• Judges Can be Forced to Pay More for Benefits, New Jersey Voters Say
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   November 8, 2012
• More than 83 percent favored a ballot question that will allow lawmakers to force judges to pay more for their health and pension benefits.

• Death Penalty, Assisted Suicide Measures Fail in California, Massachusetts
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   November 7, 2012
• Two efforts to change policies on state-prescribed death failed at the ballot boxes.

• '3 Strikes' Law Change Wins California Voter Approval
• Source: Sacramento Bee   |   California   |   November 7, 2012
• Voters have approved a revision of California's landmark Three Strikes sentencing law, passing a measure that eliminates 25 years-to-life sentences for inmates whose third felony offense is not a serious or violent crime.

• Utah Can Keep Control of Polygamous Sect's Land, Court Rules
• Source: Salt Lake Tribune   |   Utah   |   November 6, 2012
• A federal appeals court ruled that a polygamous sect’s property trust should remain under state control, overturning an order returning the trust to the Warren Jeffs-led group and marking a major turning point in the long-running case.

• Appeal of Arizona Abortions Law Begins
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   November 5, 2012
• Arizona’s new law forbids abortions past 20 weeks of gestation except in medical emergencies.

• Sandusky Case Influences Pennsylvania Contest for Attorney General
• BY: Stateline   |   November 2, 2012
• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's endorsement of Republican Attorney General candidate David Freed has allowed the phantom of Jerry Sandusky to play a factor in his race against Democrat Kathleen Kane.

• Supreme Court Weighs Challenge to Eavesdropping Law
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   October 30, 2012
• The Supreme Court on Monday considered who has a right to challenge government eavesdropping on conversations between people in the United States and outside the country in a case touching on federal efforts to fight terrorism.

• States Fail to Share Child-Abuse Records
• Source: The Oregonian   |   Nation   |   October 29, 2012
• An investigation by The Oregonian finds child welfare workers in different states often fail to communicate about a family's history or a child's needs.

• Planned Parenthood Battles Texas in Court Over Funding
• Source: The Los Angeles Times   |   Houston, Texas   |   October 29, 2012
• Planned Parenthood and Texas officials are headed back to court in early November, the latest round of legal wrangling in a fight over funding.

• Will Supreme Court Allow Drug-Sniffing Dogs?
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   October 29, 2012
• The court is scheduled on Wednesday to hear Florida's appeal of two decisions by that state's highest court that found the detection of drugs by trained police dogs had violated the constitutional ban on unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
• 1 Comments

• California Pension Fund Challenges San Bernadino's Right to Bankruptcy
• BY: McClatchy News   |   San Bernadino, Calif.   |   October 26, 2012
• CalPERS formally challenged the city of San Bernardino's right to file for bankruptcy protection after the city fell behind on $5.2 million in payments.

• Voter ID Laws to Have Smaller-Than-Anticipated Effect on Election
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   October 26, 2012
• After a string of court victories for voter ID foes, those laws are now likely to have minimal impact on the presidential race.

• Tennessee Voter ID Law Upheld
• Source: Tennessean   |   Tennessee   |   October 26, 2012
• The Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld the state’s new voter identification requirement, but it also agreed to let voters in Memphis use new library cards at the polls.

• Court Allows Superintendent Salary Caps in New Jersey
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   October 26, 2012
• In another win for the Christie administration in its battle to hold down school spending, a state appeals court panel said Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf has the right to impose salary caps on New Jersey’s public school superintendents.

• Feds to Hand Control of Prison Health Care Back to California
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   October 25, 2012
• Seven years after federal courts took control of California's prison healthcare system, they will start the long process Friday of turning operations back over to the state.