Judge Denies Obstructing ICE As Disciplinary Hearing Begins

By Julie Manganis

An attorney for a Massachusetts state judge, who was accused of plotting to let a man wanted by immigration agents escape out of a back door of a courthouse in 2018, said at the start of a disciplinary inquiry Monday that the judge did not know about the plan, pointing the finger at the wanted man's lawyer.

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Migrant Kids Funding Suit Belongs In Claims Court, Feds Say

By Britain Eakin

The government has asked a California federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its termination of legal services programs for immigrant unaccompanied minors, arguing that the case is essentially a contract dispute the court lacks authority over.

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Newsom Sues Trump Over 'Illegal' National Guard Deployment

By Bonnie Eslinger

California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued President Donald Trump on Monday over the administration's "illegal" takeover of the state's National Guard unit in response to protests in Los Angeles sparked by federal immigration raids, saying the move exceeded "the bounds of lawful executive authority."

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Senators Seek Probe Into SEIU Leader's Arrest At ICE Raid

By Beverly Banks

Three Democratic senators called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice on Monday to provide legal justification for the arrest of the president of a Service Employees International Union affiliate in California during an immigration enforcement raid last week.

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Chinese Student Accused Of Smuggling Roundworms To US

By Gina Kim

A Chinese student pursuing a doctoral degree in Wuhan has been charged with smuggling roundworms to recipients associated with a University of Michigan laboratory and lying to federal agents about it, according to an announcement Monday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. 

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Feds Say Columbia Grad's Release Bid Lacks Harm Showing

By Carla Baranauckas

Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil should be denied a court order for his release, the government argued in a letter Monday to a New Jersey federal judge, saying he has not met his burden to prove irreparable harm.

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2nd Circ. Says Ecuadoran Can Be Extradited For Possible Rape

By Madeline Lyskawa

The Second Circuit ruled Monday that a New York federal judge rightly allowed for the extradition of an Ecuadoran man charged with sexual abuse in his home country, rejecting his argument that he hasn't been accused of an extraditable offense.

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Justices Urged To Keep Pause On 'Breakneck' Gov't Overhaul

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court should leave in place a California federal judge's order barring implementation of layoffs and reorganizations at various federal departments and agencies, several unions and nonprofits argued Monday, claiming a decision allowing the changes would irreversibly harm the federal government and render Congress and the judiciary powerless.

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Brief

9th Circ. Awaits Justices' Ruling On Birthright Citizenship

By Madeline Lyskawa

A Ninth Circuit panel has elected to hold off on deciding whether to affirm a Washington federal court order blocking the Trump administration from limiting birthright citizenship until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the matter.

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In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

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House Conservatives Push Senate To 'Rein In' Judges

By Courtney Bublé

House conservatives are imploring their Senate counterparts to do more to "rein in" federal judges with the budget reconciliation package.

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State Chief Justices Blast Plans To Cut Legal Services Corp.

By Hailey Konnath

A coalition of 37 state Supreme Court chief justices have asked federal lawmakers to reject President Donald Trump's plans to eliminate the Legal Services Corp., arguing that the "justice system is hobbled when citizens are deprived of legal counsel."

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Civil Rights Atty Returning To Lead MacArthur Justice Center

By Rose Krebs

The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center announced Tuesday that it will soon welcome back the founder and former director of its Supreme Court and appellate program to serve as the third executive director in its 40-year history.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Katryna Perera and Jeff Montgomery

Delaware's Court of Chancery showed new resistance to suits alleging corporate weaponizing of advance notice bylaws, and a new report highlighted the high fees that attorneys are cashing in on in Delaware courts compared to the federal court system. Several new suits were also filed concerning allegedly under- or overvalued sales and acquisitions being pushed through.

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Wis. Judge Can't Wield Immunity For Obstructing ICE, DOJ Says

By Lynn LaRowe

The U.S. Department of Justice has urged a Wisconsin federal judge to reject a state court judge's argument that judicial immunity blocks her prosecution for allegedly obstructing an ICE arrest at a Milwaukee courthouse, saying that while judges may be immune from civil liability for official acts, they are not shielded from prosecution for supposedly criminal conduct.

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Mass. Court-Appointed Attys Hit 'Boiling Point' Over Low Pay

By Julie Manganis

Hundreds of private attorneys in Massachusetts who are paid by the state to represent indigent defendants and others have stopped accepting new court-appointed cases over complaints about low pay, putting the system on what one veteran advocate called "the verge of imploding."

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