Jury

• Lakers secured a 2-0 series lead against the Houston Rockets in NBA playoffs, receiving more good news on team health amid the victory. • Updates on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerged ahead of Game 2, boosting LA's momentum in the Western Conference matchup. • This strengthens Lakers' position as they aim to advance deeper in the postseason.

• Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has begun throwing footballs and performing well on dropbacks following Achilles surgery in early December. • Head coach Shane Steichen confirmed Jones' progress during Tuesday's media session, marking a key milestone in his rehabilitation. • This update signals positive momentum for the Colts' quarterback position ahead of offseason preparations and training camp.

Drivers booted off the platform say they have little recourse to appeal as rideshare giant increasingly relies on automated systemsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMichael Thorn thought he’d suffered enough after his Uber passenger punched him in the head, sending him to hospital. But then the ride-share platform deactivated his account.“It’s even worse than getting belted,” Thorn said. Continue reading...

Heather Hallett hails vaccine scheme but criticises rule that only those meeting 60% disabled threshold can get payoutsThe Covid-19 vaccine programme in the UK was an “extraordinary feat” but the payment scheme for people injured by the jabs must be urgently reformed, the public inquiry on the pandemic has found.In her report, the inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, praised the fact the UK was a world leader in biomedical sciences, which set it in good stead for developing and rolling out vaccines at scale. But she said the government must act urgently to reform the scheme for payments to the “small minority” of people seriously injured by the vaccines, and almost double maximum payouts to at least £200,000 from an upper limit of £120,000 at present. Continue reading...

Verdict in states’ lawsuit says concert giant stifled competition, raising pressure for changes to ticketing marketA jury has found that concert giant Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had a harmful monopoly over big concert venues, dealing the company a loss in a lawsuit over claims brought by dozens of US states.A Manhattan federal jury deliberated for four days before reaching its decision Wednesday in the closely watched case, which gave fans the equivalent of a backstage pass to a business that dominates live entertainment in the US and beyond. Continue reading...

• Jake Paul stated he is targeting a return to the ring in late 2026 or early 2027 after recovering from a severe jaw injury sustained during his fight against Anthony Joshua. • Paul told Babcock this week that he is "finally feeling healthy again" and that his jaw is "definitely recovering," though he still requires medical clearance and testing before competing. • The boxer continues his rehabilitation process and has not ruled out further boxing ventures despite the significant injury, marking his next competitive timeline.

Child killer attacked at workshop at HMP Frankland with metal bar and died in hospitalAn inquest into the death of the Soham murderer, Ian Huntley, has heard he was struck over the head multiple times with a metal bar in prison.Huntley, 52, was an inmate in the maximum security prison HMP Frankland in Durham, where he was allegedly attacked in a workshop on 26 February. Continue reading...

Geoffrey Robertson says proposals to reduce backlog are betrayal of party’s values and a ‘cure worse than the disease’The founder of Keir Starmer’s barristers’ chambers has condemned the planned restriction of jury trials in England and Wales as “a betrayal of the values for which Labour purports to stand”.Geoffrey Robertson KC, founding head of Doughty Street Chambers, where the attorney general, Richard Hermer KC, and the justice secretary, David Lammy, also had their professional homes, has written a more than 9,000-word polemic to coincide with the committee stage of the courts and tribunals bill. Continue reading...

• Los Angeles Dodgers placed Mookie Betts on the injured list due to a left oblique strain suffered during recent play. • Betts reported soreness post-game, with medical evaluation confirming the need for extended rest and rehab. • The injury disrupts Dodgers' lineup chemistry, as Betts leads in batting average and on-base percentage this season.

• Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar sustained an upper-body injury against the Calgary Flames on Monday and will miss some time. • Makar has recorded 75 points in the season so far, highlighting his critical role on the team's defense. • The injury impacts the Avalanche's playoff push in the NHL's Western Conference standings.

Doug Evans, a former prosecutor, removed nearly all Black jurors in Terry Pitchford’s 2006 trial, raising legal questionsThe supreme court is hearing arguments on Tuesday about racial bias in jury selection in a death penalty case stemming from Mississippi.Doug Evans, a now-retired prosecutor, removed all but one Black person from a jury that convicted Terry Pitchford of capital murder in 2006. The judge, Joseph Loper, allowed the juror strikes and Mississippi’s supreme court upheld the conviction. Continue reading...

• Amazon MGM Studios halted production on the new 'Tomb Raider' streaming series after Sophie Turner sustained an injury. • The studio stated, 'As a precaution, production has briefly paused to allow her time to recover. We look forward to resuming production as soon as possible.' • ABC News sought comment from Turner's representative amid the production stoppage.

• A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and Google liable in a case involving a young woman's depression linked to social media platform use, challenging existing legal protections for tech companies. • The verdict represents a significant legal development challenging Section 230 liability shields that have historically protected technology companies from user-generated content lawsuits. • This ruling potentially opens the door to broader litigation against social media platforms regarding mental health impacts, marking a notable shift in tech industry legal liability exposure.

Paul Quinn said he could not explain searches on his phone, including for Andrew Malkinson, wrongly convicted for the crimeA man accused of a 2003 rape that saw an innocent person jailed for 17 years has told a jury he does not know how his DNA got on the victim’s clothes.Paul Quinn, 51, also said he could not explain searches made on his phone for “wrongly convicted cases” and “Andrew Malkinson”, whose rape conviction was quashed in 2023. Continue reading...

Courts in Australia may be willing to hold social media companies accountable for real-world harm, lawyers sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian law firms are investigating the scope for future legal cases after a landmark US court ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for deliberately designing addictive products.A jury in Los Angeles ruled against the two tech giants on Wednesday, finding both to be negligent and having failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers of their products. Continue reading...

• A federal jury ruled Elon Musk liable for defrauding Twitter shareholders by intentionally driving down the stock price to renegotiate or exit the $44 billion takeover deal in 2022. • The verdict was reported by Reuters and Bloomberg News on Friday, with damages to be determined in a later phase of the trial. • This ruling holds significant implications for corporate takeover accountability, potentially affecting future high-profile mergers involving public companies.

California jurors hand win to investors who sued billionaire saying he publicly disparaged social media platform in 2022A California jury has ruled that Elon Musk is responsible for Twitter investors’ stock plummeting when he sought to buy the social media platform for $44bn in 2022. Jurors handed the win to a group of investors who sued the billionaire saying he publicly disparaged the company with the aim of bringing down Twitter’s stock price to get a better bargain.The trial, which began earlier this month in federal court in San Francisco, focused on whether Musk intended to move the market with his comments. During a six-month period in 2022, after his offer to buy Twitter, he posted constantly to his millions of followers that the social network was rife with bots that produced spam and created fake accounts. Continue reading...

In letter to justice secretary, groups say judge-led decisions more likely to be influenced by bias than those made by 12 random people Thirty organisations representing victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG) have written to the justice secretary, David Lammy, urging him to drop plans to significantly reduce the number of jury trials.The groups said that the proposals, which will affect court cases in England and Wales, will deepen mistrust in the justice system among victims and distract from measures designed to reduce offending. Continue reading...

• A federal jury in Texas convicted eight anti-ICE protesters on terrorism charges Friday in a closely watched trial that has raised concerns about the Trump administration's expanding crackdown on activist speech. • The convictions represent an intensified prosecutorial approach against immigration enforcement protesters, raising questions about First Amendment protections for demonstration activity. • The case has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates warning of an erosion of protest rights under the current administration's enforcement posture.

The Big 12 men's basketball tournament switched courts mid-event after a Texas Tech player suffered a serious ankle injury during a game, prompting safety concerns. Officials halted play and moved to a backup court to ensure player welfare. Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said, 'Safety comes first; we're praying for our player's recovery.' The change delayed semifinals by 45 minutes but allowed games to resume without further incidents, highlighting venue preparedness issues.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark ordered an unprecedented mid-tournament change to the playing surface at the men's basketball event after noticing increased court slippage during Texas Tech's loss to Iowa State on Thursday, where guard Christian Anderson was injured midway through the second half. Similar slips occurred in Houston's win over BYU the same day. The decision highlights Yormark's flexibility in addressing safety issues during the high-stakes conference tournament in Kansas City. This rare move in college athletics prioritizes player welfare as March Madness approaches, with no further disruptions reported yet.