3 key Trump policies teed up for Supreme Court action
Controversial Trump administration policies on the census, asylum seekers and the border wall, held illegal by lower courts, are on the Supreme Court’s agenda Friday.
civil rights
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7th Circuit upholds noon Election Day deadline for receipt of absentee ballots
Absentee ballots received by local election officials after noon on Election Day will not be counted, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, reversing a lower court that had issued an injunction in light of likely mail slowdowns caused by a surge in mail-in voting due to the pandemic.
2 justices slam court’s 2015 decision in gay marriage case
The United States Supreme Court, already poised to take a significant turn to the right, opened its new term Monday with a jolt from two conservative justices who raised new criticism of the court’s embrace of same-sex marriage.
Protester who lost eye due to tear gas sues Fort Wayne, police for excessive force
A Fort Wayne man who lost his eye during a Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd is now suing the city and local police department for excessive force and violation of his First Amendment rights.
Mail-in voting advocates alert 7th Circuit to dispute with state’s argument
Plaintiffs in Indiana’s vote by mail case are questioning the state’s assertion made this week in oral arguments to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that Hoosiers can request a special exemption from the Indiana Election Commission to cast an absentee ballot if they do not meet one of the law’s categories of who may vote by mail.
7th Circuit judges ask about Indiana voters in vote by mail case
During oral argument in the dispute over Indiana’s restrictions on absentee voting, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals panel focused on Hoosier voters by asking which of the proposed remedies would cause the least confusion and what remedies are currently available to the electorate.
Southern District Court to discuss suffrage at history symposium
The struggle for women’s suffrage in Indiana will take center stage at the 13th annual Court History and Continuing Legal Education Symposium next month in the second presentation of a three-part symposium hosted by the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Federal judge blocks Indiana’s noon deadline for receiving mail-in ballots
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a state law that declares mail-in absentee ballots late and invalid if they aren’t received by noon on Election Day.
Suit: Challenged law may invalidate tens of thousands of Indiana mail-in ballots
An estimated 10,000 Hoosiers’ mail-in absentee ballots were rejected as “late” during Indiana’s 2020 primary election under a disputed Indiana law, suggesting multiple times more ballots may be thrown out in the Nov. 3 general election, groups challenging the law in federal court contend.
Dismay over Breonna Taylor spills into America’s streets
Anger, frustration and sadness over the decision not to charge police officers for Breonna Taylor’s death poured into America’s streets as protesters lashed out at a criminal justice system they say is stacked against Black people. Violence seized the demonstrations in her hometown of Louisville as gunfire rang out and wounded two police officers. Protests in Indianapolis remained peaceful.
‘Say her name’: Louisville to pay $12M to Breonna Taylor’s family
Months after the police killing of Breonna Taylor thrust her name to the forefront of a national reckoning on race and excessive use of force, the city of Louisville agreed to pay the Black woman’s family $12 million and reform police practices as part of a settlement announced Tuesday.
Report: Death penalty cases show history of racial disparity
Black people have been overrepresented on death rows across the United States and killers of Black people are less likely to face the death penalty than people who kill white people, a new report found.
Indiana AG urges 7th Circuit to keep absentee voting restrictions in place
Less than two months before the November presidential election, the Indiana Attorney General is countering a push to remove the state’s restrictions on mail-in voting by telling the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals those restrictions guard against fraud and encourage voter turnout.
Prosecutors: Similar charges warrant 1 trial in Floyd death
Prosecutors in the case of four former Minneapolis officers charged in the death of George Floyd told a judge Friday that the men should face trial together because the evidence and charges against them are similar, and multiple trials could traumatize witnesses and Floyd’s family.
7th Circuit rejects sexual orientation claim of DOC worker fired for harassment
After working for the Indiana Department of Correction for more than 20 years, Robbie Marshall was terminated from his position after a co-worker brought sexual harassment allegations against him.
Officers suspended in Rochester, N.Y. suffocation death; protesters unswayed
Seven police officers involved in the suffocation death of Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York, were suspended by the city’s mayor, who said she was misled for months about the circumstances of the fatal encounter.
Federal task force kills Portland shooting suspect at arrest
A man suspected of fatally shooting a supporter of a right-wing group in Portland, Oregon, last week after a caravan of Donald Trump backers rode through downtown was killed Thursday as investigators moved in to arrest him, the U.S. Marshals Service said Friday.
New Title IX rule brings change
In a 90-day sprint, colleges and universities across the country have had to spend the summer developing and implementing new processes for handling allegations of sexual misconduct on their campuses, but the schools must wait and see whether all the work will repair a system perceived as unfair and unjust.
7th Circuit’s reasoning in Purdue sex misconduct case getting nod
The lawsuit against Purdue University for expelling a male student after finding him guilty of sexual misconduct, which was the first such Title IX case to be heard by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, is continuing to be litigated while the appellate decision is gaining a following in other circuits.
2 people shot to death during protest over Kenosha shooting
Two people were shot to death and another was wounded during a third night of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. Authorities Wednesday hunted for a possible vigilante seen on cellphone video opening fire in the middle of the street with a rifle.