Tag Archives: district-judge

Open Thread: Virginia Judge Rules Individual Mandate Unconstitutional

From the AP : A federal judge declared the Obama administration's health care law unconstitutional Monday, siding with Virginia's attorney general in a dispute that both sides agree will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson is the first federal judge to strike down the law, which has been upheld by two others in Virginia and Michigan. Several other lawsuits have been dismissed and others are pending, including one filed by 20 other states in Florida. read more

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Open Thread: Virginia Judge Rules Individual Mandate Unconstitutional

Wesley Snipes: Officially Ordered to Prison

He’s already been Passenger 57. But, soon, Wesley Snipes will getting another number, of the inmate variety. The action star, who tried his hardest to avoid a prison sentence on tax evasion charges, has been ordered to begin serving his three-year stint at a federal prison in Pennsylvania on December 9. All attempts by Snipes and his attorneys to overturn his 2008 conviction failed, as prosecutors allege the actor did not pay any taxes on the reported $38 million he earned from 1999 on. “The Defendant Snipes had a fair trial… The time has come for the judgment to be enforced,” wrote U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges. Indeed, for Snipes, it’s time to get off the Money Train.

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Wesley Snipes: Officially Ordered to Prison

Lady Gaga Says Born This Way ‘Will Piss People Off’

‘The album is my absolute greatest work I’ve ever done,’ singer tells RWD magazine. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images She’s unveiled two tracks, “Living on the Radio” and “You and I,” and gotten the album title, which she belted out at the VMAs , tattooed on her body, and now Lady Gaga is revealing a few more details about her forthcoming album, Born This Way.

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Lady Gaga Says Born This Way ‘Will Piss People Off’

T.I. Allegedly Had Codeine, Ecstasy, Marijuana During L.A. Arrest

Judge orders rapper to appear in court to explain why probation should not be revoked. By James Montgomery T.I. Photo: Moses Robinson/ WireImage When T.I. and wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle were arrested in Los Angeles earlier this month, police originally charged them with possession of a controlled substance — a substance which would later be revealed to be Ecstasy . But according to new documents, that might not have been the only drug in their possession. The charges could send T.I. back to prison. According to documents obtained by E! Online late Thursday, T.I.’s probation officer reported that L.A. County Sherriff’s deputies also found codeine and marijuana in his possession during the arrest. In the initial report filed after the couple’s September 1 arrest, deputies said they pulled over their Maybach and then “smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle.” The documents were filed as part of a summons issued on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Charles Pannel Jr., requiring T.I. to appear before the court to explain why his probation should not be revoked after the L.A. incident, the the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The judge’s order lists three possible violations of his probation: possession of Ecstasy, testing positive for opiates and associating with a convicted felon. After T.I.’s arrest, TMZ posted photos of the Maybach that showed several Styrofoam cups in the cup holders. The Web site alleged that the cups contained sizzurp — a.k.a. codeine syrup. MTV News’ phone calls and an e-mail sent to a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Correction — which handles probation supervision — were not responded to by press time. A message left for T.I. lawyer Don Samuel was also not returned, though in the days following the rapper’s arrest, Samuel told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he was uncertain how the arrest would effect his client’s probation, saying “without knowing all the facts, it’s premature to speculate what the court is likely to do.” The summons does not set a date for T.I. to appear before the court. Related Photos T.I.’s Career Highs And Lows Related Artists T.I.

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T.I. Allegedly Had Codeine, Ecstasy, Marijuana During L.A. Arrest

Judge: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Southern California ruled Thursday that the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips granted a request for an injunction halting the government's “don't ask, don't tell” policy for gays in the military. Phillips said the policy doesn't help military readiness and instead has a “direct and deleterious effect” on the armed services. The lawsuit was the biggest legal test of the law in recent years and came amid promises by President Barack Obama that he will work to repeal the policy. Government lawyers argued that Phillips lacked the authority to issue a nationwide injunction and the issue should be decided by Congress. The injunction was sought by the Log Cabin Republicans, a 19,000-member group representing gay people that includes current and former military members. added by: Future_America

Prop 8 Breaking News: Federal Appeals Court Puts California Same-Sex Marriages On Hold Indefinitely

Federal Appeals Court Puts Same-Sex Marriages On Hold Indefinitely http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KrNl-GdSDb4/SF_T82PjUSI/AAAAAAAAAcY/fecu5sd8RO4/s400/s… Breaking: Ninth Circuit Stays Prop. 8 Decision _____ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/08/federal-appeals-court-blocks-enfor… Los Angeles Times Southern California — this just in No gay marriages in California before December, court rules August 16, 2010 | 3:58 pm The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday agreed to keep same-sex marriages on hold until at least December. In a brief order, a three-judge panel agreed to an expedited review of U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker's Aug. 4 ruling that overturned Proposition 8 as a violation of the federal Constitution. The panel agreed to hold a hearing on the case during the week of Dec. 6 and ordered both sides to present arguments on whether the campaign for Proposition 8 has legal authority to appeal Walker's order. Walker had declared Proposition 8's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, saying it violates gay men's and lesbians' rights to equal protection and due process. The defendants in that case were Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, but they declined to defend the law. As the losing parties, they have the authority to appeal Walker's ruling. But they hailed Walker's decision and said they would not appeal. A private group that opposes same-sex marriage, ProtectMarriage.com, defended Proposition 8 during the trial Walker held earlier this year. The group wants to appeal his ruling but may lack legal standing to do so. — Maura Dolan in San Francisco added by: EthicalVegan

Super Cheap Nanotech "Tea Bag" Cleans Water Instantly (Video)

Could a simple “tea bag” of carbon and antimacrobial fibers that costs just pennies be the solution for quickly filtered drinking water on the go? Scientists from Stellenbosch University in South Africa hope they’ve found the solution to drinking water problems in rural African communities. Lacking water sanitation services, the communities can turn to a simple water bottle that uses cheap, removable sachets to clean their drinking water. And comparing the clean water solution to tea bags isn’t far off — they’… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Super Cheap Nanotech "Tea Bag" Cleans Water Instantly (Video)

Federal Judge Bans Genetically Modified Sugar Beets

Photo via Wikipedia On Friday, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White revoked a five-year-old approval of genetically altered sugar beets from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Judge White cited the USDA’s insufficient testing of weedkiller-tolerant sugar beets and their possible effects to the environment. Genetical… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Federal Judge Bans Genetically Modified Sugar Beets

Cars Hacked Through Wireless Tire Pressure Sensors!

How safe is your car? Researhers from Rutgers University and the University of South Carolina have found vulnurabilities in the wireless tire pressure monitors built into moder cars that report low tire pressure to the … http://itgrunts.com/2010/08/10/cars-hacked-through-wireless-tire-pressure-sensor… added by: itgrunts

Judge Finds That a Child Has Neither a Need Nor a Right to a Mother Nor does a child have a need or a right to a father.

(CNSNews.com) – U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who ruled last week that a voter-approved amendment to California’s constitution that limited marriage to the union of one man and one woman violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, based that ruling in part on his finding that a child does not need and has no right to a mother. Nor, he found, does a child have a need or a right to a father. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/70722 added by: MotherForTruth