Analysis: Louisiana figures in 2 major Supreme Court cases
Family Law
Among cases on the U.S. Supreme Court docket for the term that began this month, two Louisiana cases stand out — one because of its implications for criminal justice in the state, the other because of what it portends for abortion rights and access nationwide.
And, both, in part, because they deal with matters that, on the surface, might appear to have been settled.
Yes, voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring unanimous jury verdicts in felony cases — following Pulitzer Prize winning reporting by The Advocate on the racial impacts of allowing 10-2 verdicts. But sometimes lost amid celebrations of the measure’s passage is its effective date: it applies to crimes that happened on or after Jan. 1 of this year.
No help to people like Evangelisto Ramos, who was convicted on a 10-2 jury vote in 2016 of second-degree murder in the killing of a woman in New Orleans. Ramos is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Related listings
-
Brazil's supreme court votes to make homophobia a crime
Family Law 05/23/2019A majority in Brazil's supreme court has voted to make homophobia and transphobia crimes like racism, a decision coming amid fears the country's far-right president will roll back LGBT social gains.Six of the Supreme Federal Tribunal's 11 judges have...
-
High court declines to take Pennsylvania rap artist’s case
Family Law 04/13/2019The Supreme Court is declining to take the case of a Pennsylvania rapper who was convicted of threatening police officers in one of his songs.The high court declined on Monday to take the case of Jamal Knox, known as Mayhem Mal. In 2012, he and rappe...
-
Dakota Access developer sues Greenpeace in state court
Family Law 02/22/2019The developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline is going after the environmental group Greenpeace in state court in North Dakota, after a judge tossed the company's $1 billion racketeering claim out of federal court.Texas-based Energy Transfer Partne...