US Supreme Court counsel defends conservative justice after allegations of outside influence in 2014 contraceptive decision–JURIST

Lauren Ban | U. Pittsburgh School of Law, US

Legal counsel for the US Supreme Court Monday defended Justice Samuel Alito and his wife from allegations of outside influence raised by members of Congress. In a November 20 letter, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Henry Johnson (D-GA) questioned whether Alito was in any way influenced by or gave advance notice to a right-wing organization regarding a 2014 ruling in a case concerning contraceptives. Whitehouse and Johnson sent the letter after a New York Times report revealed the right-wing organization, Faith and Action, sought to influence Alito and gain advance knowledge of the court’s ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.

***

Read More…

‘Reply all’ in electronic communications can imply consent, new ABA ethics opinion says–ABA Journal

BY LIANE JACKSON

Lawyers who copy their clients on emails and other forms of electronic communications when messaging a lawyer representing someone in the same matter have given implied consent to receiving a “reply all” response back from the recipient counsel, absent special circumstances, according to a new ethics opinion from the ABA.

In Formal Opinion 503, released Wednesday, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility cautions lawyers to not copy their clients on electronic communications to opposing counsel, unless the intended result is a “reply all” response.

***

To avoid confusion or potential problems, the formal opinion advises simply that the better practice is “not to copy the client on an email or text to receiving counsel.”

***

Read more…

Two Oath Keepers, including founder, convicted of seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 case–NBC NEWS

By Ryan J. Reilly and Daniel Barnes

WASHINGTON — A federal jury in Washington on Tuesday found Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs, another member of the far-right organization, guilty of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a victory for the government in a case that involved a rarely-used Civil War era statute.

Three other members of the group who were on trial alongside Rhodes and Meggs — Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell — were found not guilty on the seditious conspiracy charge. All five defendants were found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting for their actions on Jan. 6.

***

Read more…

Law Beat: Recent Biden pick for court ripped in decision by Albany judge–Times-Union

Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, recommended by Gillibrand, could face sanctions for his handling of case

Robert Gavin

ALBANY — Just five months ago, President Joe Biden nominated Jorge Alberto Rodriguez to be a federal judge in the Northern District of New York.

The Albany-based assistant attorney general is no longer in line for the judgeship  — and could be subject to sanctions from an existing judge on the Northern District’s bench.

In a Nov. 9 decision, U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino said Rodriguez, a litigator for Attorney General Letitia James, was responsible for “countless hours wasted” while representing SUNY Upstate Medical University/Upstate Healthcare Center in Syracuse against a civil rights lawsuit.

***

Read more…

As Police Arrest More Seniors, Those With Dementia Face Deadly Consequences–The Marshall Project

By CHRISTIE THOMPSON

There’s no national count of how many people with dementia are arrested each year. But an analysis of U.S. crime data by The Marshall Project shows that the number of arrests of people over 65 grew by nearly 30% between 2000 and 2020 — at the same time that overall arrests fell by nearly 40%. The number of elder arrests is growing faster than the population is aging. Older Americans are still a small portion of overall arrests — less than 2%.

National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimates that from 2010 to 2020, over 12,000 people 65 and older ended up in a hospital emergency room for injuries caused by police or private security.

Read more…

U.S. Attorneys » District of Columbia » Capitol Breach Investigation Resource Page

Capitol Breach Cases

Below is a list of defendants charged in federal court in the District of Columbia related to crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. 

Every case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Following arrests, or surrender, defendants must appear before district court magistrate/judge where the arrest takes place, in accordance with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Read more…

Zoom Mail and Calendar

• • Introducing: Zoom Mail and Calendar Clients
    Email and calendaring are centralized along with Meetings, Phone, and Team Chat when your email and calendar account is integrated with Zoom. The Zoom Mail Client allows users to access, manage, compose, and respond to emails directly from the Zoom desktop client. Integrating a calendar service allows users to schedule new meetings directly in their calendar with an associated Zoom meeting, check who has responded to the invite, and more easily join meetings on their calendar. Currently, Zoom supports the Zoom Mail Service, Google, and Office 365 for integrating with the client.
  • Introducing: Zoom Mail and Calendar Service (Beta)
    The Zoom Mail Service works seamlessly with Meetings, Phone and Team Chat, bringing all of your important communications and scheduling activities together, with the security of end-to-end encryption for emails sent directly between active Zoom Mail Service users. This is currently available for Zoom One Pro or Standard Pro accounts in the US or Canada. The Mail and Calendar Services use the Mail and Calendar Clients for the desktop app.
  • ***
  • Read more and download…

Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro lineups made possible by $450 million Apple investment in US infrastructure–APPLE

A $450 million investment from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund provides the critical infrastructure that supports Emergency SOS via satellite for iPhone 14 models. Available to customers in the US and Canada beginning later this month, the new service will allow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

***

Read more…

How Edelson Plans to Pave ‘a Way Forward’ for Holding Gun Makers Accountable–ALM Law.Com Podcast

In this episode, Law.com legal technology reporter Isha Marathe speaks with Scharg about the lawsuit his firm has filed on behalf of one of the Highland Park shooting victims against Smith & Wesson, the maker of the assault rifle used that day.

Scharg discusses how the lawsuit, which alleges Smith & Wesson deliberately targets its advertising to emotionally troubled young men, will show other plaintiffs attorneys “a way forward for how to hold gun companies accountable.”

***

Read…listen more…

The spectacular implosion of crypto’s biggest star, explained–FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried just experienced a shocking downfall–By Emily Stewartemily.stewart@vox.com

Sam Bankman-Fried, one of the crypto industry’s biggest stars, has said a lot of things over the years, most recently that he’s “sorry” and he “fucked up.”

Before that, he said he might spend as much as $1 billion on politics in 2024. He said he had a lot of ideas for policing the crypto industry and using his crypto-fueled fortune for good. He said he’d be fine bailing out some crypto companies in trouble as crypto winter hit over the summer. All of these claims are now in limbo thanks to another thing he said on November 7: that his crypto exchange, FTX, was “fine.” It was not. Instead, the next day, the exchange imploded. By Friday, November 11, the company had filed for bankruptcy, and Bankman-Fried resigned as CEO.

***

Read more…long article…