Foes of new bridge won't be heard by court
DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down an appeal in a lawsuit that challenges the selection of a Detroit neighborhood for a new bridge to Canada.
Neighborhood groups and the private owners of the Ambassador Bridge claim the federal government violated environmental law, among other legal standards. But the work of the Federal Highway Administration has been upheld by a federal judge and an appeals court.
The Supreme Court said Monday it won't get involved.
Supporters of a second bridge between Detroit and Ontario, Canada, say it could open by 2020. Canada and the federal government recently announced a critical deal to build a toll plaza on the U.S. side.
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New Orleans tour guides' free speech appeal rejected
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has rejected a free-speech appeal from guides in New Orleans who object to having to be licensed to lead tours.
The justices did not comment Monday in leaving in place lower court rulings that said the licensing requirements do not violate the First Amendment.
Opponents of the requirements had hoped that the New Orleans case might attract the Supreme Court's interest because a District of Columbia court has held that similar rules in the nation's capital were unfounded.
The case is Kagan v. New Orleans, 14-585.
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Justices deny access to secret court records
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court will not consider giving a man accused of trying to ignite a bomb in downtown Chicago access to secret intelligence-court records.
The justices rejected the appeal of defendant Adel Daoud without comment Monday.
Daoud had won a trial court ruling that would have given his lawyers unprecedented access to records of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA court.
Prosecutors appealed and argued that providing the material would endanger national security. The federal appeals court in Chicago agreed with the government and reversed the trial court ruling.
Daoud's case touched on the controversy over expanded U.S. phone and Internet spying set off by former government contractor Edward Snowden, and the FISA court's role in signing off on the increased surveillance.
The case is Daoud v. U.S., 14-794.
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Court won't reinstate case of man who went missing
WASHINGTON (AP) - Bobby Chen's legal luck has finally run out.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to reinstate Chen's appeal in a legal dispute with the city of Baltimore.
Chen beat long odds last year when he convinced the court - without the help of an attorney - to hear his case. But then he disappeared for two months and court officials couldn't reach him. The court dismissed the case last month after he missed a filing deadline.
Chen later re-emerged with a high-powered lawyer who said his client was traveling, experienced a slip-and-fall injury, and was unaware his case had been granted.
But the court declined to give him a second chance.
Chen had been fighting Baltimore officials for years, claiming the city illegally demolished his row house.
Published: Wed, Feb 25, 2015
