Law http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1070&ft=1&f=1070 NPR stories on legal issues, court rulings, Supreme Court hearings, new laws and government investigations. Download the NPR Justice Talking podcast and subscribe to the Legal Affairs RSS feed. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Tue, 21 May 2013 20:01:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Law http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1070&ft=1&f=1070 IRS Official In Charge Of Nonprofits Declines To Testify Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division dealing with nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status, will not testify on Wednesday despite a congressional subpoena, her attorney says. She is accused of closely scrutinizing conservative groups that sought tax-exempt status. Tue, 21 May 2013 20:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/21/185877696/irs-official-in-charge-of-nonprofits-declines-to-testify?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/21/185877696/irs-official-in-charge-of-nonprofits-declines-to-testify?ft=1&f=1070 Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division dealing with nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status, will not testify on Wednesday despite a congressional subpoena, her attorney says. She is accused of closely scrutinizing conservative groups that sought tax-exempt status.

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]]> IRS Inspector General To Review Handling Of Conservative Groups One commissioner ran the IRS when it engaged in targeted scrutiny of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. A second commissioner was in charge when the agency continued to withhold information from Congress. On Tuesday, they testified together for the first time, to the Senate Finance Committee. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=185839240&ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=185839240&ft=1&f=1070 One commissioner ran the IRS when it engaged in targeted scrutiny of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. A second commissioner was in charge when the agency continued to withhold information from Congress. On Tuesday, they testified together for the first time, to the Senate Finance Committee.

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]]> Apple, Tech Giants And An Industrial-Age Tax Code Apple CEO Timothy Cook made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, testifying after congressional investigators revealed that Apple avoided billions in taxes. <em>The New York Times</em>' Charles Duhigg and guest host Jennifer Ludden talk about the tax code and the digital economy. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185809741/apple-tech-giants-and-an-industrial-age-tax-code?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185809741/apple-tech-giants-and-an-industrial-age-tax-code?ft=1&f=1070 Apple CEO Timothy Cook made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, testifying after congressional investigators revealed that Apple avoided billions in taxes. The New York Times' Charles Duhigg and guest host Jennifer Ludden talk about the tax code and the digital economy.

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]]> Would Lowering The Drunk Driving Threshold Make Us Safer? The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended reducing the legal limit for blood alcohol content for drivers from .08 to .05. Critics say it won't significantly help prevent drunken driving. Guest LZ Granderson argues that without more checkpoints, a lower threshold would do nothing. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185809737/would-lowering-the-drunk-driving-threshold-help?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185809737/would-lowering-the-drunk-driving-threshold-help?ft=1&f=1070 The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended reducing the legal limit for blood alcohol content for drivers from .08 to .05. Critics say it won't significantly help prevent drunken driving. Guest LZ Granderson argues that without more checkpoints, a lower threshold would do nothing.

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]]> The Difficulties Of Proving Racial Profiling Closing arguments have wrapped up in a lawsuit challenging the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk policy. Plaintiffs say the majority of the stops involved black and Hispanic men. But New York City says there's no racial motivation whatsoever. Host Michel Martin asks the tricky question: how exactly do you prove racial profiling? Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=185788184&ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=185788184&ft=1&f=1070 Closing arguments have wrapped up in a lawsuit challenging the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk policy. Plaintiffs say the majority of the stops involved black and Hispanic men. But New York City says there's no racial motivation whatsoever. Host Michel Martin asks the tricky question: how exactly do you prove racial profiling?

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]]> Key Charge Against Ex-BP Official In Spill Case Dismissed A federal judge ruled that prosecutors failed to prove the executive knew about a pending congressional investigation into oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The decision left in place a second charge against the executive, for allegedly making false statements to investigators about the oil flow rate. Mon, 20 May 2013 19:11:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/20/185618984/key-charge-against-ex-bp-official-in-spill-case-dismissed?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/20/185618984/key-charge-against-ex-bp-official-in-spill-case-dismissed?ft=1&f=1070 A federal judge ruled that prosecutors failed to prove the executive knew about a pending congressional investigation into oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The decision left in place a second charge against the executive, for allegedly making false statements to investigators about the oil flow rate.

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]]> Closing Arguments Begin In NYPD's 'Stop-And-Frisk' Lawsuit Robert Siegel talks with Margot Adler about Monday's closing arguments in the lawsuit challenging New York City's controversial "stop and frisk" policy. Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=185596310&ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=185596310&ft=1&f=1070 Robert Siegel talks with Margot Adler about Monday's closing arguments in the lawsuit challenging New York City's controversial "stop and frisk" policy.

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]]> Supreme Court Takes Case On Prayer At Government Meetings Prayers said before meetings of the town board in Greece, N.Y., have predominantly been Christian. A lower court ruled that officials hadn't done enough to seek out prayers from other faiths. That violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause, the court said. Now the Supreme Court will weigh in. Mon, 20 May 2013 10:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/20/185508793/supreme-court-takes-case-on-prayer-at-government-meetings?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/20/185508793/supreme-court-takes-case-on-prayer-at-government-meetings?ft=1&f=1070 Prayers said before meetings of the town board in Greece, N.Y., have predominantly been Christian. A lower court ruled that officials hadn't done enough to seek out prayers from other faiths. That violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause, the court said. Now the Supreme Court will weigh in.

