U.S. Court of Appeals

Same-Sex Marriage Could Return To California Under Supreme Court Decision Today

Today is the day that U.S. Supreme Court could take up the legality of same-sex marriage in California. Seems to us that folks who back equality in marriage would rather see the high court turn its back on California's Proposition 8, the initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage in the Golden Stat ... More >>

University of California Urges U.S. Supreme Court to Uphold Affirmative Action

Just call us the Bleeding Heart State: Yesterday, leading up to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Texas that will determine once and for all the constitutionality of considering race in university admissions, California Attorney General Kamala Harris joined the nation's most prestigious public unive ... More >>

Marijuana's Legitimacy as Medicine Heads to Federal Court

Is marijuana medicine? That's the question before a federal court this week as medical cannabis advocates celebrate a 10-year journey to overturn the government's classification of pot as an outlaw drug worse than cocaine. A challenge to a Drug Enforcement Administration denial of a petition to re ... More >>

Prop. 8 Victory: California Ninth Circuit Sticks With Decision to Support Gay Marriage

The court battle to overturn California's infamous Proposition 8, a voter-approved initiative that effectively banned gay marriage in 2008, has been long and grueling. Every decision that comes down from a judge (or panel of judges) plants a little hope in the hearts of same-sex couples up and down ... More >>

Governor Brown Agrees Shaken-Baby Syndrome Is Bogus, Takes Mercy on L.A. Grandma

When Shirley Ree Smith was convicted of killing her grandson in a Van Nuys apartment in 1997, "shaken-baby syndrome" was all the rage. If a baby showed signs of bleeding in the brain, the "shaken" diagnosis was a go-to -- and the last person to have been in the same room with the baby was the prime ... More >>

Brad Pitt to Star as Gay Prop. 8 Judge in Livestreamed YouTube Reenactment of Trial

Is Brad Pitt feeling a little guilty about saying he might have to break his big promise not to marry Angelina Jolie until his homosexual brethren can do the same? The American Foundation for Equal Rights, the plaintiff in California's never-ending court battle to overturn Proposition 8, is announc ... More >>

Illegal Immigrants Win Right to Gather on Street Corners, Ask for Work (Radical!)

Looks like illegal immigrants really can hang out on a street corner and whistle at well-proportioned white women ask for work. In fact, the most conservative U.S. Supreme Court in decades says so (sorry John & Ken). The court today denied a petition to overturn a lower-court decision that says Red ... More >>

Prop. 8 Ruling: Los Angeles, West Hollywood to Host Celebration Rallies Tonight

Surely you've heard the good news by now: Proposition 8 was just overturned by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. And, though the religious zealots at ProtectMarriage will inevitably appeal that decision, it's definitely time to take this Internet party to the streets. LGBT advocates and city o ... More >>

Same Sex Marriage Ban Can be Defended by Religious Nuts, State Supreme Court Rules

Cobra​Updated at the bottom with California Attorney General Kamala Harris rooting for LGBT rights. First posted at 11:02 a.m. The battle over the legality of Prop. 8, the state voter initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage, continued on its epic way today as the California Supreme Court r ... More >>

The 10 Most Controversial Laws That California Governor Jerry Brown Just Signed or Vetoed

Like a good procrastinating California politician, Governor Jerry Brown waited until the last possible second to sign over 100 bills still waiting on his desk this weekend. So, as of Columbus Day morning, we have a whole controversy-load of new laws to make sense of. And being the stragglers of the ... More >>

Villaraigosa's 'Clean Truck' Plan for Port of Los Angeles Fails in 9th District Court of Appeals: Greenwashing Failed to Impress

Sparkling clean truck: Los Angeles greenwashing almost worked.​Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's controversial "clean trucks" plan to squeeze independent truckers out of the Port of Los Angeles as a favor to the Teamsters -- a green-washing plan he sold as merely a wholesome effort to r ... More >>

