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Your Thursday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News
Top CNS stories for today including the Supreme Court justices appearing unlikely to overturn precedent that allows a person to face state and federal prosecution over the same criminal conduct; the outcome of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District race remains shrouded by a cloud of doubt as both parties debate how to investigate absentee ballot inconsistencies in a rural county; a federal judge rules accused Russian spy Maria Butina is entitled to a public defender; burly, bearded wilderness personality Marty Stouffer sues National Geographic alleging it made copycats of his hit show “Wild America”; the Los Angeles Rams will pay up to $24 million to former personal seat license owners in St. Louis and another $7.4 million in attorney’s fees and expenses to settle a class action over the team’s relocation; the Sixth Circuit hears arguments from former and current juvenile inmates housed with adults who say they are exposed to an increased risk of sexual and physical assaults; Luxembourg is planning to become the first nation in the world to make all of its public transportation free, and more.
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National
1.) In a case said to be watched closely by convicted Trump ally Paul Manafort, the Supreme Court justices appeared unlikely Thursday to overturn precedent that allows a person to face state and federal prosecution over the same criminal conduct.
**2.) ** The outcome of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District race remains shrouded by a cloud of doubt as both parties debate how to investigate absentee ballot inconsistencies in a rural county and revelations of past irregularities emerge.
3.) To stabilize crude oil prices hovering around $50 a barrel after dropping by $20 a barrel since October, OPEC and Russia on Thursday are expected to agree to cut oil production by at least 1 million barrels per day. But experts say that lower oil prices have some counterintuitive effects.
4.) Accused Russian spy Maria Butina is entitled to a public defender, a federal judge ruled Thursday afternoon after a hearing where attorneys appeared to set the stage for a plea deal.
5.) Burly, bearded wilderness personality Marty Stouffer sued National Geographic in federal court Wednesday, alleging they made copycats of his hit show “Wild America” with strikingly similar titles like “Surviving Wild America” and “America the Wild.”
Regional
6.) The Los Angeles Rams will pay up to $24 million to former personal seat license owners in St. Louis and another $7.4 million in attorney’s fees and expenses to settle a class action over the football team’s relocation.
7.) Upholding a law that limits gun owners from carrying magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition, the Third Circuit ruled 2-1 Wednesday that the national rise in mass shootings justifies this reasonable burden on the Second Amendment.
8.) A class of former and current juvenile inmates housed with adults who say they are exposed to an increased risk of sexual and physical assaults argued before the Sixth Circuit on Thursday to revive their civil rights claims.
9.) When Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva took office Monday, he didn’t address how he would fulfill promises to reform a scandal-ridden department and ensure his officers serve all residents, including immigrants, equitably.
10.) Electricity supplier Entergy New Orleans claims in court that a Virginia-based public relations firm hired actors instead of recruiting supporters to speak at public meetings in favor of a proposed power plant, spurring a costly investigation into whether the utility knew its backers were paid.
International
11.) Luxembourg is planning to become the first nation in the world to make all of its public transportation free. Starting in 2020, the government says, it will do away with fares on trains, trams and buses, to encourage people to use public transportation rather than cars.
12.) Though Italy expressly prohibits simultaneous enrollment in multiple degree courses, it must recognize the degrees a doctor who obtained degrees in dentistry and medicine at the same time, Europe’s highest court ruled Thursday.
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