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Appeals court rules against imprisoned American
U.S. Court News |
2014/11/17 15:51
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A federal appeals court has ruled against a government subcontractor imprisoned in Cuba who is seeking to sue the U.S. government for the destruction of his business.
Alan Gross was detained in December 2009 while setting up Internet access as a subcontractor for the U.S. government's Agency for International Development. It was his fifth trip to Cuba to work with Jewish communities on building Internet access that bypassed local censorship.
Cuba considers USAID programs illegal attempts by the U.S. to undermine the Cuban government. Gross was tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison in Cuba, where he remains. Gross and his wife sued for negligence.
In a 3-0 decision Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the U.S. government is immune from any claim arising in a foreign country. It affirmed a lower court judge's dismissal of the case.
The Grosses said the government is cloaking itself in immunity after sending Gross into a situation it knew would be dangerous.
Scott Gilbet, a lawyer representing the Grosses, said he will be seeking further review in the courts and that "we are very disappointed in the decision."
The $60 million lawsuit blames the U.S. government and the contractor Gross was working for, Maryland-based Development Alternatives Inc., for failing to appropriately prepare him for his work in Cuba. The Gross family settled for an undisclosed amount with Development Alternatives. |
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Supreme Court justices: Court needs diversity
U.S. Court News |
2014/10/28 14:13
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U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor expressed concern Saturday about the lack of diverse legal and life experience among those who sit on the country's highest court.
Both are Yale University alumni and Thomas noted that all nine Supreme Court justices attended either Yale or Harvard University. He said everyone should be concerned that the nation's highest court has "such a strong Northeastern orientation."
Thomas, Sotomayor and Justice Samuel Alito, also a Yale alumnus, shared the stage Saturday when they were honored at the Connecticut school's alumni weekend. They were awarded the Yale Law School Association Award of Merit at the event. The six other Supreme Court justices all attended Harvard's law school.
"I do think we should be concerned that virtually all of us are from two law schools," Thomas said to an audience of Yale alumni and students. "I'm sure Harvard and Yale are happy, but I think we should be concerned about that. I think we should also be concerned that we have such a strong Northeastern orientation ... But I couldn't say that somebody who's a colleague of mine shouldn't be there." |
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German court lifts injunction banning Uber
U.S. Court News |
2014/09/22 16:36
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A court in Germany has lifted an emergency injunction that banned the ridesharing service Uber from operating anywhere in the country.
The Frankfurt state court ruled Tuesday that the urgent measures taxi drivers won against their upstart rival last month weren't warranted.
The move means Uber can continue operating, though taxi associations have indicated they plan to appeal the decision and seek a full hearing of the suit.
Taxi associations accuse Uber of allowing its drivers to skirt safety and insurance regulations that conventional cabs have to abide by.
The San Francisco-based company has battled stiff opposition to its business model in several European countries and recently hired David Plouffe, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, as its senior vice president of policy and strategy. |
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Chris Brown returns to court after rehab dismissal
U.S. Court News |
2014/03/17 14:32
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After a weekend in jail, Chris Brown is facing a court hearing over his dismissal from rehab and whether he should be given additional penalties, which could include more time behind bars.
The Grammy-winning R&B singer spent the weekend in a downtown Los Angeles lockup after a judge ordered him to be arrested for violating the rules and regulations of his treatment. Court records did not elaborate on the reason for Brown's dismissal from the facility in Malibu that was treating him for anger management, substance abuse and issues related to bi-polar disorder.
Brown, 24, had been under court orders to remain in treatment since November, one month after he was arrested in Washington, D.C., after a man accused him of punching him in a confrontation outside a hotel. That case remains pending, and Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin has not yet scheduled a probation violation hearing to address whether he would penalize the singer for the arrest.
His attorney Mark Geragos did not return an email message seeking comment on the singer's arrest. Prosecutors have not said what action they plan to take at Monday's hearing.
Brandlin revoked Brown's probation in December, but refused a prosecutor's request in February to send the singer to jail because of the Washington misdemeanor assault case. The judge has said Brown appeared to be making good progress in rehab and a probation officer gave him a favorable report at his last court hearing on Feb. 28.
The singer's arrest last week represents another stumble in his efforts to put his 2009 attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna behind him. Brown's probation had been scheduled to conclude in August, but that is now unlikely because he still has 750 hours of community labor to complete and could face additional penalties for failing to complete rehab successfully. |
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