Legal News Roundup: November 11
Posted in In the news on November 11, 2020
Here’s a roundup of recent legal stories in the news.
Supreme Court Looks Willing to Leave Obamacare Intact
CNBC – The Affordable Care Act seems likely to withstand its third challenge at the Supreme Court.
During Tuesday’s arguments in a case seeking to eliminate Obamacare, two of the court’s conservatives judges indicated they would not strike down the landmark legislation.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested that the court may cast aside the individual mandate while leaving the rest standing.
The individual mandate provision, as enacted in 2010, requires most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. The GOP-controlled Congress reduced the penalty to $0 in 2017.
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Ohio’s Judicial Elections Brings Turnover at All Levels
Court News Ohio – Ohio’s 2020 judicial elections resulted in turnover at all levels, as 22 incumbents lost their seats on the bench.
In one of two Supreme Court races, Justice Sharon L. Kennedy kept her seat by defeating Cuyahoga County Judge John O’Donnell. Justice Judith L. French lost her reelection bid to Tenth District Court of Appeals Judge Jennifer Brunner.
In addition, the results showed challengers defeating five appellate judges. Another 15 common pleas judges and one county court judge also lost bids to retain their seats.
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Barr urges probes of vote irregularities
Reuters Legal – U.S. Attorney General William Barr told federal prosecutors to investigate “substantial” allegations of irregularities in last week’s presidential election. The move prompted
the top lawyer overseeing voter fraud investigations, Richard Pilger, to resign in protest.
President Donald Trump’s campaign has filed several lawsuits since claiming the election results were flawed.
Trump has not conceded the election to Democrat Joe Biden, who on Saturday secured more than the 270 votes in the Electoral College needed to win the presidency.
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Bill Belichick Hit With Subpoena
New York Post – Former Cleveland Browns and current New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been subpoenaed.
A lengthy legal dispute between former Patriots assistant coach Bret Bielema and The Razorback Foundation now involves Belichick, who is accused of employing Bielema at an intentionally low salary, allowing the former Arkansas head coach to receive his full $12 million buyout from the school.
Bielema was fired from Arkansas in 2017 after five seasons and contractually obligated to “make reasonable efforts to find employment that would mitigate or offset” the remaining buyout money owed to the coach. Bielema was then hired as a consultant with the Patriots for $125,000 per year, which was less than the minimum number to trigger a buyout reduction.
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