Mark Sherman

October 30, 2007 | The Legal Intelligencer

By MARK SHERMAN

2 minute read

October 01, 2007 | National Law Journal

Breaking his 16-year public silence on his bitter confirmation hearings, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says Anita Hill was a mediocre employee who was used by political opponents to make claims she had been sexually harassed. Thomas writes about Hill, his former employee in two government agencies, and the allegations that nearly derailed his nomination to the high court in 1991 in his autobiography, "My Grandfather's Son," which goes on sale today.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

September 27, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide whether public employee unions must get special permission before spending some workers' dues on political causes, accepting an appeal from the state of Washington that involves fees paid to the Washington Education Association. At issue is whether the union needs teachers to say "yes" before the fees can be used for political causes or whether teachers must specifically object to having a portion of their fees spent for that purpose.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

May 21, 2007 | National Law Journal

Justice Clarence Thomas sat through 68 hours of oral arguments in the Supreme Court's current term without uttering a word. That's saying something -- or not -- even for the taciturn justice. According to a recent tally, Thomas has spoken 281 words since transcripts began identifying justices by name in October 2004. By contrast, Thomas' neighbor on the bench, Justice Stephen Breyer, has uttered nearly 35,000 words since January.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

May 01, 2007 | Law.com

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that local governments can compel private trash haulers to use municipal facilities, even if it would cost more to keep garbage at home than to dispose of it elsewhere. The 6-3 ruling upholding local ordinances in upstate New York protects a stream of money that allows the counties, like other governments that have built recycling centers and landfills, to help pay off millions of dollars in debt they incurred to establish such facilities.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

June 19, 2007 | Law.com

Passengers, like drivers, have a constitutional right to challenge the legality of police decisions to stop cars in which they are traveling, the Supreme Court said Monday. California had argued only the driver is covered by the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Justice David Souter, writing for a unanimous Court, disagreed. "A traffic stop necessarily curtails the travel a passenger has chosen just as much as it halts the driver," Souter said.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

December 12, 2005 | National Law Journal

U.S. citizen Jose Padilla's legal challenge to his three-year stay in a military jail without charges should be dismissed because he now stands accused of a crime, the Justice Department told a federal appeals court Friday. The filing with the 4th Circuit is an attempt by the administration to avoid a Supreme Court showdown over its controversial policy of detaining U.S. terror suspects indefinitely and without charges.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

May 26, 2005 | Legaltech News

Federal authorities on Wednesday shut down an online file-sharing network that had the new Star Wars movie before it was shown in theaters. The Elite Torrents network was engaging in high-tech piracy by allowing people to download copies of movies and other copyright material for free, authorities said. The action was the first criminal enforcement against individuals who are using cutting-edge BitTorrent technology, Justice and Homeland Security Department officials said.

By Mark Sherman

3 minute read

October 06, 2011 | Law.com

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read

September 21, 2005 | Law.com

GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay more than $150 million to settle fraud allegations over the pricing and marketing of anti-nausea drugs Zofran and Kytril, the Justice Department said Tuesday. The company admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which is the latest in a series of actions involving major drug makers that reap millions from Medicare and Medicaid. An assistant AG said last year that the pricing and marketing of 500 drugs made by various manufacturers were under investigation.

By Mark Sherman

2 minute read