Category: judge

Judge Rules Local Missouri COVID-19 Orders Unconstitutional

A Missouri judge on Tuesday ruled that local COVID-19 orders violated the Missouri Constitution, ordering local health officials to rescind them. Judge Daniel Green of Cole County wrote that the Department of Health and Senior Services unconstitutionally gave too much power to individual local health officials and directors. As a result, he ruled, those orders must…


Prosecutor: Kyle Rittenhouse Provoked ‘Entire Incident’ of Fatal Shootings

A prosecutor in the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse on Monday accused the teen of provoking the “entire incident” that led to the shooting of three people during riots and unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year. Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger during closing arguments said the jury should ignore Rittenhouse’s defense claim that…


Quebec Judge Rules Province’s Abandoned Health-Care Vaccine Mandate Is Legal

MONTREAL—A Quebec Superior Court judge has ruled in favour of the province’s vaccine mandate for health−care workers, nearly two weeks after the government suspended the health order. Justice Michel Yergeau’s decision released today denies the request for an injunction brought by unvaccinated health network employees. The Quebec government announced on Nov. 3 it was abandoning…


Australian Judge Disturbed State Employee Fired for Helping Police With Murder Investigation

A New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court judge is so disturbed by the NSW transport department’s decision to fire an employee for aiding a murder investigation that she’s referred the issue to the police commissioner and transport minister. Transport for NSW staffer Thomas Wood was sacked for serious and wilful misconduct last year after he contacted…


Kyle Rittenhouse Trial Judge Allows Jury to Consider That Teen Provoked Attack

The judge presiding over the Kyle Rittenhouse trial said Friday he may allow the jury to consider several lesser charges in addition to the murder charges that prosecutors brought against him. Judge Bruce Schroeder said he would issue his final ruling on Saturday, but he also made some findings from the bench and indicated how…


US Judge Denies Apple’s Request to Pause Antitrust Orders in ‘Fortnite’ Case

A U.S. judge denied on Tuesday Apple Inc.’s request to pause a set of orders handed down after an antitrust lawsuit brought by ‘Fortnite’ creator Epic Games. Apple had sought to pause an order that would require it to permit buttons, links, and in-app messages about ways to pay for apps without using its own…


Judge Blocks Biden Admin From Firing Unvaccinated Employees With Pending Religious Exemptions

A district court judge in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary injunction Thursday that bars both civilian and military plaintiffs from being fired after they filed a lawsuit against the White House’s vaccine mandate. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction prohibiting preventing the plaintiffs…


SC Attorney Alex Murdaugh Denied Bond on $3 Million Theft Charges

COLUMBIA, S.C.—A judge denied bond Tuesday for a prominent South Carolina attorney who has become embroiled in two multimillion-dollar insurance fraud cases months after he found his wife and son dead in their home. The judge said Alex Murdaugh’s considerable financial resources and mental instability appear for now to make it too risky to allow…


LA Presiding Judge Announces Another Deadline Extension in Criminal Cases

LOS ANGELES—Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the presiding judge of Los Angeles County’s court system announced today another extension of deadlines in criminal trials and hearings to determine if there is enough evidence for a defendant to stand trial. “The court is encouraged by the county’s improving COVID-19 trends and will continue its periodic…


Trump Asks Judge to Force Twitter to Reinstate His Account

Former President Donald Trump asked a federal judge to force Twitter to reinstate his account in a civil lawsuit filed in Florida on Friday. Trump, along with several other plaintiffs, says that Twitter’s ban of his account violated the First Amendment and likely violated Florida’s newly-enacted Stop Social Media Censorship Act. The former president filed…