Court Case

Man – referred to as MM by court – will keep his identity hidden after legal challenge against suppression dismissed The identity of a high-profile Queensland man drawn into a Cairns extortion case will remain secret, after the state’s supreme court threw out a legal challenge against a suppression order.The man – referred to as MM by the court – was drawn into an extortion case earlier this year. He is not a party to the case and is not accused of any offence. Continue reading...

• The libertarian Goldwater Institute has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court advocating for the repeal of a 19th-century law that bans home distilling. • In a separate action, the organization urged the FTC to investigate whether a mass book-purge unfairly restricted public and competitor access to literary materials for AI development. • These efforts highlight the Institute's broader push against government restrictions on personal liberties and the fair accessibility of data for emerging technologies.

Court finds ‘defects’ in investigation of two senior constables charged over 2024 incident at Mareeba watch house in far north QueenslandTwo police officers charged with criminal offences over the use of capsicum spray, Tasers and restraints on a “cognitively and emotionally vulnerable” First Nations man in police custody have had the case against them permanently stayed, after a court found “defects” in the subsequent investigation.Andrew David Couchman, 54, and Ulrich Weiss, 45, both senior constables, were both charged over the incident at the Mareeba watch house in far north Queensland in January 2024. Continue reading...

• Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a Sunday interview that he may escalate the Trump administration's lawsuits to the Supreme Court to obtain voter rolls from several states. • This move is part of a broader strategy by the second Trump administration to challenge existing voting rights and seek federalized control over election processes. • The legal battle matters as it represents a significant shift in the balance of power between state and federal authorities regarding voter data and election administration.

• The Supreme Court has announced its docket for the start of the new term, scheduling oral arguments for seven major cases throughout October. • Key proceedings include *Johnson v. United States Congress*, alongside other disputes where the outcome may depend on whether the court deems certain cases premature for a final ruling. • These decisions are critical as they could either halt ongoing legal battles immediately or leave the legal status of the involved parties uncertain.

Former 2UE and 2GB radio broadcaster is facing 22 charges. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guiltyWarning: This live blog may contain graphic content when discussing evidence in the trialJones allegedly gifted cash and car to teenager he kissed after commenting on sprinter’s penis, trial hearsWelcome to day two of the Alan Jones indecent assault trial. On Monday, a former schoolboy athlete told the court he didn’t tell anyone that the broadcaster, now 85, was allegedly kissing him and touching his genitalia when he was a teenager because he was “fearful” of losing Jones’s financial support. The man, known as complainant J, is expected to continue giving evidence via video link on Tuesday.J is the first of six complainants expected to give evidence of their alleged indecent assault by Jones, who is facing 22 charges. The trial before judge Glenn Walsh at Downing Centre local court is expected to run for four months and hear from 76 witnesses. Continue reading...

• Supreme Court justices and judicial representatives are advocating for increased security funding on Capitol Hill to combat rising threats. • Isa Ulloa highlighted that both the judicial and legislative branches are currently facing an "unprecedented" level of security risks. • This push for funding underscores the growing vulnerability of high-ranking government officials and the need for enhanced protective measures.

Venezuelan president and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been held at Brooklyn jail and both have pleaded not guiltyNicolás Maduro returns to court with his lawyers Wednesday and is expected to continue objecting to the US military action that snatched the Venezuelan president from power and deposited him in New York to face drug trafficking charges.Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, have been held at a Brooklyn jail ever since US forces seized them from their Caracas home in a stunning middle-of-the-night raid and brought them to New York in early January. Continue reading...

• Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress to request increased security funding following a rise in threats against the court. • This appearance marks the first time Supreme Court justices have testified before Congress since 2019, highlighting the urgency of the security situation. • The justices warned that political intimidation of the judiciary crosses a critical line and poses a direct danger to the safety of individual members of the court.

Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, stands by reporting, saying ministers who sued ‘imposed an extremely strained meaning on what was a solid ​story’Bloomberg News and one of its reporters have been ordered to pay S$460,000 (US$355,734) in damages after an article it published was found to have defamed two Singapore government ministers, the city-state’s high court said in a judgment released on Tuesday.Bloomberg and the reporter, Low De Wei, are liable to jointly pay S$230,000 to each minister, comprising S$170,000 in general damages and S$60,000 in aggravated damages, ⁠the judgment said. Continue reading...

• Donald Trump announced plans to petition the Supreme Court to rehear a case regarding his executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship. • The Supreme Court previously ruled on June 30 that individuals born in the U.S. are automatically citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause. • This legal move follows Trump's other recent attempts to have the high court reconsider a verdict holding him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll.

• The U.S. Supreme Court struck down long-standing limits on the amount of money political parties can spend in coordination with their candidates in a case originating from Ohio. • These spending restrictions had been in place since the 1970s, having been originally established to combat corruption within the Nixon administration. • The ruling follows a broader legal trend, including the Citizens United decision, which prioritizes free speech by removing campaign finance restrictions.

• An Ohio court case has eliminated previous limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates. • The ruling follows a decision by the Trump administration to stop defending these coordination limits in court. • The Federal Elections Commission (FEC), the executive branch agency responsible for enforcing campaign rules, is now tasked with managing the fallout.

• The U.S. Supreme Court's deep ideological divide has become increasingly apparent through a series of recent rulings led by its conservative majority. • These decisions have significantly impacted critical national issues, including voting rights, the participation of transgender athletes, and the legal interpretation of securities statutes. • The split highlights the Court's role in shaping President Trump’s policy agenda and resolving complex legal disputes.

• The U.S. Supreme Court is set to begin its October term, featuring a slate of high-profile cases concerning gun rights, LGBT issues, and voting rights. • The court currently maintains a 6-3 conservative majority, which has consistently shifted American legal interpretations toward right-wing perspectives over the last decade. • Recent rulings highlight this trend, as the court has largely supported Donald Trump's immigration crackdowns, despite rejecting his efforts to limit birthright citizenship.

• The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge that sought to outlaw the practice of counting mail-in ballots after Election Day, bringing relief to election officials in affected states. • Donald Trump condemned the ruling as a "tremendous loss" and utilized the decision to intensify his push for the "SAVE AMERICA ACT," a stalled election law bill. • The proposed legislation would implement national requirements for voters to document their U.S. citizenship, reflecting Trump's broader effort to tighten election laws.

• The U.S. Supreme Court is entering its final week of the term, preparing to issue rulings on several high-profile and contentious legal battles. • Key cases on the docket include challenges to birthright citizenship, bans on transgender athletes in sports, and regulations surrounding mail-in ballots. • These decisions are significant as they address fundamental constitutional rights and the administration of national elections.

Mangione, accused of killing health executive Brian Thompson, has pleaded not guilty in state and federal casesLuigi Mangione is scheduled to appear at Manhattan federal court on Monday morning in relation to the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.Mangione stands accused of the 4 December 2024 killing of Thompson on a New York City street. He faces murder and weapons charges in his state-level case, and stalking counts in the federal proceedings. Continue reading...

Court expected to hand down decisions on several outstanding cases, wrapping up term that has focussed on Trump’s expansive claims of presidential powerHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The supreme court is expected to hand down decisions later today on several outstanding cases, before wrapping up a term that has focused on Donald Trump’s expansive claims of presidential power.Joe Biden has said Donald Trump has diminished America’s standing in the world “more than any president in history”. The former president delivered remarks highly critical of his successor, while giving the keynote address at a gala in Hanover, Maryland, hosted by the state’s Democratic party, which is hoping to help wrest control of Congress away from Trump and his Republican allies during November’s midterm elections.A new round of escalating strikes between Iran and the US has continued, further undermining the fragile interim peace agreement between the two countries, and prompting Trump to threaten violence that would ensure Iran “will no longer exist”. On Sunday, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes on sites in southern Iran, and threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war.Migrants in the US on temporary protected status should seek permanent residence or leave, Markwayne Mullin, the Homeland Security secretary, said in the wake of last week’s supreme court decision that stripped humanitarian protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants.An opaque White House office staffed largely by veterans of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) has quietly rebuilt some of the federal government’s most sensitive websites – for passport applications, voter registration, prescription-drug pricing and children’s savings – in ways critics say appear to violate federal law. Continue reading...

