Krishan Francis, Associated Press Updated 7:38 am CST, Thursday, December 13, 2018 Supporters of ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe light firecrackers outside the supreme court complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Sri Lanka's Supreme Court unanimously ruled as unconstitutional President Maithripala Sirisena's order to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections, a much-anticipated verdict Thursday that further embroils the Indian Ocean island nation in political crisis. less Supporters of ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe light firecrackers outside the supreme court complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Sri Lanka's Supreme Court unanimously ... more Photo: Eranga Jayawardena, AP Photo: Eranga Jayawardena, AP … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court says president’s actions unlawful
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West Virginia governor appoints friend to Supreme Court
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A lifelong friend of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was appointed to the state Supreme Court on Wednesday to fill the seat of convicted former Justice Allen Loughry. Justice made Raleigh County Circuit Judge John A. Hutchison his third appointee to a court rocked by an impeachment scandal. Hutchison will serve until a 2020 special election. The winner of that race will serve the remainder of Loughry's term through 2024. Loughry's resignation was effective Nov. 12, about a month after a federal jury convicted him on 11 charges. He was suspended from his seat earlier this year over allegations that he repeatedly lied and used his public office for personal gain. "We've had a dog's mess with our Supreme Court and we've lost a lot of credibility," Justice said at the announcement in Beckley. "And really and truly, it was an embarrassment across the nation." Justice said he hopes Hutchison and the four other justices can "restore dignity and greatness" to the … [Read more...] about West Virginia governor appoints friend to Supreme Court
Retired Colorado Supreme Court justice joins letter asking ICE to stop arresting immigrants in courthouses
A retired Colorado Supreme Court justice joined dozens of other former judges from across the nation to demand that federal immigration enforcement officers stop arresting immigrants at courthouses. Former Chief Justice Michael Bender joined 67 other former judges from 23 states in the letter published Wednesday that said the courthouse arrests were making immigrants afraid to testify in criminal procedures and disrupting the judicial system. “Together, we have presided over thousands of cases in trial and appellate courts,” according to the letter. “We know that judges simply cannot do their jobs — and our justice system cannot function effectively – if victims, defendants, witnesses and family members do not feel secure in accessing the courthouse.” The letter specifically cites when Denver City Attorney Kristin Bronson dropped the prosecution of several domestic violence cases in 2017 because the victims, who were … [Read more...] about Retired Colorado Supreme Court justice joins letter asking ICE to stop arresting immigrants in courthouses
California Supreme Court waiting for study results before revisiting bar exam cut score
Home Daily News California Supreme Court waiting for study… Legal Education By Stephanie Francis Ward Posted December 12, 2018, 11:39 am CST While describing the outcome of the July 2018 California bar exam—which had a 40.7 percent pass rate—as “frightening,” California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said on Tuesday the state court is waiting for the results of two related studies before revisiting consideration of the test’s cut score. She meets annually with reporters who asked her about the exam, the Recorder reports. In 2017, the California Supreme Court decided that it would not lower its bar exam cut score of 1440, despite an endorsement from the state bar’s Law School Council to change it from something between 1350 and 1390. Following release of the July 2018 bar exam results, Mark Stone, a state Assembly member who chairs its judiciary committee, asked the state supreme court and the bar to take another look at the … [Read more...] about California Supreme Court waiting for study results before revisiting bar exam cut score
Colorado Supreme Court to hear arguments in case that will decide future of pot-sniffing police dogs
Beaker the Belgian Malinois was only 7 years old when changing marijuana laws led his handler to hang up the dog’s police vest. Beaker, like many police dogs across the country, is trained to alert his handler when he smells marijuana. But his signal for pot is the same as it is for other drugs, such as heroin or meth, said Arvada police Officer Brian Laas, the dog’s handler. That’s a problem in Colorado, because K-9 handlers can’t tell whether the dog is alerting them to the presence of an illegal substance or legal amounts of weed, and police need probable cause that a crime has been committed before searching further. On Wednesday, the Colorado Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that will set standards for the use of police dogs’ drug-detection skills in this state — and could have repercussions across the country. The state appeals court previously ruled in the same case that a police dog’s signal that a drug is present is not … [Read more...] about Colorado Supreme Court to hear arguments in case that will decide future of pot-sniffing police dogs