Episodes

  • Injury Divides Supreme Court in Lawsuit Over CBD Oil

    Injury Divides Supreme Court in Lawsuit Over CBD Oil
    Oct 18 2024
    A truck driver consumed CBD oil, failed a drug test, and was fired from his job, but can he sue the companies that make the product for three times his lost wages? That was the question before the Supreme Court in a case that tests the scope of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal law otherwise known as RICO that was designed to fight organized crime. RICO is a criminal law, but it allows people to bring a civil suit to get three times their damages and attorneys’ fees if their "business or property" is hurt by a criminal enterprise. The manufacturers of the CBD product say the truck driver in this case suffered a personal injury not an injury to his business or property and can't sue them under the law. Cases and Controversies hosts Greg Stohr and Lydia Wheeler look at the arguments and try to figure out where the justices might come down on this dispute. Hosts: Greg Stohr and Lydia Wheeler Producer: David Schultz and Mo Barrow Do you have feedback on this episode of Cases & Controversies? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • Capital Defendant Seeks Rare Win at Supreme Court

    Capital Defendant Seeks Rare Win at Supreme Court
    Oct 11 2024
    Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip appears likely to achieve a rare victory at the Supreme Court despite a conservative majority that’s often hostile to capital defendants. One factor setting Glossip’s case apart from others is that the state’s Republican attorney general sided with him in his bid for a new trial. But the fact that it’s still a question whether Glossip will prevail after arguments Oct. 9 shows the steep climb capital defendants have a the Supreme Court. Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Greg Stohr run through the arguments and the hurdles that Glossip must clear. Do you have feedback on this episode of Cases and Controversies? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Diverse Groups Team Up On Civil Rights Attorneys' Fees

    Diverse Groups Team Up On Civil Rights Attorneys' Fees
    Oct 4 2024
    Supreme Court justices kick off their new term with arguments on guns and the death penalty, but a case about attorneys’ fees in civil rights cases has grabbed the attention of a diverse set of outside parties. Pooja Chaudhuri, of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, joins Cases and Controversies to discuss why groups supporting gun rights, religious freedom, and racial justice have teamed up in Lackey v. Stinnie. The justices will consider whether a preliminary injunction is enough of a victory to support an award of attorneys’ fees under a statute intended to encourage lawyers to take civil rights cases and deter “bad actors.” The case to be argued Oct. 8 pits civil rights groups against government officials and entities who are the targets of these suits. Do you have feedback on this episode of Cases and Controversies? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • 'Ghost Guns' Fight Ahead in New Supreme Court Term

    'Ghost Guns' Fight Ahead in New Supreme Court Term
    Sep 27 2024
    The Supreme Court kicks off its new term on Oct. 7 and the justices will hear arguments the first week in a dispute over “ghost gun” kits and an appeal from a death row inmate in Oklahoma. With about 27 cases granted for argument so far, the term is light on potential blockbusters. “There are a lot of cases that I would describe as kind of the meat and potatoes type cases that you typically see on the Supreme Court’s docket,” said Kannon Shanmugam, chair of the Supreme Court and appellate litigation practice at Paul Weiss. Shanmugam joins “Cases and Controversies” to discuss the court’s term and the more notable issues the justices will consider, including a challenge to a Tennessee law that bans health-care providers from prescribing puberty blockers or hormones to transgender minors. Do you have feedback on this episode of Cases and Controversies? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Gorsuch, Jackson Books Top Busy Supreme Court Summer

    Gorsuch, Jackson Books Top Busy Supreme Court Summer
    Sep 20 2024
    Emergency requests, book tours, and security threats kept the justices busy while the US Supreme Court was on its summer recess. Get up to speed with Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson, Lydia Wheeler, and Greg Stohr before the court kicks off its new term on Oct. 7. Do you have feedback on this episode of Cases and Controversies? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • Blockbusters Bring Down Curtain on Supreme Court Term

    Blockbusters Bring Down Curtain on Supreme Court Term
    Jul 2 2024
    The US Supreme Court closed out a blockbuster term with rulings that are likely to shield former President Donald Trump from facing a jury until after the election and further undercut the power of federal regulators. In decisions that split 6-3 along the court's ideological line, the justices for the first time in history said former presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts and gave businesses the ability to challenge regulations long after they've been finalized. Cases and Controversies hosts unpack those decisions and discuss how the justices declined to rule on the constitutionality of state laws out of Florida and Texas that tried to regulate some of the largest social media platforms. They also look at how the justices voted this term and whether they issue unanimous rulings more often not, as many have claimed in public appearances. Hosts: Kimberly Robinson and Lydia Wheeler Producer: Matthew Schwartz
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Supreme Court Nears Term End with Blockbuster Rulings

    Supreme Court Nears Term End with Blockbuster Rulings
    Jun 28 2024
    The US Supreme Court closed in on the end of its term with big rulings gutting the way federal agencies wield power, temporarily allowing emergency abortions in Idaho, and embracing a public camping ban that targets homeless people. The court is expected to wrap up the release of opinions in argued cases for the term on Monday, when decisions on social media laws and former President Donald Trump's bid for immunity from criminal prosecution are expected. The latest episode of Cases and Controversies unwraps all the latest action from the court and looks ahead to the final round of decisions. Hosts: Kimberly Robinson and Lydia Wheeler Producer: Matthew S. Schwartz
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Gun Ban Upheld in Opinion Dump Before Court Ends Term

    Gun Ban Upheld in Opinion Dump Before Court Ends Term
    Jun 24 2024
    The US Supreme court will release opinions Wednesday through Friday this week. The end of the term appears in sight with things usually wrapping up by the end of June. There are 14 decisions in argued cases still to hand down following the release of nine opinions last week. Those included an 8-1 decision upholding a federal law that bans people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing a gun. Cases and Controversies will cover separate writings that came from seven of the nine justices in the Rahimi gun rights case and how the justices show deep disagreement over the court’s use of history and tradition to decide constitutional questions. The episode also digs into other decisions, including a 6-3 ruling that involved marital rights in immigration, and will cover new cases coming up next term. Hosts: Kimberly Robinson and Lydia Wheeler Producer: Matthew S. Schwartz
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins