General News
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The federal courts begin to adapt to COVID-19
Lawfare: "In the United States, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus quickly transformed from a looming risk to a paralyzing pandemic." -
Inmate waiting 40 years finally gets appeal hearing. But COVID-19 may shut down court
Charlotte Observer: "More than halfway through an 80-year sentence for a rape he says he didn’t commit, Ronnie Long has received what may be his last best chance for freedom: a hearing before the full Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals." -
U.S.: Court may bless refunds for online access to judicial records
Politico: "A lawsuit accusing the federal court system of treating nearly a billion dollars in online access fees like a slush fund got a favorable reception on Monday from an appeals court." -
U.S.: Should the public pay a dime for access to court records?
Washington Post: "The federal judiciary charges 10 cents per page to pull up court files from its online record repository. The fees can add up quickly, and users must consider whether each click to view a public record is worth the cost." -
Indian Child Welfare Act considered by en banc Fifth Circuit
Courthouse News Service: "A full 16-judge panel at the Fifth Circuit heard arguments Wednesday in a case that challenges a 1978 law that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings involving children who are identified as belonging to a Native American tribe." -
Court to rehear law on adoptions of Native American children
Associated Press: "A federal appeals court announced Thursday that it will take a second look at an emotionally fraught lawsuit governing the adoption of Native American children." -
At 92, Fargo native rules as oldest judge on US Court of International Trade
G.F. Herald: "The average person would hope to be long into retirement by age 92, but not Judge Richard Goldberg. The Fargo native who sits on the U.S. Court of International Trade has been going strong in the position for 29 years." -
U.S.: PACER court records 'can never be free,' judge says
Bloomberg News: "Making the judiciary’s electronic filings free to the public without an alternative funding source likely would result in steep court fee increases for litigants and hinder access to justice due to cost, a federal judge told a congressional panel Sept. 26." -
Job Announcement
Four job announcements for Assistant United States Attorneys with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of North Dakota have been posted. -
Lawyer takes fight against state bar dues to 8th Circuit
Courthouse News Service: "An Eighth Circuit panel heard oral arguments [June 13] in an attorney’s challenge over a state bar association’s requirement that attorneys be members of – and also pay dues to – the association in order to practice law."