MARK WALKER

Pointing to broader implications of the case, Georgia is backing Florida in a fight about a 2021 elections law that a federal judge said is unconstitutional.

Pointing to broader implications of the case, Georgia is backing Florida in a fight about a 2021 elections law that a federal judge said is...

A federal judge has shielded former Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran from testifying in a challenge to a 2021 law that requires surveys of “intellectual...

A federal judge Monday rejected arguments by attorneys for teachers, a student and a diversity consultant that he should block a controversial new state law that restricts the way race-related concepts can be taught in classrooms and workplace training.

A federal judge is expected to decide this week whether to block a new state law that would restrict the way certain race-related concepts can...

A federal judge is expected to decide this week whether to block a new state law that would restrict the way certain race-related concepts can be taught in public schools and in workplace training.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments in September in a battle about the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida elections law. Arguments are scheduled during...

Lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are fighting an attempt to block a state law and regulations that limit the way race-related issues can be taught in public schools and in workplace training.

Lawyers argued that DeSantis and other Republican leaders ‘banned ... opinions about race that stuck in their craw.’

Pointing to a ruling in a California case, lawyers for the National Rifle Association this week urged a federal appellate court to strike down a...

Former President Donald Trump’s winning streak in U.S. Senate primaries is on the line Tuesday as voters in five states cast their ballots in midterm elections.

Calling it flawed, a three-judge appellate panel on Friday put a hold on a federal judge’s ruling that said a 2021 Florida elections law was...

Former President Donald Trump enters the next stretch of the midterm campaign emboldened by primary victories but facing new risks.

TAMPA, FL: Voting booths are set up on the campus of University of South Florida on October 22, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesTAMPA, FL: Voting booths are set up on the campus of University of South Florida on October 22, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals said that Judge Mark Walker’s March ruling that the law intentionally targeted Black voters was flawed. The state was immediately sued by voting rights groups. “We are deeply disappointed and disturbed by today’s appeals court decision, putting back in place one of the most restrictive voting rights laws in the country.

A federal appeals court granted Florida's request to reinstate parts of the state's election law while it appeals a lower court's decision that the law was aimed at suppressing Black voters.

A three-judge appellate panel made up of Trump appointees put a hold on a ruling calling a Florida elections law discriminatory.

A set of changes to voting practices in Florida, called "racist" by a lower court judge, can take effect after all, an appeals court rules.

Portions of Florida election law are being reinstated by a federal appeals court while the state appeals a lower court’s decision that the law was aimed at suppressing Black voters.

The state of Florida has agreed to forgo enforcement of key elements of new voting restrictions that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law.

A measure to create a first-of-its-kind office in Florida to investigate voting irregularities, along with making other changes in the state’s elections system, was signed...

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — A pet duck led deputies to the body of a North Carolina woman who has been missing since 2020, and a couple, including the woman’s granddaughter, have been charged in her death, authorities said. >> Read more trending news“If I could give that duck a medal, I would,” Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mark Walker told WLOS-TV. Walker said they learned about a body when the residents at the former trailer were Wamsley and Barnes lived were chasing after their pet duck. “Apparently, the duck ran underneath the trailer ... and as they were chasing after their pet duck, they ran across the container that Nellie Sullivan was located in,” Walker told WLOS.

When Ted Budd won a surprise endorsement from former President Donald Trump last year, he was a little-known congressman running for a Senate seat in North Carolina against some of the state’s most recognizable Republicans, including a former governor.

Gov. Ron DeSantis unloaded at U.S. District Judge Mark Walker after he struck down key portions of last year’s voter suppression law.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Friday rejected a request by opponents for an injunction against the surveys.

Surveys aimed at gauging “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on college and university campuses are on track to go out to students and employees Monday,...

In a sharp rebuke to Republican lawmakers, a federal judge on Thursday ruled that parts of a 2021 state elections law were intended to discriminate...

A federal judge has stricken key voting restrictions that the Florida Legislature passed last year as unconstitutional.

Saying that “Florida has a grotesque history of racial discrimination,” a federal district judge struck down most of a controversial election law passed in the state last year, and said the state can’t make any major changes to election regulations for the next 10 years unless a judge clears them first.

A federal judge ruled some of the law's provisions were enacted "with the intent to discriminate against Black voters."

The judge says the state's Republican-led government was using subtle tactics to suppress Black voters. An appeal of the ruling is expected.

