Law

For Banks 'Too Big To Jail,' Prosecutors Count On A Promise To Behave

2:49pm March 24, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

A conviction can be fatal for a big company. So in some cases prosecutors have been holding off on punishing firms that have broken the law. In return, the companies vow to clean up their act.

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Tsarneav Defense Team Tries To Make Its Point Before Sentencing

10:10am March 24, 2015

by Tovia Smith

Three weeks into the Boston Marathon bombing trial, defense attorneys will soon get their turn. Before sentencing, they'll be limited in what they can say to defend admitted bomber Dzhokhar Tsarneav.

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National

Meet The Attorney Defending Confederate Flag License Plates

8:14pm March 23, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

R. James George Jr. started his legal career as a clerk for the first African-American Supreme Court justice and once defended rapper Tupac Shakur. But he's also a staunch First Amendment defender.

National

Police Suspend Inquiry Into University Of Virginia Sexual Assault Case

7:08pm March 23, 2015

by Sandy Hausman

The Charlottesville, Va., police chief cited a lack of evidence in the alleged incident that was publicized in a Rolling Stone magazine article.

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R. James George Jr., attorney for Sons of Confederate Veterans, meets with reporters outside the Supreme Court Monday.

National

Justices Debate Place Of Offensive Language On License Plates

6:58pm March 23, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether to allow Texas to refuse a personalized license plate design featuring the Confederate flag.

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Is A Confederate Flag License Plate Free Speech?

5:58pm March 23, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

Texas issues specialty license plates at the behest of private groups or individuals. At issue before the Supreme Court Monday is whether the state can reject messages that are offensive to some.

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A 12-year-old on trial in the stabbing death of a 9-year-old talks to his lawyer in 2014 in a Michigan circuit court. The Justice Department is targeting a Georgia case in the hopes of making legal representation for juveniles there more effective, but th

Justice Department Weighs In On Assembly-Line Justice For Children

3:57pm March 23, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

For the first time, the federal government is asserting juveniles' right to counsel by wading into a Georgia case alleging inadequate representation. Authorities say the problems occur nationwide.

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Sen. Ted Cruz says because his mother was born in the United States that makes him a "natural-born citizen" and eligible to run for president.

Is Ted Cruz Allowed To Run Since He Was Born In Canada?

3:45pm March 23, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz became the first major candidate to declare for president, but some question whether he's eligible since he was born in Canada. Legal scholars, though, believe he can.

Joel Ramirez climbs back into his wheelchair with the help of Francisco Guardado, a home health aide, at his home in Rialto, Calif. Ramirez was paralyzed from the waist down in 2009 when a 900-pound crate fell on him at a warehouse. Changes to California

National

'Grand Bargain' In Workers' Comp Unravels, Harming Injured Workers Further

2:38pm March 23, 2015

by Howard Berkes

Changes to workers' compensation laws mean families and government bear more of the costs that result from injuries on the job.

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Jeremy Lewis lost his left arm during a work-related incident while working at a poultry plant in Alabama. The state has the nation's lowest workers' compensation benefits for amputations and sent Lewis into just the kind of downward spiral workers' comp

Economy

As Workers' Comp Varies From State To State, Workers Pay The Price

2:37pm March 23, 2015

by Howard Berkes

Injured workers dependent on workers' compensation face eroding benefits. We go to Alabama and Georgia, where the value of an amputated arm can vary by $700,000, depending on which state you live in.

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