• The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3, along ideological lines, that the Trump administration may revive its policy of physically blocking migrants from entering US soil. • This decision marks two major legal victories for the Trump administration regarding immigrant-linked cases. • The ruling is significant as it reinforces the executive branch's authority to implement strict border control measures and restrict entry.

• The U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administration significant victories by allowing the termination of immigration protections for Syrians and Haitians. • The rulings further enable the administration to turn back asylum seekers at the southern border, reflecting a broader effort to tighten border controls. • Simultaneously, the president is pushing for the Save America Act to impose stricter voter ID requirements and curtail mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections.

Justices rule that federal law blocks state cases over label warnings on Roundup by people alleging it caused illnessThe US supreme court has ruled in favor of the former Monsanto company in a closely watched case that limits the way for people to sue pesticide companies for alleged illnesses or injuries.The decision was made in a 7-2 vote, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh offering the majority opinion and Justice Jackson writing the dissenting opinion, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch. Continue reading...

Huge blow to prosecution case as judge rules footage is inadmissible in upcoming trialA video of two Sydney nurses allegedly making antisemitic comments to an Israeli influencer has been struck out of court as the pair prepare to go to trial.Ahmad Nadir, 28, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27, have pleaded not guilty to being menacing and offensive when they allegedly said they would refuse to treat Israeli patients and threatened violence against them. Continue reading...

Company hails victory for freelancer over unpaid debt as ‘landmark moment’ for access to justiceAn artificial intelligence law firm has won a case in an English court, in what is believed to be the first time a trial has been won using an AI lawyer.A freelance HR consultant, Tamires Camal Taquidir, paid the firm, called Garfield AI, about £400 to send a legal letter and then issue court proceedings over an unpaid debt of £7,000. Continue reading...

Appeals court had ruled Pedro Hernandez, 64, was wrongly convicted over 1979 disappearance of New York six-year-oldThe US supreme court has reinstated a murder conviction in the long winding case of Etan Patz, whose 1979 disappearance at age six from New York City garnered national headlines.In a 6-3 decision on Monday, the supreme court agreed with New York prosecutors in their request to reverse a lower court ruling that had thrown out the murder conviction of Pedro Hernandez, 64, in the Patz case. Continue reading...

• The US Supreme Court is reviewing key cases involving campaign finance and voting regulations, including a challenge by JD Vance and other Republicans against limits on coordinated party expenditures. • In a separate case, conservative justices expressed skepticism on March 23 regarding a Mississippi law that permits a five-day grace period for mail-in ballots received after Election Day. • These rulings are significant as they could either reshape political spending limits or lead to the implementation of stricter voting rules across the United States.

Success would establish for first time that a betting firm had duty of care to customers with signs of problem gamblingThe widow of a gambling addict who took his own life after falling £18,000 into debt begins a legal claim on Thursday against Betfair that could have far-reaching consequences for the UK’s gambling industry.Luke Ashton, 40, from Leicester, died in April 2021 after suffering from a gambling disorder that led him to place thousands of bets with the company, which sent him promotional “free” bets.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

• SCOTUSblog says several of the term’s most important cases remain undecided as the Supreme Court heads into its final stretch. • The article highlights the legal fight involving Cook, who is challenging Trump’s mortgage fraud allegations after lower courts required the dispute to proceed in federal court. • The remaining decisions matter because they could shape executive power, financial regulation and other high-stakes policy questions before the Court.