigarettes.The first day of the court's new term, which is set in law as the first Monday in October, included denials of hundreds of appeals.

By MARK SHERMAN

3 minute read