SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK

Court ends torture lawsuit against Rumsfeld WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from two American whistleblowers who claim U.S. forces tortured them in Iraq and who want to sue former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The justices' action Monday leaves in place a federal appeals court ruling that found Rumsfeld cannot be held liable for actions taken by subordinates that may have crossed legal bounds. The two men are Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, who say they were detained and tortured after they accused an Iraqi-owned company for which they worked of illegally running guns. They argued Rumsfeld personally approved interrogation methods for use by the U.S. military in Iraq, making him responsible for what happened to them during several weeks they were held in military camps. Judges can't use new guidelines on old case WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court says judges can't use newer sentencing guidelines on an old case. The justices ruled 5-4 for Marvin Peugh, who was convicted of five counts of bank fraud, sentenced to 70 months' imprisonment, and ordered to pay nearly $2 million dollars in Illinois for check-kiting and fraudulently obtaining a business loan. Peugh says his sentencing was unfair because 2009 sentencing guidelines were used instead of the more lenient 1999 guidelines in effect at the time of his offenses. The 7th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his sentencing because the guidelines used by judges are only advisory in nature. The high court, in an opinion written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, overturned that decision and sent the case back. California raisin farmers win new day in court WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court is giving California raisin producers a new day in court to object to a government program that aims to stabilize prices by regulating the market. The justices on Monday unanimously ordered a federal appeals court in California to take a new look at claims brought by farmers in California's Central Valley about a Depression-era program intended to raise the price of raisins by keeping some of them off the market. The state produces almost all raisins in the United States. The farmers say the program unfairly prevents them from selling their entire crop when the government determines that there otherwise would be a glut of raisins that would drive prices down. They say the program unconstitutionally takes their private property without compensation. Published: Wed, Jun 12, 2013