How Appealing



Saturday, December 29, 2007

“Court reverses IU teacher assistant’s firing”: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review today contains an article that begins, “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday ordered a new hearing for a teacher’s assistant fired in 2002 from her job in Westmoreland County for allegedly violating a district morality clause.”

Thursday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania consists of a majority opinion, a concurring opinion, and two dissenting opinions (here and here).

Posted at 11:20 PM by Howard Bashman



“High court lifts limit on OHSU liability; The move against the $200,000 cap affects state agencies and all local governments”: The Oregonian today contains an article that begins, “The Oregon Supreme Court ruled Friday that the family of a brain-damaged child can pursue millions of dollars from Oregon Health & Science University, opening the door for people hurt by any public employee to seek full compensation for their injuries. The court ruled that a liability cap of $200,000 designed to protect government agencies from expensive lawsuits violates the constitutional rights of Jordaan Michael Clarke, 9, who suffered permanent brain damage in 1998 while in intensive care at OHSU Hospital.” The newspaper also reports today that “Ruling will force cuts in programs.”

And The Statesman Journal of Salem, Oregon reports today that “Government liability cap is overruled; Public agencies, and taxpayers, may face more expensive lawsuits.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Oregon at this link.

Posted at 11:02 PM by Howard Bashman



“A Texas tale: Oil, business meet history, sabotage; Historic family, Exxon, small producer wage legal war fueled by old wells.” Chuck Lindell will have this article Sunday in The Austin American-Statesman.

Posted at 10:55 PM by Howard Bashman



“Pentagon sends 10 Saudis home from Gitmo”: Today in The Miami Herald, Carol Rosenberg has an article that begins, “The Pentagon has downsized the detainee population at Guantanamo again — announcing Friday evening that it had sent 10 presumably long-held captives home to Saudi Arabia.”

Posted at 10:50 PM by Howard Bashman



“After 7-Year Custody Fight, Family to Return to China; Faced With Deportation, Anna Mae He and Her Parents Plan to Return to China”: ABCNews.com provides this report.

The Associated Press reports that “Girl in Custody Fight Headed to China.”

And earlier this month, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis published articles headlined “Faced with deportation, the He family heading back to homeland” and “Anna He absorbing Chinese culture, adjusting to a different world with her family.”

Posted at 10:35 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court’s clerks find Indian law unimportant”: Matthew L.M. Fletcher has this essay online at Indian Country Today.

Posted at 10:30 PM by Howard Bashman



“Feds plan to drop 43 counts in Wecht fraud case”: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today contains an article that begins, “Less than two weeks before jury selection is scheduled to begin, federal prosecutors late yesterday filed a motion to dismiss 43 of the criminal counts against former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril H. Wecht. That motion came on the same day that defense attorneys filed a second petition with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking that the judge overseeing the case be removed.”

And The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports today that “Prosecutor cuts Wecht case in half.”

Posted at 7:10 PM by Howard Bashman



“Pa. court upholds church-state case; It said Phila. was within the law in condemning private land for a Catholic educational project”: Today’s edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer contains an article that begins, “In Pennsylvania, it is now legal in some cases to condemn blighted private property and turn it over to a religious organization, the state Supreme Court ruled this week. The case, which blended the hot-button issues of eminent domain and separation of church and state, revolved around a North Philadelphia neighborhood that the city certified as blighted 36 years ago.”

Thursday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania consists of a majority opinion and a dissenting opinion.

Posted at 7:05 PM by Howard Bashman