Welcome to Justiceline, ThinkProgress Justice’s morning round-up of the latest legal news and developments. Remember to follow us on Twitter at @TPJustice.
- The Supreme Court seemed reluctant to accept two criminal defendants’ claims that they should be allowed to retroactively accept a plea bargain that they rejected after receiving egregiously bad advice (or no advice at all) from their defense attorney.
- The justices also voted 6-3 to restore the conviction of a grandmother charged with shaking her infant grandchild to death. Justice Elena Kagan broke with the moderate faction to join the Court’s five conservatives in the majority.
- Additionally, the justices agreed not to hear two closely watched cases, one that rejected a Commerce Clause challenge to the Endangered Species Act, the other that held Utah cannot official sponsor the display of roadside crosses.
- Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) won’t appeal a decision striking down the state’s recently enacted prison privatization plan.
- The House Judiciary Committee’s two top Democrats want a hearing on the many so-called “voter ID” laws states are using to disenfranchise poor, minority and student voters.
- And, finally, Ken Cuccinelli’s chief lobbyist will leave the attorney general’s office to lead Virginia’s chapter of the Koch-funded Tea Party group Americans for Prosperity. It’s not clear whether her job duties will actually change after this in-house transfer.
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