Law

National

High Court Hears Challenge To 4 States' Gay-Marriage Ban

8:51am April 29, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

On Tuesday, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court sparred, skewered and probed the legal arguments on gay marriage. But at the end of a tumultuous day, there still was no certainty about the outcome.

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National

Police Union President: 'Officers Aren't Perfect' But Deserve Due Process

7:53pm April 28, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Chuck Canterbury, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, about changing law enforcement and the rioting in Baltimore.

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Protesters hold a pro-gay-rights flag outside the US Supreme Court on Saturday, countering the demonstrators who attended the March For Marriage in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court meets on Tuesday to hear arguments over whether same-sex couples have a

National

Legal Battle Over Gay Marriage Hits The Supreme Court Tuesday

5:50pm April 28, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

People have been lining up for days hoping they will be among the lucky ones to get a seat for Tuesday's historic arguments. At issue: whether states can ban, and refuse to recognize, gay marriage.

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Demonstrators for and against same-sex marriage rallied in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning.

National

Supreme Court Hears Challenge To 4 States' Same-Sex-Marriage Ban

4:06pm April 28, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Justice Scalia asked whether ministers would be able to refuse to marry two gay men. Justice Alito asked, why not marry four gay men together?

President Obama is condemning the unrest in Baltimore, saying a handful of

National

'Criminals' Taking Advantage Of Situation In Baltimore, Obama Says

3:08pm April 28, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The president said "there's no excuse for the kind of violence" that has erupted after peaceful protests following the death of a black man who suffered a serious spine injury while in police custody.

A woman walks past a memorial for some of the victims who are said to have died at the hands of the serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper."

Too Scared To Talk To Police, Stalker's Victims Open Up In 'Grim Sleeper'

2:24pm April 28, 2015

by Mandalit del Barco

From 1985 to 2002, a series of killings struck South Central Los Angeles. A new documentary, Tales of the Grim Sleeper, explores the 25 years it took for police to arrest a man they say is the killer.

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Sen. Marco Rubio spoke at the an Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition meeting last weekend.

3 Reasons Republicans Might Cheer A Pro-Gay-Marriage Ruling

2:22pm April 28, 2015

by Mara Liasson

The Supreme Court hears arguments on same-sex-marriage bans Tuesday. And even though Republicans are the traditional-marriage party, they just could welcome a pro-same-sex marriage ruling.

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Defense Team Urges Jury To Send Boston Bomber To Prison For Life

1:46pm April 28, 2015

by Tovia Smith

Jurors deciding the fate of convicted Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will hear more from defense attorneys. They are making the case that Tsarnaev does not deserve the death penalty.

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The stack of amicus briefs filed as of April 9 reached past the knee of NPR legal affairs intern Anthony Palmer. The briefs cost, on average, an estimated $25,000 to $50,000.

Record Number Of Amicus Briefs Filed In Same-Sex-Marriage Cases

9:25am April 28, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

This week's same-sex-marriage cases at the Supreme Court brought in a record number of friend-of-the–court briefs. But truth be told, the justices do not read all of these briefs.

An artist's sketch of Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes, from an April 2013 court appearance.

National

Opening Statements To Begin Monday In Colorado Theater Shooting Trial

6:39am April 28, 2015

by Ben Markus

James Holmes' legal team admits he was behind the massacre that killed 12 people in Aurora, Colo., nearly three years ago. Two key questions remain: Was Holmes insane, and should he be put to death?

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