Constitutional Law › Civil Rights

Can the Government Search Your iPad or iPhone at the Border?

Can the United States search your laptop, camera, iPhone/iPad, or other devices at the border? Read this article on the Fourth Amendment rights and exceptions....more

Labor & Employment E-Note - May 14, 2013

In This Issue: - Court Rules NLRB's Workplace Union Notices Violated Law - NLRB Urges Regional Directors to Maintain High Settlement Rate - EEOC Seeing Rising Number of Age Discrimination Complaints - OSHA...more

Minnesota Gov. Signs Marriage Equality into Law

Months after Minnesota voters declined to enshrine a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution, Gov. Mark Dayton today signed a bill that permits gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot....more

Fenwick Employment Brief - May 2013

The NLRB's controversial requirement that employers post notices informing employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (as reported in our January and May 2012 FEBs) has been held unconstitutional by the...more

NJ Court Upholds OPRA Denial Over Personnel Records

NJ Court Upholds OPRA Denial Over Personnel Records by Sheri Siegelbaum on May 13, 2013 The Appellate Division recently sided with the Office of the Governor in a dispute over records requested under the New Jersey Open...more

Gay Moms Get True Marriage Equality in Iowa

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on May 3 that the state must recognize children born to lesbian couples as having two parents on their birth certificate, ensuring full parental rights for both parents and equal treatment for gay...more

Shield Law Extended to Bloggers in New Jersey

Shield Law Extended to Bloggers in New Jersey by Joel N. Kreizman on May 8, 2013 New Jersey continues to have one of the broadest journalist shield laws in the country. Most recently, a state court judge for the first...more

Supreme Court Oral Arguments on DOMA, Proposition 8: Potential Employee Benefit Plan Implications

On March 26 and 27, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in cases challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8. A Supreme Court...more

It's Not Defamation if No One Knows It's You -- Sammy Hagar Defeats Defamation Claim

The first element of defamation is sometimes forgotten. The defamatory statement must be about the plaintiff. In most instances that will be self-evident, but sometimes the identity of the person being defamed will be known...more

U.S. Supreme Court Issues Key Public Records Decision

U.S. Supreme Court Issues Key Public Records Decision by Sheri Siegelbaum on May 7, 2013 The U.S. Supreme Court recently took a rare foray into state public records access. In McBurney v. Young, the justices unanimously...more

DOES AUTHORITY EXIST FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF BAIL LICENSING LAWS WITHOUT CERTIFICATION OF CRIMES BY THE...

California attorney Joseph Cavallo was convicted of violating Title 10, CCR section 2071, "recommendation of attorney by bail licensee". The authority to prosecute violations of the bail licensing regulations lies with the...more

Monty Green v. The City of New York, et al.

Complaint

More importantly, at no time, did any internal investigator observe him solicit anyone for sexual favors in exchange for monies; observe him hire anyone as a sex worker to perform sexual favors for others in exchange for...more

How to Use the “Wall of Wrong” to Determine if a Proposed Defamation Case is a SLAPP -- Shaheen Sadeghi v. Delilah Snell

The tale starts with an article in OC Weekly. The article was about a guy named Shaheen Sadeghi. The article was extremely favorable to Sadeghi, referring to him as the “Curator of Cool” and discussing his amazing success in...more

Anti-SLAPP Law Does Not Protect Civil Extortion by Attorneys

Despite the prohibitions against doing so, some attorneys can’t resist throwing a threat of criminal action into their demand letters. They apparently think (if they give it any thought at all) that an express or veiled...more

Taking Stock of Business and Human Rights in the United States

This week, members of the United Nations (“U.N.”) Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations are making an official visit to the United States as part of the Group’s mandate to promote the effective...more

Marvin M. Brandt Revocable Trust v. United States

Brief Amicus Curiae of Owners' Counsel of America in Support of Petitioners

This is the brief of Owners' Counsel of America supporting the petitioners in Brandt v. United States. That case involves an abandoned rail line in Wyoming, but this case has nationwide implications. The issue before the...more

Miguel Mendoza v. Reed K. Hamzeh

Court Rules that Attorney's Demand Letter is Not Protected under Anti-SLAPP Law

Following the prior decision of Flatley v. Mauro, the California Court of Appeal in Miguel Mendoza v. Reed K. Hamzeh finds that a demand letter from an attorney which threatens criminal prosecution is not protected under the...more

Naffe v. Frey, et al.

Ruling DISMISSING Complaint under FRCP 12(b)(1) and Section 1983 claim under FRCP 12(b)(6) with Prejudice, etc.

Per Kenneth White, blogger at Popehat.com: http://www.popehat.com/2013/04/19/victory-for-blogger-patterico-in-free-speech-case/ : "Patrick Frey, also known as Patterico, has been living under the cloud of a frivolous,...more

Cyprus: To Litigate or Not to Litigate?

Harneys’ Cyprus Banking Group is closely monitoring a legal challenge to the bail-out legislation which is currently before the Cyprus courts....more

Texas Moves Forward with Bill to Ensure Flexibility in Admissions

On April 9, 2013, the Texas Senate approved a bill allowing the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) to maintain its cap on automatic admissions through at least 2017 no matter the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Fisher...more

Disabled Americans for Firearms Rights, LLC et al v. Dannel P. Malloy, Governor

Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief

Scott Ennis of New London, CT and his group Disabled Americans for Firearms Rights, have filed the first legal challenge against CT's newly enacted gun law. This action for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief asks...more

Prosecutor Claims Milwaukee Police Officers Engaged In A Pattern Of Illegal Conduct

On Thursday, March 21, 2013, a motion hearing occurred regarding the four Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officers who face charges of conducting illegal strip searches and illegal body cavity searches. During the hearing,...more

Indiana Anti-Immigration Law Unconstitutional, Court Says

A federal court on Mar. 28 struck down an Indiana law, inspired by Arizona’s infamous SB 1070, that reportedly allowed police to arrest immigrants without warrants. With that lawsuit, immigrant advocate groups have basically...more

Supreme Court To Hear Case On Michigan Affirmative Action Ban

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear another major affirmative action case, Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, No. 12-682. At issue is the legality of Michigan's voter-approved ban of using racial preferences...more

CWP 2693 of 2010/ 9968 of 2009 [Hemant Goswami vs. Union of India]

Final Order of High Court in Child Labour Case

Under the J.J. Act of 2000, a person up to the age of 18 years is treated as ‘child’. Same age is prescribed under the CPCR Act, 2005 as well. However when it comes to prohibition of Child Labour Act of 1986, the definition...more