STAFF WRITER

Texas Violated Federal Law by Institutionalizing Disabled in Nursing Homes, Judge Rules

Texas Violated Federal Law by Institutionalizing Disabled in Nursing Homes, Judge Rules

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A federal judge has ruled that Texas has violated federal law for decades by placing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in nursing homes instead of offering them appropriate community-based services. In a sweeping 475-page opinion issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia said the state

United States Supreme Court to Decide if Inmate Can Sue Over Forced Haircut

United States Supreme Court to Decide if Inmate Can Sue Over Forced Haircut

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the case of Damon Landor, a Rastafarian inmate in Louisiana who says prison officials violated his religious rights when they forcibly shaved his dreadlocks. Landor had not cut his hair for nearly 20 years, in keeping with his religious beliefs. His lawsuit,

Friends of Haʻikū Stairs Sue to Halt Demolition Plans in Hawai'i

Friends of Haʻikū Stairs Sue to Halt Demolition Plans in Hawai'i

HONOLULU — A nonprofit group has filed suit to stop the planned demolition of the Haʻikū Stairs, an iconic and controversial hiking route in the Koʻolau mountains of Oʻahu. The lawsuit, filed Thursday by the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs, challenges a decision by the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) that greenlighted

Judge Reaffirms Ongoing Pollution in Illinois River from Poultry Waste

Judge Reaffirms Ongoing Pollution in Illinois River from Poultry Waste

Federal Ruling Maintains Poultry Waste Is Still Harming Watershed TULSA, Okla. — A federal judge has reaffirmed that poultry waste continues to damage the Illinois River watershed, despite arguments that conditions have improved. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell issued his updated ruling Tuesday, June 17, stating that Oklahoma met its

Oregon Court Ruling Questions Reliability of Gun Casing Forensics

Oregon Court Ruling Questions Reliability of Gun Casing Forensics

SALEM, Ore. — An Oregon Court of Appeals decision has cast doubt on a key forensic method long used in criminal investigations—matching shell casings to firearms. The court ruled that state forensic analysts relied on “subjective judgment” rather than proven scientific standards in a 2018 Portland shooting case, potentially undermining

Houston-Area Inmate’s Parental Rights Challenged Over Risk, Not Harm

Houston-Area Inmate’s Parental Rights Challenged Over Risk, Not Harm

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that a Houston-area father's criminal history alone is enough to justify terminating his parental rights, even though he did not directly harm his son. The father, whose identity is not disclosed in court documents, has spent most of his son’

Undocumented Students Seek to Revive Texas In-State Tuition Law

Undocumented Students Seek to Revive Texas In-State Tuition Law

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — A group of undocumented students is asking a federal judge to let them intervene in a case that struck down their access to in-state tuition at Texas public universities. The request, filed Wednesday, aims to revive a long-standing Texas law that had allowed undocumented students to pay