• Kansas Legislature Seeks Changes to Judicial Nomination Process
• Source: AP/The Republic   |   Kansas   |   May 14, 2013
• Legislators who believe the Kansas Senate should have the power to confirm appellate court judges, including Supreme Court justices, have a new plan that they hope will get approved before lawmakers adjourn this year, an influential senator involved in drafting the measure said Monday.

• Former Calif. Lt. Gov. Criticizes State's Prison Policies
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   May 9, 2013
• In a speech where he hinted at a possible run for governor, former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado called out Gov. Jerry Brown for his handling of prison crowding in the state, calling the policies being pursued an "early release" program.

• California Supreme Court: Cities Can Ban Pot Dispensaries
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   May 7, 2013
• The California Supreme Court gave local governments the power Monday to zone medical marijuana dispensaries out of existence, a decision that upholds bans in about 200 cities but does little to solve Los Angeles' struggle to regulate hundreds of storefront pot outlets.

• Prisons Get Rated on Yelp
• BY: Government Technology   |   Nation   |   May 1, 2013
• The business and restaurant rating site is now being used to rate an unconventional entity -- prisons. Inmates are reporting about the quality of the food, the friendliness of deputies, and more.

• Texas-Oklahoma Water War Could Have National Implications
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   April 25, 2013
• A decision in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court could unleash a flood of litigation asking courts to crack open some of the more than 30 compacts that determine how states share water.

• Boston Bomber Case Must Balance State and Federal Roles
• BY: Stateline   |   Massachusetts   |   April 25, 2013
• The accused Boston bomber may face the death penalty as a result of federal charges filed against him, even though his crimes were committed in a state where the death penalty is outlawed.

• Feds Face Tough Choices in States with Legalized Marijuana
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   April 17, 2013
• A new report by the Congressional Research Service finds that the Federal government may face an uphill legal battle if it wishes to enforce Federal laws banning Marijuana in states that have legalized it.
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• Report Urges Texas to Divert Prostitutes from Jail
• BY: The Texas Tribune   |   Texas   |   April 16, 2013
• A new report shows that reducing penalties for prostitution and sending more defendants to diversion programs would decrease the practice and save the state money. A bill that would follow that recommendation is under consideration by the legislature.

• Court's Refusal to Hear Gun Case Could Lead to Strict Concealed-Carry Limits in Illinois
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   April 16, 2013
• Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan both suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to turn down an appeal of New York's tough gun law could boost Illinois lawmakers' attempts to set strict limits on who gets to carry concealed weapons.

• Judge Blocks Closure of Only Abortion Clinic in Mississippi
• Source: Clarion-Ledger   |   Mississippi   |   April 16, 2013
• The ruling prevents the state from closing the clinic while it has a federal lawsuit pending to challenge a 2012 law requiring the clinic’s physicians to have hospital privileges.

• Study Shows Veterans Court's Success
• Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune   |   Minnesota   |   April 16, 2013
• A specialized court for veterans struggling with addiction and mental illness in Hennepin County is largely considered a success in its first two years and should continue, according to a study.

• Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to New York Gun Law
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   April 15, 2013
• The Supreme Court declined to hear a Second Amendment challenge to a New York law that strictly limits who can carry a gun in public, leaving states and cities, at least for now, with broad authority to regulate guns outside of homes.

• First State to Pay Lawyers to Practice in the Country
• BY: Brian Peteritas   |   South Dakota   |   April 12, 2013
• To help rural America's drought of lawyers, South Dakota has passed the nation's first law to pay them to live and work in rural areas.

• California's Bid to End Prison Oversight Denied in Federal Court
• BY: McClatchy News   |   April 12, 2013
• A three-judge federal court on Thursday rejected Gov. Jerry Brown's attempt to avoid the court's order to reduce California's prison population. They also threatened to find state officials in contempt if they do not further reduce prison populations.