Housing Courts
Housing courts are specialized courts that handle landlord-tenant cases. The New York City Housing Court handles only residential landlord-tenant cases; another court division handles commercial landlord-tenant cases. Housing courts in Minnesota handle civil and criminal cases related to residential rental housing. The Boston Housing Court handles landlord-tenant disputes, evictions, and housing code violations. This article covers the most common types of cases filed in housing court.
Impeachment of Federal Judges
Under the United States Constitution, the President of the United States, with the approval of the United States Senate, appoints federal judges. Federal judges are appointed for life but can be removed from office by impeachment.
Mental Health Courts
Specialized courts, called mental health courts, have been set up to deal with individuals entering the criminal justice system who have mental illness or a mental disability. Currently, about 30 states have mental health courts in selected jurisdictions. Juvenile mental health courts, handling delinquency cases involving mentally ill juveniles, are planned in some states.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
In December 2003, President Bush signed the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (Act), a law to reduce the economic and legal burdens of military personnel. The Act updates prior laws and gives servicemembers on active duty added protections. The Act also applies to reservists who have been called up for active duty. This article covers some of the most important provisions in the Act.
Wrongful Death Claims
A wrongful death is a death caused by the negligence or misconduct of a person or company. All states have wrongful death laws that provide compensation to the surviving spouse, minor children, and parents of a deceased adult. Some states permit other relatives to recover compensation if they depended upon the deceased for support or services. In some states, grandparents or members of the extended family can also recover damages for their loss.