California Supreme Court Delays Prop. 8 Hearing Until Fall; 2011 Complete Wash for Gay Marriage

Hope y'all like stale wedding cake​One small step toward repealing Prop. 8 was taken today -- but it's safe to say the California State Supreme Court announcement was no great step for mankind. Basically, the court just set a date for hearing whether or not a website, Protectmarriage.com, can ... More >>

Proposition 8 Hearing Underway at U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Jesse Jackson In Favor of Gay Marriage

Ted SoquiGay marriage supporters in West Hollywood.​The Proposition 8 hearing is underway at the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, with pro-Prop. 8 attorney Charles Cooper laying out his case for why anti-gay marriage forces have legal standing to appeal U.S. District Cour ... More >>

Angeleno Kristina Schake, A Same-Sex Marriage Supporter, Heading To White House To Become Michelle Obama's Spokeswoman

griffinschake.comWill Kristina Schake put support for same-sex marrage on the president's agenda?​Starting next month there will be a pro-same-sex-marriage Californian in the White House. L.A. public relations executive Kristina Schake will start as First Lady Michelle Obama's spokeswoman. Th ... More >>

Kamala Harris Victory in Attorney General Race Thrills California Gay Rights Groups

California Attorney General-elect Kamala Harris​Two prominent gay rights groups in California didn't waste any time celebrating Kamala Harris's victory over Steve Cooley in the state attorney general race, which L.A. Weekly called yesterday. "Today's decision in the attorney general race mea ... More >>

Proposition 8: Thirteen Out-of-State Attorney Generals Don't Want California Gays to Get Married, Join George Wallace in History Books

Prop. 8 supporter and Alabama Attorney General Troy King​With the appeal hearing for the Proposition 8 lawsuit set for Monday, December 6, we thought it would be a good time to look into the out-of-state attorney generals who stuck their noses into California's business and filed a friendly b ... More >>

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Approves C-SPAN Request to Televise Proposition 8 Hearing

Ted SoquiGay marriage supporters at a West Hollywood rally in August.​On Wednesday, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals approved a request by C-SPAN to televise a Proposition 8 hearing on December 6. Two cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, which will also serve as a pool feed for ot ... More >>

Albert Greenwood Brown Execution And Six Others On California Death Row Put Off By Judge -- Now, Months Of Wrangling Over Killer Poison

​Updated with Attorney General's office calling off the execution. First posted at 11:46 a.m. That California death row execution of Albert Greenwood Brown, Jr., scheduled for Wednesday, then Thursday, looks like its it might not happen any time soon. Update: California Attorney General Jerr ... More >>

10 Terrified States Want Gay Marriage Ban to Stand in California

Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg​10 states not known for their gay-friendliness are mightily nervous about last month's federal court ruling that deemed California's Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional. Why? If the Proposition 8 decision stands as it goes through the federal appeals ... More >>

Proposition 8 Demonstration Planned for West Hollywood

Patrick Range McDonaldProposition 8 protesters in Westwood in November, 2008.​Angered by the fact that the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay to proponents of Proposition 8, gay rights activists are now planning a demonstration on Thursday night in West Hollywood. "There's a ... More >>

Prop. 8 Appeal Process Begins

​ As expected, lawyers fighting to protect Proposition 8, the California ban on gay marriage, have appealed Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling, which overturned the marriage ban Wednesday, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Walker's decision overturned Prop. 8, using strong lan ... More >>

In Wake Of Grim Sleeper Arrest, Jerry Brown Says He'll Defend Practice Of Collecting DNA From California Felons

​Citing the DNA-triggered arrest of a suspect in the Grim Sleeper serial murder case, state Attorney General Jerry Brown says he'll defend the state against an ACLU lawsuit that challenge's California's collection of DNA from every convicted felon. The A.G.'s lawyers on Tuesday, in fact, will ... More >>

