Minnesota Lawyer

The authors of Mississippi’s 1890 constitution had racist intent when they stripped voting rights from people convicted of some felonies because they chose crimes they thought were more likely to be committed by Black people, an attorney argued Wednesday in a federal appeals court.

The contempt finding has prompted a backlash from the prosecutor, legislators, and advocates who say the judge's harsh treatment of a domestic-assault victim will deter other victims from coming forward.

A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to hear a redistricting lawsuit supported by the Republican-controlled Legislature, a move that comes as a Democratic-backed lawsuit progresses in federal court.

The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death intends to appeal his conviction and sentence, saying the judge abused his discretion or erred during several key points in the case.

Bipartisan congressional talks on overhauling policing practices have ended without an agreement, marking the collapse of an effort that began after killings of unarmed Black people by officers sparked protests across the U.S.

Six Native American tribes sued Wisconsin on Tuesday to try to stop its planned gray wolf hunt in November, asserting that the hunt violates their treaty rights and endangers an animal they consider sacred.

The nation’s longest-serving attorney general is seeking another term in Iowa.

The battle over drawing new political boundary lines in Wisconsin is heating up, with federal judges telling the Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday that it wants to have new maps enacted by March.

It is a central principle of law: Courts are supposed to follow earlier decisions — precedent — to resolve current disputes. But not all precedents are equal, and several current Supreme Court justices have signaled that they might be open to overturning even long-standing rulings that interpret the Constitution.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding the fate of a Missouri law that puts sweeping restrictions on abortions.