A federal judge in New York City who was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson and who contributed to the landmark case that struck down racial segregation in public schools is retiring at age 98. U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein was known for favoring lenient sentences and rehabilitation. He retired this week after moving his remaining cases to his fellow jurists…

New Jersey on Tuesday became the ninth state to prohibit homicide defendants from claiming that panic brought on by a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity could be used a legal defense. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed the measure, saying it promotes “full equality for all our residents.” “Gay and trans panic defenses are rooted in homophobia and abhorrent...

A Massachusetts prosecutor defended Wednesday a state ban on secret audio recordings of police and government officials, asking an appeals court to overturn a decision that found the prohibition unconstitutional. At a hearing before the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, free speech groups countered that such recordings are protected by the First Amendment and that Massachusetts’ law is...

Constance Wannamaker wanted to scream and cry at the same time. The Texas immigration attorney had just heard what should have been great news: Her client, a 21-year-old Guatemalan woman, was getting released from the El Paso Processing Center after weeks in detention. But that’s just a sliver of the story.

One of the busiest days on the Virginia legislature’s calendar began under a cloud of suspense Tuesday as Gov. Ralph Northam weighed whether he can continue in the job amid the fallout over a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

The California professor who alleged that Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004 issued her first public statement Wednesday on the alleged attack, describing the use of force.

Massachusetts lawmakers are working on a more extensive hands-free driving bill that aims to cut down on distracted driving.

Boeing is settling more of the roughly 150 lawsuits filed by families of passengers killed in two crashes of the 737 Max jet. A Seattle law firm said Friday it settled four cases involving passengers on the Lion Air Max that crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October 2018. On Thursday, a judge approved settlements of nine other cases....

The family of Michael Bell, the Maine fire captain killed in a September propane explosion in Farmington, has hired a lawyer to represent them after the incident. This week, attorney Steve Silin of Berman & Simmons, based in Lewiston, released a statement confirming that.

The family of a Maine fire captain killed in a propane explosion has hired an attorney.

Climate change may be the defining risk for oil and gas companies in coming decades, and attorneys for New York state are saying Exxon Mobil misled investors about how it was handling that risk. The state made closing arguments Thursday in a case that accused the energy giant of downplaying the impact of stricter climate regulations in a warming world....

Alphabet’s board of directors has opened an investigation into how executives handled claims of sexual harassment and other misconduct, including behavior of Chief Legal Officer David Drummond, who has been accused of having relationships with employees. The board has formed an independent subcommittee to look into the issues and has hired a law firm to assist with the investigation, according...

A 10-year-old boy fell 20 feet to the ground from a zip line attraction in Lakeland, Florida, resulting in serious injuries to the boy’s body and head, as well as a lawsuit against the attraction park.

A 10-year-old boy was seriously injured after falling from a zip line attraction at a park in Lakeland, Florida, according to a lawsuit.

An advice columnist who says President Donald Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s sued him Monday for calling her a liar he had never even met. E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit, filed Monday in New York, says Trump “smeared her integrity, honesty and dignity — all in the national press” when he responded to her...

Jennifer Dulos’ friends and family say that a claim made by attorney Norm Pattis that Jennifer may have received medical treatment after she disappeared is inaccurate.

The Supreme Court is stepping into a yearslong, politically charged fight over the federal consumer finance watchdog agency that was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The justices agreed Friday to review an appeals court decision that upheld the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency has long been a target of conservative Republicans. The...

California is giving childhood victims of sexual abuse more time to decide whether to file lawsuits, joining several states in expanding the statute of limitations for victims over warnings from school districts that the new rules could bankrupt them.

Attorney Norm Pattis said his client, Fotis Dulos, has obtained compelling evidence that Jennifer Dulos may still be alive: a medical bill dated after she disappeared.