Sentence For Man Who Put LAX On Terror Map Overturned

​The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned the conviction of the man who put LAX on the terror map, concluding that Ahmed Ressam was not given enough time behind bars for his plot to bomb the airport on New Year's Eve, 1999. The man, who was caught driving a vehicle loaded ... More >>

Billy Cottrell's SUV-Arson Conviction May Be Vacated

Billy Cottrell in 2003​The L.A. Times is reporting that the U.S. Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an opinion, still unpublished, that may vacate the 2005 conviction of Billy Cottrell, the brilliant Caltech math instructor convicted of vandalism and arson charges in the 2003 attacks ... More >>

Judge Kozinski Spanked by Panel But Not Disciplined

Alex Kozinski, the Chief Judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was reprimanded by a panel of peer judges in Philadelphia today. The group found no judicial misconduct on the part of Kozinski, who last year recused himself from a Los Angeles obscenity trial after the L.A. Times revealed Kozi ... More >>

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of White Firefighters

A group of white firefighters dubbed the New Haven 20 were the victims of illegal racial discrimination, according to a Supreme Court ruling today. The white firefighters lost promotions in New Haven, Connecticut after New Haven officials set aside results of a 2003 test after the officials learned ... More >>

Toymaker Claims Smackdown Win Over WWE

Jakks PacificThe L.A. Business Journal quotes Malibu-based toymaker Jakks Pacific Inc.'s claim that a U.S. appellate court has thrown out a lawsuit brought by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. The wrestling-promotion outfit had accused Jakks "of bribery and other actions," according to LABJ. The ... More >>

Laurence Tribe Tangles with Los Angeles -- and Loses!

A federal appellate court dealt legendary litigator Laurence Tribe a bitter blow today when it ruled that Los Angeles' outdoor advertising and billboard ban did not violate an  advertising company's First Amendment right to free speech.Tribe was representing Metro Lights, whose federal lawsuit ... More >>

Digital Billboards Become a Bohemian Blasphemy

Silver Lake, Hollywood, the Valley and Westside take on City Hall's anti-green transformation of LA

Judge Kozinski Gets Judged

He lawyers up, while the panel investigating the porn dustup has yet to begin

The Tights Club

When it comes to Mexican superheroes in Spandex, look to lucha libre

San Francisco Outdoor Advertising Company Lawsuit Mirrors Billboard Attacks Against Los Angeles

Two Los Angeles court rulings in favor of outdoor advertising companies are playing strong roles in a recent court filing in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Metro Fuel, which is owned by New York based Fuel Outdoor Holdings, which specializes in mini billb ... More >>

Will Scat-Porn Trial Bring Down Powerful Judge Alex Kozinski?

Shock and art

Shit Happened: Scat Porn Trial Begins

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a jury.” So said Chief U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski at 4:55 p.m. today, and not a minute too soon. Over the last two days court clerks had sent up three batches of 50 potential jurors apiece to Room 1600 of the U.S. Courthouse in downtown ... More >>

Key Moments in the Struggle for Gay Marriage in the U.S.

Holy unions to Supreme Court battles

A Terrible Thing to Waste

Convicted as an ecoterrorist, a brilliant young scholar nose-dives in prison Also, excerpts of Billy Cottrell's letters from prison

Clean Air vs. Cancer

A federal judge re-affirms California's authority to fight pollution

The Yoke of Men�s Opinions

Recall Demographics

And the importance of SB2

Punching-Out Gray

Any liberals left who haven�t gone off the cliff for Gray?

CitySweep

The Sky is Falling

Bush�s Shining Starrs

The War on Due Process

With Patriot Act power, Bush and Ashcroft try to conquer the legal system

No Secrets

Two courts reject ashcroft's anti- terror strategy

Subterranean Speed-Freak Blues

Ignoring the Protesters

U�wa�s next stop � Democratic Convention

Playa Vista To Spend Summer in Court

Legal gauntlet begins with hearing next week

Sweetheart Deal?