Each week, we bring you updates on the legal world.
Looking ahead…
Bill Cosby is best know for entertaining audiences with his unique brand of humor, but some women are trying to change that. He’s dodged accusations of rape and sexual assault for several decades, but now his accusers are trying to bring their claims into the courtroom. Criminal suits seem unlikely at this point, but expect at least some attempts to pursue civil action. (Washington Post)
It’s the question everyone wants answered right now: Will the Supreme Court hear a case about gay marriage? An appeal from gay-rights advocates in Kansas is expected later this week. If that happens, the Court will have until January to decide if it hears the case. (The New Yorker)
On November 8th, President Obama nominated Loretta Lynch to fill the U.S. Attorney General vacancy. What’s unknown now is whether she will be confirmed by a divisive congress. Most analysts, however, expect her to survive the hearings, even if the GOP tries to roadblock her. (Politico)
And in case you missed it…
On Thursday Condé Nast, the major publisher, agreed to pay several million dollars to settle a suit over unfair intern pay. About 7,500 interns are covered under the settlement. After the suit was first filed a few years ago in court, Condé Nast responded by canceling its entire internship program across all their publications. (Reuters)
The son of Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe was convicted in 2003 of felony marijuana possession with intent to deliver. The outgoing governor said on Wednesday that he intends to pardon his son for the conviction. He also said he will pardon several hundred other convicted criminals on the premise of allowing people “to get their life back on track and have a second chance.” (Yahoo)
The F.B.I. is increasingly relying on undercover work in its operations across its financial and criminal investigative divisions. Among the examples offered by the New York Times in an article Saturday: agents dressing up as activist students to blend in with crowds outside the Supreme Court. (The New York Times)
Florida State University Police and Talhasse law enforcement officials are coming under fire for their role in allegedly covering up a hit-and-run accident involving two FSU football players. In the crash, both cars were totaled. The two athletes left the scene and returned twenty minutes later. Law officials did not report the accident to FSU administrators, and instead of being charged with a hit-and-run, the guys received a pair of traffic infractions. (ESPN)
