Department

U.S. Justice Department Claims Oregon Climate Lawsuit Distinct from Montana Case, Despite Similar Youth-Led Legal Efforts

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WASHINGTON — In a significant legal battle spanning nearly a decade, a group of young Oregon plaintiffs has encountered a setback in their fight against the U.S. government over climate change. Officials from the Usc Justice Department have recently stated that a notable legal victory in Montana will not influence the Oregon youth climate lawsuit, which contends that federal inaction on climate change violates their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property. The case, known as Juliana v. United the USA, was initiated in 2015 when the plaintiffs, then aged between 8 and 18, sued … Read more

Justice Department Supports Alabama Prisoners’ Claims of Unconstitutional Violence in Ongoing Legal Battle

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Increased scrutiny surrounds Alabama’s correctional system as the U.S. Department of Justice opposed the state’s motion for summary judgment in an ongoing legal dispute over alleged unconstitutional violence in state prisons. Federal authorities argue there are substantial claims of systematic abuse that warrant a trial. Prisoners at the St. Clair Correctional Facility initiated a lawsuit in 2014, claiming they were victims of relentless violence and excessive force by guards. The facility, a maximum-security prison, currently confines about 1,000 male inmates. The allegations extend to cover not only staff misconduct but also rampant … Read more

Settlement Reached in Hurricane Sally Barge Damage Lawsuit Between U.S. Justice Department and Skanska Construction

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Pensacola, Fla. — Two barges which broke loose during the sonic assault of Hurricane Sally in 2020, causing extensive damages, became the subject of a federal lawsuit that concluded recently with a quiet settlement. The legal action, initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice against the Skanska construction company, was resolved following fruitful mediation last month, culminating in the dismissal of the case by U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon. The Department of Justice initially sought $1.43 million in damages from Skanska for the alleged negligence incurred during the hurricane’s onslaught. The barges, integral to … Read more

Justice Department and Transgender Youth Challenge Alabama’s Gender-Affirming Care Ban, Citing Misrepresented Facts

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MONTGOMMERY, Ala. — The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, together with transgender youth and their families, has challenged the factual basis of the Alabama attorney general’s motion for a prompt legal resolution in ongoing litigation over the state’s 2025 regulation that bans gender-affirming care for minors. This law, established in 2022, criminalizes the provision of puberty blockers and hormones to individuals under 19, alongside banning genital surgeries, which medical professionals confirm are not performed on minors in the state. The plaintiffs contend that the motion for summary judgment, a request to resolve a case … Read more