A federal judge has struck down portions of a Florida election law passed last year, Thursday, March 31, 2022, citing what he said were subtle tactics by the Republican-led government to suppress Black voters. The law tightened rules on mailed ballots, drop boxes and other popular election methods. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP, File) (DAVID SANTIAGO)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — (AP) — A federal judge struck down portions of a Florida election law passed last year, saying in a ruling Thursday that the Republican-led government was using subtle tactics to suppress Black voters. “For the past 20 years, the majority in the Florida Legislature has attacked the voting rights of its Black constituents,” Walker added. Ron DeSantis, which made the election bill a priority, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A federal judge has struck down portions of a Florida election law passed last year, citing what he said were subtle tactics by the Republican-led government to suppress Black voters.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s sweeping overhaul of its election system, which was passed following the 2020 election, has been mostly struck down. In a lengthy federal court ruling, Judge Mark Walker struck down several provisions in the law while also ruling that Florida must obtain preclearance from the federal court before any new election laws in key areas. In his ruling the judge said, “Florida has repeatedly sought to make voting tougher for Black voters because of their propensity to favor Democratic candidates.”The case centered around the state’s crackdown on ballot drop boxes and requirements for third-party election groups. READ: Florida governor signs sweeping election changes into law, spurring legal challengesThe state is expected to appeal. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Opponents of a controversial 2021 law asked a federal judge this weekend to prevent the state from moving forward with diversity surveys.

An elections bill recently approved by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature would impose additional burdens on voters trying to submit mail-in ballots at drop boxes, attorneys...

A federal judge considering a constitutional challenge to a 2021 state elections law ordered attorneys Monday to quickly file briefs about the potential effects of a bill that the Legislature passed this month to make further changes in the elections system.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, in a sharply worded two-page order, said he is drafting a decision on the 2021 law.

Some of the officials who supervise Florida elections are considering retiring under the threat of $25,000 fines if they make mistakes.

Former President Donald Trump remains the most popular figure with the GOP base as he considers another bid for the White House.

As a federal judge weighs the constitutionality of an elections law passed last year, the Florida House started moving forward with a new proposal that includes adding steps for voting by mail and creating a state office to investigate alleged elections fraud.

As a federal judge weighs the constitutionality of an elections law passed last year, the Florida House on Thursday started moving forward with a new...

Post-Reconstruction history, narratives and stats lay the foundation in a legal challenge to a Florida law restricting voting rights.

A high-stakes trial over a new Florida elections law kicked off Monday, as the state and national Republicans square off against more than two dozen...

In a scathing ruling Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked the University of Florida from enforcing a controversial conflict-of-interest policy that gave school...

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked the University of Florida from barring professors from giving expert witness testimony.

A federal judge has temporarily prohibited the University of Florida from enforcing a policy that restricted faculty members from providing expert testimony in cases that conflict with positions taken by the state of Florida.

A federal judge sharply criticized an attorney for the University of Florida during a hearing on whether six professors’ free speech rights were infringed upon after the lawyer accused some of the academics of having no standing to make their cases because they had violated school policy.

A federal judge excoriated a lawyer for the University of Florida who accused political science professors of having “misled” the cour.

From elections to vaccines, state and federal courts are weighing major Florida lawsuits. Here are 10 big legal issues to watch in 2022.

A legal showdown over a controversial state elections law is set to take place next month, after a federal judge rejected efforts to short-circuit a...

A prominent U.S. Senate candidate in North Carolina has withdrawn from next year’s race for the Democratic nomination.

A federal judge will hear arguments next month in a lawsuit filed by University of Florida professors challenging a policy that gives the school discretion...

Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is among three top Republicans engaged in a hotly contested 2022 U.S. Senate primary.

A federal judge on Friday allowed a series of challenges to a new state elections law to move forward, setting the stage for a showdown...

Calling it unconstitutionally “vague and overbroad,” Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Thursday blocked a controversial state law that enhances penalties and creates new...

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked a controversial state law that creates new crimes in protests that turn violent.

A federal judge said that the law, championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, amounted to an assault on First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly as well as the Constitution's due process protections.

A federal judge has ruled that Florida’s new “anti-riot” law championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as a way to quell violent protests is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.

Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April, the law criminalizes protests that turn violent and can end in severe prison sentences.

“Unfortunately, this is not the end of the story, but the opening chapter of Budd putting money over principle.”

Parsing sentences might be a lost art, but attorneys in a court battle over a controversial Florida law that targets violent protests might want to...

A federal judge tangled with lawyers over a controversial law that enhances penalties and creates new crimes in protests that turn violent.

Finance reports show how the U.S. Senate race is taking shape

Plaintiffs challenging a new Florida law aimed at cracking down on disruptive protests are asking a federal judge to block portions of the statute from...

Cheri Beasley, a former North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice, would be her state’s first Black senator. State Sen. Jeff Jackson, meanwhile, is trying to re-create Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 Texas magic.

The law prevents the sale of rifles, shotguns and other long guns to people ages 18 to 20

Lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a measure...

The former president’s endorsement may elevates the candidate least likely to win

Republicans are fighting to seize control of Congress.

