Federal Courts

Florida Gov. Rick Scott's plan to drug test state employees without cause has been batted down after the US Supreme Court refused to hear the state's appeal of a lower court decision finding it unconstitional.

Garden State municipal prosecutors say legalize it, an Arizona sheriff has to give back medical marijuana seized rom a patient, Colorado wants to crack down on high plant-count patients, Louisiana takes a resolutely last century approach to heroin, Uruguay is going to seriously track its legal weed, and more.

No legalization for Maryland this year, the ASA national conference is coming soon, Utah (!) passes a package of policing reform bills, welfare drug testing goes down in flames in Indiana, the Swiss ponder cannabis clubs, and more.

Florida's law mandating the suspicionless drug testing of welfare applicants has been found unconstitutional by a federal district judge. Gov. Rick Scott (R) says he will appeal.

It looks like Washington state medical marijuana patients will continue to be able to grow their own, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes wants to welcome pot tourists, the Michigan Senate takes aim at welfare drug users, Indian Maoists are profiting from prohibition, and more.

It's not just Attorney General Holder's speech on sentencing reform Monday. The prospects for sentencing reform in the Congress are looking better than ever, with bills garnering bipartisan support.

When can you get a guilty plea overturned in federal court? When the cop who busted you is crooked, that's when.

The US Supreme Court has smothered the last breath of life left in the third effort to reschedule marijuana out of Schedule I. But a fourth effort is already in progress.

Sens. Patrick Leahy and Rand Paul led the charge for mandatory minimum sentencing reform at a Judiciary Committee hearing last week. The adminstration and the federal judiciary are already on board; now, it's time for Congress to step up to the plate.