BIN LADEN ASSOCIATE, COAL EXEC AND SEXTER NOT GETTING A SAVE FROM SCOTUS | New Thurgood Marshall Film Out Friday
October 10, 2017
AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN
|This morning, the Supreme Court refused to curb the power of the military commissions that were set up following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This decision leaves in place a ruling that lets the tribunals handle cases that don’t involve violations of international law. The appeal came from the former PR manager for OSAMA BIN LADEN who was hoping to overturn his conviction for conspiracy to commit war crimes, which is a U.S. offense but not a violation of international law.
NOPE, SORRY PAL
|The justices today also rejected the appeal from a former coal executive who was convicted of safety violations linked to the 2010 West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 men. His claim was that the trial judge improperly instructed jurors about the meaning of “willfully” violating mine safety regulations.
WE GOT A LIVE ONE
|Justices agreed to hear water rights cases between Florida and Georgia as well as between Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. The former dates back to 1990 and involves the river basin that includes parts of Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The latter has to do with the flow of the Rio Grande. No date for either argument has been set yet.
HOW BOUT THEM APPLES
|Greg Stohr with Bloomberg reports the Supreme Court is taking an interest in Apple Inc.’s appeal in a consumer lawsuit that accuses the iPhone giant of trying to monopolize the market for its phone apps so it can charge excessive commissions. Today, the justices asked the Trump administration for advice on the suit, suggesting the high court may be interested in hearing Apple’s appeal.
SEXTING GETS THE SCOTUS SLAM
|The Supreme Court this morning denied the free-speech appeal of a former school lunch server who was charged with sexting a 15-year-old student. The decision will allow the criminal case against the school lunch server to proceed.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13
|Marking the 50th anniversary of THURGOOD MARSHALL’S arrival to the Supreme Court is a new film opening in theaters this Friday. “Marshall” dramatizes a lesser-known case from Marshall’s work as a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in which he defended a black chauffeur falsely accused of rape. NBC’s Pete Williams reports on the upcoming film.