Free Republic

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska Native and environmental groups are challenging a federal air permit granted to Royal Dutch Shell PLC for offshore drilling in Arctic waters. Shell hopes to drill exploratory wells next summer off Alaska's northern coasts. The Environmental Protection Agency issued an air permit Friday for a Shell drill ship called the Kulluk.

Federal judge rejects DiMasi appeal for bailBy Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff September 24, 2011 Disgraced former House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi lost his bid yesterday to remain free pending an appeal of his conviction on political corruption charges and must report to a federal prison Nov. 16. In rejecting DiMasi’s request for bail, US District Court Chief Judge Mark L. Wolf said he found no likelihood that the former lawmaker will be successful in his appeal to have his conviction overturned or his sentence reduced. **SNIP** Once one of the most powerful politicians in the state and the first...

The second day of closing arguments in the appeals trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito concluded with drama: Prosecutors asked that the pair, currently sentenced to 26 and 25 years, respectively, receive life sentences for the murder and sexual assault of British foreign exchange student Meredith Kercher. They also asked the court to impose an additional sanction of six months in isolation for Amanda and two months for Raffaele. Earlier on Saturday, prosecutors reviewed the case against Amanda and Raffaele, focusing on a supposed bloody footprint they claim Sollectio made. The evidence is in doubt, however, because the footprint...

Casey Anthony, acquitted of charges that she murdered her daughter Caylee, filed an appeal today of her conviction that she lied to law enforcement officers. The appeal came days before Anthony, 25, is scheduled to leave jail. She was sentenced to four years on four counts of lying to investigators about Caylee's death. Since she has already served three years and is credited for good behavior, she will be released from the Orange County jail on Sunday. The jury that acquitted her of murder agreed that she broke the law when she told police she worked at Universal Studios, that...

For the third time in five weeks, the Obama administration's legal point man for defending the president’s health care overhaul will walk into a federal appellate courtroom Wednesday to defend the controversial measure as an appropriate and proper exercise of the government's power. Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal has steadfastly argued the law, passed in March 2010, is a necessary and reasonable response to halt the increasing costs of medical care despite claims by 26 state governments and the largest small-business group in the nation that the law's requirements are unconstitutional. Katyal is expected to tell three judges of the...

(Reuters) - A court will hear oral arguments on June 8 in a government appeal of a federal judge's ruling that struck down President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul law as unconstitutional. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said it would hear the appeal before a randomly selected three-judge panel. The fight over the law, Obama's signature domestic accomplishment, is expected to reach the Supreme Court.

The Obama administration on Tuesday appealed a U.S. judge's ruling in Florida that struck down the landmark healthcare overhaul law as unconstitutional because it required Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a penalty.

Roger Vinson, the U.S. federal judge who ruled Obamacare unconstitutional in its entirety, has ruled again on the health-care law. On Thursday, Judge Vinson issued a stay on his earlier ruling that the law could not be enforced. In doing so, he sent a clear message to the Obama administration: Appeal my decision to a higher court or stop implementing the law. When Judge Vinson ruled on Jan. 31 that the health-care law was unconstitutional, the administration followed up by filing a motion for clarification rather than filing an official appeal. Vinson’s ruling criticized the administration for that action. “During...

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson has issued a stay of his own ruling declaring the health care reform law unconstitutional, giving the Obama administration seven days to file an appeal. The stay means implementation of the law can proceed pending the administration’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In his ruling, Vinson repeated what he has said previously — that “the citizens of this country have an interest in having this case resolved as soon as practically possible.” “That was nearly eleven months ago,” he wrote. “In the time since, the battle lines have been...

Following the ruling today out of the Northern District Court in Florida on the Affordable Care Act, Tracy Schmaler, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs released the following statement: Home » Briefing Room » The Justice Blog Printer Friendly Icon Printer Friendly The Justice Blog On the Northern District Court in Florida’s Affordable Care Act Ruling January 31st, 2011 Posted by Tracy Russo Following the ruling today out of the Northern District Court in Florida on the Affordable Care Act, Tracy Schmaler, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs released the following statement: “The department intends to...