A transgender inmate at a maximum security prison attacked a guard after her razors were removed, meaning she could no longer shave, a court has heard. Marcia Walker, 47, a child rapist formally known as Mark Walker, is legally recognised as female by the prison authorities, but has been in a long running dispute over access to gender realignment surgery. Durham Crown Court was told how Walker reacted angrily when prison officers from Frankland jail objected to her having razor blades. Walker claimed being unable to shave herself worsened her gender dysphoria, and when prison officers entered her cell, Walker spat at one telling him: “I have Covid.” During the same incident Walker also made a specific threat to kill the prison’s custody manager Michael Roachford, as well as threatening another inmate. The court heard that Walker was already angry that copies of National Geographic magazine - sent into jail by a charity - had been confiscated from her cell because they contained pictures of naked children. During interview, Walker had insisted she had no sexual interest in the images in the magazine and added: “They cannot take my razors from me.” In a statement read to the court, Mr Roachford described Walker as “a white, transgender inmate legally recognised as a female.” He said: “In my role as custody manager I should not expect threats to kill me. Marcia has a history of making threats.” Fiona Lamb, mitigating, said: “The defendant has had quite an unpleasant experience being in custody. I’m sure no one enjoys it but because of the defendant's personal circumstances it has been very difficult for her.” Walker, who appeared by video link admitted assault on a prison officer, threatening to kill Mr Roachford and fellow inmate Liam Edwards, as well as breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Sentencing Walker, Judge Ray Singh said he had "real concerns" over releasing her into the community, but also acknowledged there were issues over her continued detention within the prison system. However he said he was taking "a chance" on her and imposed consecutive three-month sentences for all offences, totalling 15 months, suspended for two years, with 30 rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service. Walker will also be subject to post-sentence supervision. The court was told Kent Police, her original offender managers, from the first offence in 2003, will now take her to an agreed accommodation facility in Guildford, Surrey. She will leave Durham Prison, where she's been on remand within the next 24 hours. Judge Singh added that any breaches would land her back before him and he would activate the full 15-months. Walker told him she would not breach, adding: "You have my word on that". Walker was first jailed for 13 years as a man in 2003 for two rapes against girls under the age of 16, one aged just four, as well as 10 counts of making indecent photographs of children, seven of taking indecent photographs of children and two of distributing indecent photographs of children. In 2012, Walker was jailed for an extra six months for claiming a bomb had been sent to the then Home Secretary Theresa May’s home. In 2017 Walker received a further prison term for making hoax bomb threats against Long Lartin prison where she was being held at the time.

The former president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is eyeing the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Burr. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)RALEIGH, N.C. – A Trump may be on the ballot next year — but not Donald Trump. The former president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is eyeing the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Burr. The answer to that question has implications that extend far beyond Lara Trump's political future. The 38-year-old Lara Trump is married to the former president's son, Eric.

But the North Carolina Republican’s vote to convict former President Donald Trump should not have come as a shock. AdWith Burr retiring at the end of his term in 2022, it’s a vote that could end up defining his career. Exactly a year later, as the Russia investigation was wrapping up, Burr’s time leading the committee came to an abrupt end. He sided with most Republicans in a vote to dismiss the trial, creating an expectation he’d also vote to acquit. AdSo when Burr stood up to vote for Trump's conviction, many in the chamber wondered if there would be other surprises.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – The $900 billion pandemic relief package that was rushed through Congress Monday created a familiar year-end conundrum for lawmakers: It was a bill too big to fail, and also too big to read. The Senate Historical Office says it's the longest bill they could find record of passing Congress. The bill was released at 2 p.m., just hours before the House and Senate began voting on it. Also in the bill: hundreds of unrelated legislative items negotiated by leadership to win support from various constituencies. “Members of Congress need to see & read the bills we are expected to vote on.

It was the first meeting between the teams at West Point since 1943. They had lost all three games played previously at West Point to the Midshipmen, including 13-0 in 1943 during World War II. Xavier Arline started for Navy, just the fifth freshman to start at quarterback for the Mids against Army. Army: The Black Knights have overcome a schedule that had to be almost totally revamped to rebound after a subpar 2019. He first took his place with cadets on the Army side of the stadium for much of the first quarter before joining Navy midshipmen in the second quarter.

She soundly defeated Tipton, a co-chair of President Donald Trump’s Colorado reelection campaign, in the Republican primary in June. Republican state Sen. Stephanie Bice earned a reputation as a political moderate in her two terms in the Oklahoma Senate. ___11:20 p.m.Republican Maria Elvira Salazar has defeated Democrat Donna Shalala for a House seat in Florida. Republican Ronny Jackson has won a House seat in West Texas, where he moved after leaving the White House in 2018. The solidly Republican district is currently held by Mac Thornberry, one of six GOP congressmen in Texas retiring this year.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration in Florida even though a computer meltdown on the final day of registration might have prevented thousands of potential voters from taking part in November’s presidential election. Secretary of State Laurel Lee reopened the registration for seven hours on Tuesday, after consulting with Gov. In the end, the case is not about Floridians missing registration deadlines, or a challenge to a state statute, Walker wrote. This court must consider the consequences of extending voter registration deadline. Yet, Florida has failed to figure out how to run an election properly -- a task simpler than rocket science.”

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks to media on Capitol Hill in Washington. Ron DeSantis signed into a law a bill that would open up that market for college athletes in the state. The bill gives the NCAA until June 2021 to have new rules in place that will supersede states laws. These kids deserve to make a little bit of money while they're in college, Rubio said. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) examining names, image and likeness compensation for college athletes, though Rubio's bill was separate from that group.