The smell of burnt marijuana can no longer be used as probable cause for a warrantless search of a vehicle in Illinois, the state’s Supreme Court ruled. In 2019, Illinois legalized the recreational use of marijuana and decriminalized possession of the drug up to 30 grams. In a unanimous decision, with one abstention, the justices…

On Thursday, Oct. 10, attorneys who represent immigrants called “Dreamers,” protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, defended it before a federal court. Now, federal judges will decide the program’s fate. DACA shields immigrants who came into the United States as children and don’t have permanent legal status or a path to citizenship.…

The judge overseeing the federal election criminal case against former President Donald Trump will allow redacted evidence to be released. The evidence is currently under seal in an appendix to the 165-page filing submitted earlier this month by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled in favor of prosecutors who wanted the appendix released…

The Colorado Supreme Court declined to rule whether a Christian baker can refuse to make a gender-transition themed cake for a transgender customer. A technicality led to the case getting dismissed. It all started when Autumn Scardina sued Jack Phillips in 2017 after the Denver-area baker said he would not make the celebratory pink cake…

The Supreme Court expressed support for a Biden administration regulation on “ghost guns,” which are mail-order kits used to create untraceable weapons at home. Both conservative and liberal justices questioned the claim that these kits are for traditional gunsmithing hobbyists.All of the justices sounded off skepticism, though there were also critical questions asked of the…

Brazil’s Supreme Court lifted its ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after the company complied with court orders and paid 28 million reais ($5.1 million) in fines. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who imposed the ban for the platform’s refusal to block accounts accused of spreading misinformation about the 2022 Brazilian…

The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is asking the Supreme Court to review a state court ruling that denied public funding for the nation’s first Catholic charter school. St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School Inc. was founded by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa in 2022 and was set to…

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is expected to present her strategy to confront the country’s security problems Tuesday, Oct. 8. The country’s first woman president — inaugurated less than a week ago — is reportedly going to present a plan that will highlight law and order amid the growing violence linked to drug cartels and organized crime.  Her plan…

Georgia’s Supreme Court reinstated a 6-week abortion ban, prohibiting the procedure about six weeks into pregnancy, while it considers a state appeal. This means Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban will is back in place on Monday, Oct. 7, as the court reviews an appeal to a lower court’s decision that expanded access to abortion. The ruling…

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday, Oct. 7, to allow a ruling barring emergency abortions that violate Texas law to stand. The justices provided no reasoning for their decision, leaving questions about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, and state abortion bans, unaddressed. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act ensures patients, regardless of…