Experts say judge's injunction on using federal funds effectively halts work in labs across the country WEDNESDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. scientists reacted with dismay to Monday's decision by a U.S. judge to halt any expansion of stem cell research using federal funds. The temporary injunction, which basically blindsided the scientific community, effectively takes embryonic stem cell research back to the pre-2001 days. That was when then-President George W. Bush ordered that federal monies could only be used to fund research involving embryonic stem cell lines created before 2001. Late Tuesday, however, the Obama administration, which had issued...

Washington — The Obama administration will appeal a court ruling that undercut its efforts to expand stem cell research, the Justice Department said Tuesday. The appeal is expected this week, said spokesman Matthew Miller. (Snip) National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said dozens of studies of promising stem cell therapies — about $54 million worth — would have to stop because of the court ruling that temporarily forbids any additional money from being granted.

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal appeals court put same-sex weddings in California on hold indefinitely Monday while it considers the constitutionality of the state's gay marriage ban. The decision, issued by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, trumps a lower court judge's order that would have allowed county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Wednesday. Lawyers for the two gay couples that challenged the ban said Monday they would not appeal the panel's decision on the stay to the Supreme Court.

Cardinal Francis George and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz. Washington D.C., Aug 4, 2010 / 06:27 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down California's Proposition 8 on Wednesday afternoon, Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. bishops' conference, and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, the chairman of the bishops' Committee for the Defense of Marriage, described the ruling as a "misuse of law."Cardinal George stated, “Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of any society. The misuse of law to change the nature of marriage undermines the common good.” “It is tragic that a federal judge...

The University of California at Irvine has suspended the Muslim Student Union for organizing a protest that stopped Michael Oren, Israeli Ambassador to the United States, from speaking in February. The Muslim group said it would appeal to the chancellor the decision by university officials, arguing that the punishment would adversely affect hundreds of Muslims who meet and pray together. The Muslim Student Union was found guilty by a student affairs disciplinary committee for disorderly conduct, supplying false information and obstructing university activities.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - O.J. Simpson's lawyer told a panel of Nevada Supreme Court justices Friday that the former football star's conviction in a gunpoint hotel room heist amounted to prejudicial "payback" for Simpson's 1994 double-murder acquittal. "This was not a search for truth but became a search for redemption," attorney Yale Galanter said as he pleaded for the court panel to overturn Simpson's conviction and grant a new trial in the September 2007 confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas. Questions from Justices Mark Gibbons, Michael Cherry and Nancy Saitta focused on the racial makeup of the...

Prosecutor to appeal firing after speaking at tea party ralliesBILL COTTERELL / Tallahassee Democrat May 31, 2010 02:58:00 PM LIVE OAK — Even the state attorney who fired her calls KrisAnne Hall a first-rate prosecutor, but espousing her "originalist" views of the U.S. Constitution at tea party rallies has sparked a federal court showdown. The issue: free speech vs. state employment. "She can go and speak anywhere she wants to, and do anything within the law, but she can't do it while carrying my badge, not when people identify her with this office," said State Attorney Robert "Skip" Jarvis. Hall,...

ID theft retrial in Palin hacking hinges on appealBy Bill Poovey Fri May 7, 5:57 pm ET CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Prosecutors say a Tennessee man convicted of two federal charges in the hacking of Sarah Palin's e-mail account would be retried on an identity theft charge that left a jury deadlocked only if a defense request for a retrial is granted. David Kernell, 22, was found guilty April 30 in federal court in Knoxville of obstruction of justice and unauthorized access to a computer, but acquitted of a wire fraud charge for hacking Palin's account as she campaigned on the...

Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel turned to attorney Mickey Sherman more than a decade ago to defend him against a murder that had haunted his wealthy family for a quarter-century. Now Skakel, the nephew of Ethel Kennedy, is turning against Sherman, saying the media-savvy attorney blew the trial. Skakel was convicted in 2002 of fatally beating neighbor Martha Moxley with a golf club in wealthy Greenwich in 1975 when they were 15-year-olds. His lawyer says Skakel will file an appeal in coming weeks, challenging Sherman's effectiveness. Skakel's supporters say Sherman was distracted by the limelight and financial troubles, even though...

On January 22, Vice President Joe Biden told the president of Iraq that the United States would appeal the dismissal of the case against the Blackwater guards. The VP also apologized personally for their misconduct. The case had political overtones from the beginning, and now it's getting worse.