Legal News

9th Circuit: I always feel like somebody's watching me

By Richard Binder

From prisoners' rights to environmental protection, laws set by the 9th Circuit were overturned in 15 of the 16 cases reviewed this term by the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices shot down four rulings seen as protecting nature against industrial hazards and five cases asserting claims by convicts that their rights were abused.

Judicial analysts attribute the high reversal rate at least partly to the 9th Circuit's reputation as a liberal-dominated bench, and that the Supreme Court justices are more inclined to look over the shoulders of the 9th Circuit judges they suspect of favoring the underdog.

The 9th Circuit has had a larger-than-average share of its cases overturned in eight of the last 10 years, and this term has seen 94% of its cases reversed at least in part.

Full story at LATimes.com.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on June 29, 2009 (boomark / email).