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]]> Court Case Winds Down In New York's Stop-And-Frisk Challenge Closing arguments in the lawsuit challenging New York City's stop-and-frisk policy begin Monday in federal court. The plaintiffs in the class action trial claim police officers were pressured to stop, question and frisk hundreds of thousands of people each year — even establishing quotas. Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/20/185458137/court-case-winds-down-in-new-yorks-stop-and-frisk-challenge?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/20/185458137/court-case-winds-down-in-new-yorks-stop-and-frisk-challenge?ft=1&f=1070 Closing arguments in the lawsuit challenging New York City's stop-and-frisk policy begin Monday in federal court. The plaintiffs in the class action trial claim police officers were pressured to stop, question and frisk hundreds of thousands of people each year — even establishing quotas.

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]]> Internships: Low-Paid, Unpaid Or Just Plain Illegal? Fed up with working for free, some interns are suing their employers. Last week, a judge ruled that interns could not sue the Hearst Corp. as a class action, which could be a legal setback for young workers tired of exploitative unpaid internships. Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:08 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/185028904/internships-low-paid-unpaid-or-just-plain-illegal?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/185028904/internships-low-paid-unpaid-or-just-plain-illegal?ft=1&f=1070 Fed up with working for free, some interns are suing their employers. Last week, a judge ruled that interns could not sue the Hearst Corp. as a class action, which could be a legal setback for young workers tired of exploitative unpaid internships.

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]]> Turning Up The Heat On Civil Rights-Era Cold Cases With the death of a possible suspect in one notorious case, activists are weighing the FBI's efforts to tackle cases from the 1950s and '60s. Some are calling for a congressional hearing to see whether the FBI has done enough investigating. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184936625/turning-up-the-heat-on-civil-rights-era-cold-cases?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184936625/turning-up-the-heat-on-civil-rights-era-cold-cases?ft=1&f=1070 With the death of a possible suspect in one notorious case, activists are weighing the FBI's efforts to tackle cases from the 1950s and '60s. Some are calling for a congressional hearing to see whether the FBI has done enough investigating.

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]]> Boston Bombings Prompt Fresh Look At Unsolved Murders Authorities are revisiting a triple murder in the Boston suburb of Waltham. One of the victims may have been a friend of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev would sometimes spar at the same mixed martial arts gym where the victim worked as an instructor. Fri, 17 May 2013 17:02:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184818602/boston-bombings-prompt-fresh-look-at-unsolved-murders?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184818602/boston-bombings-prompt-fresh-look-at-unsolved-murders?ft=1&f=1070 Authorities are revisiting a triple murder in the Boston suburb of Waltham. One of the victims may have been a friend of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev would sometimes spar at the same mixed martial arts gym where the victim worked as an instructor.

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]]> Nearly Half The Country Doesn't Know Health Law Exists A new poll finds 42 percent of Americans aren't sure that the Affordable Care Act is actually a law. Guest Host Celeste Headlee discusses this and other health care-related issues with Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, and NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Ron Elving. Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184775454&ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184775454&ft=1&f=1070 A new poll finds 42 percent of Americans aren't sure that the Affordable Care Act is actually a law. Guest Host Celeste Headlee discusses this and other health care-related issues with Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, and NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Ron Elving.

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]]> Weighing Freedom Of The Press Against Public Safety The Justice Department has been scrutinized this week for secretly obtaining phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors while investigating the disclosure of a CIA operation to thwart a terrorist attack. Steve Inskeep talks to Floyd Abrams, a leading First Amendment lawyer, about how the Constitution and the law treat press freedom. Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184700632/weighing-freedom-of-the-press-against-public-safety?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184700632/weighing-freedom-of-the-press-against-public-safety?ft=1&f=1070 The Justice Department has been scrutinized this week for secretly obtaining phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors while investigating the disclosure of a CIA operation to thwart a terrorist attack. Steve Inskeep talks to Floyd Abrams, a leading First Amendment lawyer, about how the Constitution and the law treat press freedom.

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]]> AP Case Adds To Obama Team's Tough Record On Leaks His administration has prosecuted six people for giving reporters information about secret national security operations — twice as many cases as all previous presidents combined. Amid criticism from First Amendment advocates, the White House insists it values both press freedoms and national security. Fri, 17 May 2013 03:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184573152/ap-case-adds-to-obama-teams-tough-record-on-leaks?ft=1&f=1070 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184573152/ap-case-adds-to-obama-teams-tough-record-on-leaks?ft=1&f=1070 His administration has prosecuted six people for giving reporters information about secret national security operations — twice as many cases as all previous presidents combined. Amid criticism from First Amendment advocates, the White House insists it values both press freedoms and national security.

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