Gary D. Robertson, Associated Press Updated 12:28 pm PDT, Monday, July 15, 2019 A districts map is shown as a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court presides over the trial of Common Cause, et al. v. Lewis, et al at the Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, July 15, 2019. less A districts map is shown as a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court presides over the trial of Common Cause, et al. v. Lewis, et al at the Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, N.C., ... more Photo: Gerry Broome, AP Photo: Gerry Broome, AP Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Image 1 of 4 A districts map is shown as a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court presides over the trial of Common Cause, et al. v. Lewis, et al at the Campbell … [Read more...] about After Supreme Court ruling, NC gerrymandering case begins
Pennsylvania supreme court rules
Supreme Court declines to hear rapper’s First Amendment appeal
The US Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear arguments that a Pittsburgh rapper’s First Amendment rights were violated after he was convicted for song lyrics. Jamal Knox, who rapped under the name Mayhem Mal, argued that his conviction for song lyrics about killing two police officers violated his First Amendment right. Knox was charged with several offenses after he fled during a routine traffic stop, which led officers to discover 15 stamp bags contenting heroin, a large some of cash and a loaded firearm in the vehicle Knox was driving. While the charges were pending, Knox co-wrote and recorded a rap song entitled, “F–k the police,” which was later uploaded to YouTube. The song lyrics described killing two Pittsburgh police officers, “Officer Zeltner” and “Mr. Kosko,” two police officers who had participated in Knox’s earlier arrest and were scheduled to testify against him. Knox was convicted in 2013 on state … [Read more...] about Supreme Court declines to hear rapper’s First Amendment appeal
Hip-Hop Artists Give the Supreme Court a Primer on Rap Music
Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Politics | Hip-Hop Artists Give the Supreme Court a Primer on Rap Music Advertisement Supported by ByAdam Liptak March 6, 2019 WASHINGTON — Five years ago, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. enlivened a Supreme Court argument by reciting raw and violent lyrics from the rapper Eminem. The chief justice said he was worried that ignoring the song’s musical and cultural context could “subject to prosecution the lyrics that a lot of rap artists use.” That case, about online threats in a domestic dispute, ended in a cryptic muddle. But now the issue Chief Justice Roberts raised in passing is squarely at the court’s doorstep, in an appeal from a Pittsburgh rapper sent to prison for two years for threatening police officers — in a song. This time, the justices will have expert … [Read more...] about Hip-Hop Artists Give the Supreme Court a Primer on Rap Music
Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules against police union in arbitration award case
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal from the Fraternal Order of Police regarding an arbitration award. The union claimed that the panel neglected to account for competitive compensation in determining the award. After the police union’s collective bargaining agreement with the city of Pittsburgh expired at the end of 2014, the union and the city were unable to reach another agreement. The two parties began arbitration in compliance with Pennsylvania’s Police and Fireman Collective Bargaining Act. The arbitration panel then issued an award from the years 2015-2018 after examining many factors, including police office compensation in comparison to officers in similarly situation districts. The lower court quashed the union’s appeal of the award. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision saying that no evidence showed the award was “arbitrary, capricious, or in bad … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules against police union in arbitration award case
Pennsylvania appeals court orders Sandusky resentencing
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania ruled Tuesday that former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky must be re-sentenced as he was originally sentenced in accordance with mandatory sentencing laws that are now unconstitutional. Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse in 2012 and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison, in accordance with the mandatory sentencing laws for certain crimes against minors. The court’s 2016 decision in Commonwealth v. Wolfe stated that the law was “irremediably unconstitutional on its face, non-severable, and void.” The court’s 119-page opinion rejected 21 of Sandusky’s 22 arguments, which mostly concerned ineffective assistance of counsel. If granted, the first 21 issues likely would have entitled Sandusky to a new trial. Sandusky’s lawyer Al Lindsay has said that he will continue fighting for a new trial all the way the the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which has already … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania appeals court orders Sandusky resentencing