US supreme court backs FCC in clash with wireless carriers over fines
by Reuters from US news | The Guardian on (#7636G)
Justices uphold FCC authority to impose in-house penalties, rejecting AT&T and Verizon jury trial claims
The US supreme court backed the Federal Communications Commission's system for levying fines, ruling on Thursday against wireless carriers AT&T and Verizon in their challenge to the agency and handing a win to Donald Trump's administration.
The ruling was 8-1. At issue in the legal dispute was whether the agency's in-house proceedings for imposing the penalties deprived the companies of their right to a jury trial under the US constitution. Trump's administration defended the FCC's system for assessing financial penalties, known as forfeiture orders.
Continue reading...