A Texas federal judge has declared portions of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code unconstitutional as they apply to the advertisement and labeling of beer. Calling the issue “anything but ‘dry,’” he wrote that “this Court would never be so foolish as to question the sincerity of Texans’ interest in beer.”

The 2nd Circuit on Wednesday grappled with the issue of whether any closing of a courtroom during jury selection constitutes a “structural” flaw in the proceedings requiring a new trial for a convicted defendant or whether there remains a subset of closings that do not violate the right to a public trial.

A recent decision by the 3rd Circuit on the issue of the rights of minority shareholders who are unhappy with a merger prompted an outcry from business groups. Now the 3rd Circuit has vacated that decision and agreed to certify the question to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

In what is thought to be the first ruling on the issue by a federal appeals court, the 4th Circuit has held that a job applicant can’t bring a retaliation lawsuit against a prospective employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Trial courts do not have the power to compel witnesses who live in other states to attend depositions in California, a state appeal court has decided in a products liability suit against Toyota. But the issue might be teed up for review by the California Supreme Court.