Attorney General

Congress Briefed on Legal Obstacles to Blackwater Shooting Prosecution

The Justice Department has told congressional staffers that legal obstacles could hinder prosecutions of Blackwater security guards who shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians in September. Justice officials told staffers of two potential problems, but said neither are insurmountable, the New York Times reports. A federal grand jury is weighing…

Jan 16, 2008 12:58 PM CST

Doc Wants Tort Review Board

A physician is urging the creation of a Tort Review Board to review medical liability cases. In a letter to the Wall Street Journal, Jay Ankeney, a retired surgery professor at Case Western’s medical school, says the medical profession needs to take an active role in preventing “pseudo-science” from being…

Jan 11, 2008 6:48 PM CST

Ashcroft Contract Leads to Justice Department Policy Review

A no-bid contract awarded to the consulting firm of former Attorney General John Ashcroft has spurred a Justice Department inquiry into its procedure for selecting outside monitors to oversee company settlements. The 18-month contract, worth $28 million to $52 million, is between the Ashcroft Group and Zimmer Holding, a medical…

Jan 10, 2008 12:04 PM CST

Judge Refuses to Delve into CIA Tape Destruction

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., says a Justice Department investigation into the destruction of two CIA interrogation videotapes should be sufficient, and there is no need for the court to investigate. U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy ruled after a hearing into whether the destruction violated his court order preserving…

Jan 10, 2008 11:46 AM CST

Boston Chief Judge Raps DOJ in Mukasey Letter

Boston’s chief federal judge has written a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey criticizing the U.S. Justice Department for lax discipline of a federal prosecutor who withheld evidence and a failure to be candid with the court. Chief Judge Mark Wolf asked disciplinary authorities to investigate assistant U.S. attorney Jeffrey…

Jan 8, 2008 1:57 PM CST

Fired US Atty Ryan Takes Pay Cut to Work For San Fran’s Mayor

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has hired former U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan to lead the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Ryan was among at least eight U.S. attorneys fired last year by the Bush Administration. This is his second post, after taking a job in April with the 200-lawyer Allen…

Jan 4, 2008 11:10 PM CST

Acting US Atty Named in Minnesota

The Justice Department has named veteran prosecutor Frank Magill to take over as interim U.S. attorney in Minnesota. He replaces the embattled Rachel Paulose, a move the Associated Press characterized as “replacing youth with experience.” Paulose, who when she was appointed was 32 and among the youngest U.S. attorneys ever,…

Jan 4, 2008 7:19 PM CST

Congresswoman Releases Letter Opposing Videotape Destruction

A congresswoman has released a copy of a letter she sent to the CIA in February 2003 urging against destruction of the agency’s videotapes of harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects, the Washington Post reports. U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said in the letter that she had learned of the planned…

Jan 4, 2008 3:28 PM CST

DOJ Opens Criminal Probe of CIA Tape Destruction

Updated: Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey announced today that the Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes. Mukasey said John H. Durham, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, will oversee the case. Last month, the CIA acknowledged it had…

Jan 2, 2008 8:20 PM CST

Newsmakers of the Year 2007 and 2008

Editor’s Note: When this article was posted online on December 12, 2007, it was titled “Lawyers of the Year 2007 and 2008.” The article defined that term as the year’s biggest legal newsmaker, identifying former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as the major newsmaker of 2007. The Journal regrets that…

Jan 1, 2008 3:49 PM CST

Mukasey Urges Passage of Wiretap Law

Updated: In a speech yesterday to an ABA group, Attorney General Michael Mukasey pressed his case for a law that would extend authority for the government’s terrorism wiretap program. Mukasey wants Congress to pass a version of the law that gives immunity to telecommunications companies that have cooperated with the…

Dec 20, 2007 12:31 PM CST

CIA to Turn Over Documents About Destroyed Interrogation Tapes

The CIA will turn over documents about the destruction of videotaped interrogations to the House Intelligence Committee, congressional and intelligence officials told the New York Times. The CIA’s top lawyer, John Rizzo, will be made available to testify, but it’s unclear if the official who ordered the destruction of the…

Dec 20, 2007 12:03 PM CST

Mukasey Limits White House Contacts in Pending Probes

New guidelines issued by Attorney General Michael Mukasey limit contact between Justice Department and White House officials in pending civil and criminal investigations. The guidelines say the Justice Department will advise the White House about such pending matters “only where it is important for the performance of the president’s duties…

Dec 20, 2007 11:34 AM CST

Voting Rights Chief Steps Down

The Justice Department lawyer in charge of voting rights stepped down on Friday following allegations that he helped suppress African-American votes. McClatchy’s D.C. bureau relates John Tanner’s job change to controversy over the politicization of Bush administration’s Department of Justice. Tanner came under fire in October for a comment that…

Dec 17, 2007 6:51 PM CST

CIA Chief Says Congress Not Fully Informed About Tapes

CIA Director Michael Hayden told journalists yesterday that his agency had not kept Congress fully informed about videotaped interrogations of terrorism suspects, both at the time the tapes were made and when they were destroyed three years later. Hayden’s comments to reporters “struck a different tone” than a message sent…

Dec 13, 2007 1:03 PM CST