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The judge who sent Lindsay Lohan to jail has removed herself from the case after a prosecutor complained she improperly contacted experts or participants in the case privately, including a rehabilitation facility, officials said Wednesday. Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel recused herself Friday, court spokesman Allan Parachini and district attorney’s office spokeswoman Jane Robison said. Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Elden Fox is now handling the Lohan case. Revel’s clerk said there...

William Bauer, a federal judge, says he felt threatened by a New Jersey blogger who ranted on the Internet about a gun control ruling. Judge William Bauer testified Wednesday at the trial of Hal Turner in New York. Turner’s case stems from an Illinois appeals court decision in 2009 upholding the dismissal of lawsuits challenging handgun bans in Chicago and Oak Park, Ill. The same day, the North Bergen, N.J., man wrote on his blog that Bauer and two other judges “must die.” Bauer...

Elena Kagan completed a swift transition from top US government lawyer to judge on the highest US court Saturday after being sworn in to become the 112th US Supreme Court justice. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the judicial oath that marks the beginning of her tenure as the fourth woman to sit on the top US court. Kagan pledged to “faithfully and impartially” administer justice to people from all walks to life, grinning broadly as her new colleague offered his congratulations. “Welcome...

For the US Supreme Court, the only qualification is to be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate per Art III of the US Const. No law degree is required, although in modern practice, a law degree and extensive judicial experience is a must to prevail in the age of electronic media. For US District Courts and US Courts of Appeals, and other inferior courts, a law degree is required because those courts are established by Congress rather than the Constitution and Congress has required...