Courts News
The Daily Signal covers courts news with reporting, analysis, and commentary on major cases, the Supreme Court, and the judicial system.
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Despicable: Judge Declares Accused Killer ‘Incapable’ Despite Decades of Crimes
Another day, another example of how the Left’s view of justice is toxic to a free society. A state court on Tuesday pronounced DeCarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in a random knife attack on a North Carolina train, “incapable to proceed” until a psychiatric evaluation is complete. From my…Jarrett Stepman -
Judge in Kirk Assassination Case Denies Defense Motion on Prosecutor
A Utah judge on Tuesday denied a motion from the defense of the accused killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to disqualify a prosecutor in the case. District Court Judge Tony Graf held a hearing earlier this month regarding a motion by defendant Tyler Robinson’s lawyers to disqualify Chad Grunander, a deputy state prosecutor in…Fred Lucas -
Judge Weighs in on War Department Censure of Sen. Mark Kelly
A federal judge stopped War Secretary Pete Hegseth—at least temporarily—from censuring Sen. Mark Kelly for his role in a video telling American soldiers to refuse illegal orders. Judge Rich Leon, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, on Thursday ruled in favor of Kelly, D-Ariz., a retired Navy captain, who had joined five other Democrat members…Fred Lucas -
Judge in Charlie Kirk Case to Decide Whether to Boot Prosecutors
Last week’s hearing in the Charlie Kirk murder case was a legal harbinger of things to come. As we await Utah State trial Judge Tony Graf’s written decision later this month on whether or not to recuse the Utah County Attorney’s Office from the capital murder case against Tyler Robinson, it’s becoming more evident that…Cully Stimson -
Noem Celebrates Court ‘Win’ on Deportations
A federal appeals court is allowing the Trump administration to proceed with plans to end temporary immigration protections for about 89,000 aliens from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua. On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily lifted a lower court’s order blocking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from moving to end Temporary Protected Status…Virginia Allen -
With Judge’s Ruling on TPS, Springfield Is Back in the News
Prominent Ohio lawmakers have been reacting swiftly to a last-minute court ruling maintaining Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in the United States. Springfield, Ohio, has been the epicenter of the effort to end TPS for Haitian migrants. The Ruling and Reactions On Monday night, Judge Ana Reyes blocked the Trump administration from ending TPS for…Rebecca Downs -
Leftist Group Dodges Accountability for ‘Hate Group’ Accusation After Judge Blocks Discovery
A federal judge dismissed a conservative nonprofit’s defamation lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center Wednesday, reversing a previous judge’s theory of the case. Critics say the SPLC routinely smears mainstream conservative and Christian groups by placing them on a “hate map” with chapters of the Ku Klux Klan. D.A. King, founder of the Dustin…Tyler O’Neil -
Maduro Arrives in Court and Enters Plea
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro pleaded “not guilty” to federal narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges on Monday, two days after the U.S. captured him from his residence in Caracas. Appearing in a federal court in New York City, Maduro told the judge in Spanish through an interpreter, “I am not guilty,” adding, “I am a decent…Virginia Allen -
Judge Hands Media Major Win in Charlie Kirk Murder Trial
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Utah Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf ordered on Monday that audio and transcripts of a closed hearing surrounding Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, can be released with redactions. In a virtual hearing, Graf ruled that the transcript of a hearing that took place in October can be issued with some…Nicole Silverio -
Kilmar Abrego Garcia Released Following Judge’s Order
A federal judge is blocking U.S. immigration officials from re-detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia after the illegal alien was ordered released. Abrego Garcia appeared for a scheduled Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday morning, but immigration officials were blocked from re-detaining him due to a judge’s order. The order comes after U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland granted Abrego Garcia’s petition for release from immigration…Virginia Allen -
Here Are the Most Important Election Cases Playing Out in Courts Before Midterms
With Election Day just around the corner in what might turn out to be one of the most significant midterm congressional elections in many years, lawyers are still in the courts fighting over the rules governing the casting and counting of votes. From the status of undated mail-in ballots to the legality of drop boxes…Hans von Spakovsky -
After Courts Force Jewish University to Host LGBTQ Campus Group, University Shuts Down All Clubs
Yeshiva University has shut down all its campus clubs following a Supreme Court decision that would have forced the university to recognize an LGBTQ group on campus. The university administration sent an email to students over the weekend, saying that the school will “Hold off on all undergraduate club activities while it immediately takes steps to…Virginia Allen -
Courts to Determine If Schools Can Hide Information From Parents About Their Kids
If you sent your 9-year-old daughter to school and she broke her arm playing on the playground, but the school didn’t tell you, that would be grounds for a harsh conversation with administrators, if not a lawsuit, right? There are school policies and state and federal laws that outline parameters for transparency between parents, students,…Nicole Russell -
Are Courts Properly Interpreting Supreme Court Precedent and Respecting Religious Employers’ Employment Decisions?
Supreme Court watchers learn a lot about the justices’ thinking on particular issues based on which cases they agree to accept. Court watchers can also learn a lot based on which cases the justices reject—especially when some of the justices take the relatively rare step of issuing a statement “respecting the denial of certiorari,” which…Zack Smith -
‘A Pure Political Ploy’: Sen. Rubio Accuses Democrats of Trying to Pack Courts for Their Own Agenda
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., criticized legislation introduced by Democratic members of Congress intended to add four justices to the Supreme Court. Rubio told Fox News Thursday that the bill is a “political ploy” that serves the Democratic Party’s political agenda. He added that issues with the court sprang up once the conservatives made up a…Nicole Silverio -
Justices’ Title VII ‘on Basis of Sex’ Ruling Spawning Unintended Consequences in Lower Courts
A Supreme Court case decided last year is a cautionary tale of the legal equivalent of the law of unintended consequences. The high court issued a decision last June in Bostock v. Clayton County, a landmark 6-3 opinion holding that discrimination “on the basis of sex” for the purposes of Title VII (which forbids discrimination…GianCarlo Canaparo -
The Left’s Push to ‘Reform’ the Courts Only Will Politicize Them
President Joe Biden has announced the creation of a commission to examine “reforming” the courts. This move is not only a “solution” in search of a problem, but will itself likely damage the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. It is based on the dangerous idea that the political branches should manipulate…Thomas Jipping -
‘Networks Don’t Get to Decide Elections, Courts Do’: Giuliani Announces Lawsuit
The Trump campaign is moving ahead with a lawsuit in Pennsylvania, saying President Donald Trump was denied a “fair count” of votes in his contest against Democratic challenger Joe Biden and that poll watchers were not able to properly oversee the process. Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s attorneys and the former mayor of New York…Virginia Allen -
Venezuela’s Dictator Hugo Chavez Packed the Courts
Almost from the moment Republicans said they intended to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Democrats began to vow they would pack the court if Republicans went through with their plan. “If [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] holds a vote [on a Supreme Court nominee] in 2020,…Carlos Ron -
Rulings Show Barrett Takes Limits on Federal Courts’ Jurisdiction Seriously
This op-ed is part of a series that explores the writings and jurisprudence of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the president’s nominee for the United States Supreme Court. To many Americans, the word “jurisdiction” conjures up memories of old G-men movies, in which local police and dark-suited FBI agents argue about who gets to call the…GianCarlo Canaparo