U.S. Supreme Court Notebook

Gorsuch asks his first questions from Supreme Court bench WASHINGTON (AP) - It took less than 15 minutes for newly minted Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch to ask his first questions from the bench. Gorsuch and his colleagues were hearing arguments Monday for the first time since President Donald Trump's pick was sworn in April 10. The case before the justices involved a procedural issue in a federal worker's employment discrimination claim. Gorsuch asked lawyer Christopher Landau four questions in a row, saying he was "sorry for taking up so much time." The high court is back to its full contingent of nine members after being short-handed since Justice Antonin Scalia's death more than 14 months ago. The session started with Chief Justice John Roberts welcoming Gorsuch and wishing him "a long and happy career in our common calling." House or boat? Supreme Court rejects floating home appeal MIAMI (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a Florida man's latest appeal in a land­mark case involving the seizure and destruction of his floating home. The justices on Monday denied without comment Fane Lozman's petition asking them to enforce their 2013 ruling by ordering the city of Rivera Beach to pay him about $365,000 for the home's value and legal fees. Lower courts also ruled against Lozman. The 2013 ruling set a new standard for floating homes. It meant strict federal maritime law could no longer be applied to disputes involving floating structures that have no traditional characteristics of a vessel, such as an engine or sails. The decision affected thousands of floating homes and business owners nationwide. Lozman did not immediately respond to a text message Monday seeking comment. @ROUND UP Briefs Headline:Supreme Court rejects bid by detained asylum seekers WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from detained immigrant mothers and their children who claim they will be persecuted if they are returned to their Latin American homelands. The justices on Monday left in place a lower court ruling that said the families did not have a right to contest their deportation in federal court. The 28 mothers and their 33 children were arrested in Texas soon after crossing the border illegally, and immigration officials rejected their asylum claims. The immigrants came from Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador. They argued they were entitled to a hearing before an independent federal judge. Published: Tue, Apr 18, 2017