STAFF WRITER

Colorado High Court Clarifies Injury Lawsuits in Government Buildings

Colorado High Court Clarifies Injury Lawsuits in Government Buildings

DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that people suing the government for injuries caused by dangerous conditions in public buildings must show early on that the government likely acted negligently. The decision stems from a 2019 case in which Krista Dozier slipped on a puddle of water inside the

Teen Held in Isolation for Over a Month at Oregon Youth Facility, Lawsuit Alleges

Teen Held in Isolation for Over a Month at Oregon Youth Facility, Lawsuit Alleges

PORTLAND, OR — A new federal lawsuit accuses the Oregon Youth Authority of violating state law and a teen’s civil rights by subjecting him to prolonged solitary confinement in a youth detention center. The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Portland, centers on the experience of a

North Carolina Court Hears Dispute Over Smithfield Settlement Funds

North Carolina Court Hears Dispute Over Smithfield Settlement Funds

RALEIGH, N.C. — A legal battle over $12 million from a decades-old settlement with Smithfield Foods has reached North Carolina’s Court of Appeals, raising questions about the attorney general’s authority and how state funds should be spent. The dispute stems from a 2000 agreement between Smithfield Foods and

Indiana Supreme Court Weighs Duty of Care in Overgrown Bush Case

Indiana Supreme Court Weighs Duty of Care in Overgrown Bush Case

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Supreme Court is reviewing a case that could shift how responsibility is assigned for visual obstructions at rural intersections. The case stems from a 2021 crash in Miami County, where Yerano Martinez collided with another vehicle at a four-way stop. Martinez claims that an overgrown bush on

California Court Strikes Down State Wildfire Plan Over Environmental Review Failures

California Court Strikes Down State Wildfire Plan Over Environmental Review Failures

SAN DIEGO — A California appeals court has ruled that state officials violated environmental law when they approved a wildfire prevention program. The plan allows native shrublands to be cleared, which can lead to more flammable grasses taking over and increasing fire risk In a unanimous decision filed May 30, the

Court Clarifies Hands-Free Law in California

Court Clarifies Hands-Free Law in California

SACRAMENTO — A California appeals court ruled this week that drivers are breaking the law if they hold a cellphone to look at a navigation app while driving, even if they aren’t tapping or swiping the screen. The decision, issued Tuesday by the California Court of Appeal for the Sixth

Court Backs Emergency Subsistence Hunt for Alaska Tribe

Court Backs Emergency Subsistence Hunt for Alaska Tribe

ANCHORAGE — A federal appeals court has ruled that the board responsible for managing subsistence hunting on federal lands in Alaska acted legally when it authorized an emergency hunt for the remote village of Kake during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the decision Monday,