The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 7-2 in Kansas v. Ventris that a defendant's statement made without a knowing and voluntary waiver of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel may be used for impeachment purposes. The defendant made statements to a jailhouse informant that were later used to impeach his credibility. The Kansas Supreme [...]
Members of the US House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations of torture against Bush administration officials. The letter, which was signed by committee chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) , and 14 other Democratic members of [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday that the state secrets privilege does not bar a lawsuit against a company that allegedly provided logistical support for CIA rendition flights. Plaintiffs Binyam Mohamed , Abou Elkassim Britel, Ahmed Agiza, Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah, and Bisher al-Rawi allege that Jeppesen Dataplan , a [...]
A court-martial in Nigeria sentenced 27 UN peacekeeping troops to life imprisonment Tuesday. The soldiers of the 14th Nigerian Battalion were convicted of mutiny under the Armed Forces Act 2004 for staging street demonstrations in protest of a shortfall in their UN allowances for a Nigerian peacekeeping mission. The protesting soldiers alleged finance officers in [...]
Melanie Sloan : "President Obama's March 20th memorandum aimed at "Ensuring Transparency of Registered Lobbyist Communications," will not achieve its intended purpose and is an ill-advised restriction on speech. The memo prohibits registered lobbyists from participating in any oral communications, whether in-person or telephonic, with any official in the executive branch concerning any particular project, [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in two cases. In Forest Grove School District v. T.A. , the Court will consider whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) permits a tuition reimbursement award against a school district and in favor of parents who unilaterally place their child in private school, where the [...]
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Tuesday that a judgment by a southern Cyprus court favoring a Greek Cypriot reclaiming land in the north is enforceable despite the south's lack of control over that region. Meletis Apostolides, a Cypriot national whose family was forced from land in the north during the partition of the [...]
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A UK jury acquitted Tuesday three alleged conspirators to the July 7, 2005 bombings in London . Mohammed Shakil, Waheed Ali, and Sadeer Saleem were found not guilty of being privy to the conspiracy during a retrial after a mistrial was declared last fall when the jury could not reach a verdict. The three men [...]
Armed soldiers raided Madagascar's High Constitutional Court Monday evening, arresting head of security Andrianandraina Ralitera and three other court employees. The four arrested men , supporters of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana are accused of inciting public disorder and ordering soldiers to open fire on protesters in February, resulting in the deaths of 28 . Journalists [...]
