Attorney General

DOJ rule change would allow some executions by firing squad and electrocution

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published a final rule change that would allow federal executions to be carried out in any manner allowed in the state where the death sentence was imposed.

Nov 30, 2020 2:23 PM CST

DOJ makes no ‘overt moves’ to investigate claims of widespread voter fraud conspiracy

Even though U.S. Attorney General William Barr has loosened restrictions on investigating voter fraud, there has been no public announcement of any investigation, according to a story by the Washington Post.

Nov 24, 2020 12:01 PM CST

Federal judge criticizes DOJ’s fee agreement with BigLaw firm, says the amount is unreasonable

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has questioned the U.S. Department of Justice’s agreement to pay more than $212,000 in fees and expenses to Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer to settle a case over the exclusion of New York residents from trusted traveler programs.

Nov 23, 2020 3:50 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Peremptory challenge curbs allowed; more federal courts halt jury trials

Juror shortages lead to curbs on peremptory challenges Judges in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, are allowed to ban or reduce peremptory challenges in civil cases to avoid running out of potential jurors. Judges asked and received permission from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to make the change because of a drop in…

Nov 20, 2020 4:06 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Bankruptcy judge OKs opioid deal; judge bans immigration arrests at some courts

Bankruptcy judge approves opioid deal U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in New York has approved a settlement between the government and Purdue Pharma, a maker of OxyContin, to resolve federal criminal and civil investigations. The company is accused of defrauding federal health agencies and violating anti-kickback laws. The deal calls…

Nov 18, 2020 4:17 PM CST

Kavanaugh, Roberts appear ready to join with liberal justices to uphold most of Affordable Care Act

A U.S. Supreme Court majority appeared ready to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act in oral arguments Tuesday.

Nov 10, 2020 3:09 PM CST

DOJ official quits post after AG Barr authorizes voter fraud probes before results are certified

U.S. Attorney General William Barr told federal prosecutors Monday that they may investigate specific allegations of voter fraud before certification of election results, a reversal of long-standing policies intended to prevent knowledge of investigations from influencing voters or election officials.

Nov 10, 2020 9:54 AM CST

Protesters in front of AG Barr’s home want him to lock up Biden

U.S. Attorney General William Barr chatted with protesters Saturday who gathered outside his home to urge that former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, be locked up.

Nov 2, 2020 9:34 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Trump faces suit over rape denial; Biden opposes SCOTUS term limits

Trump can be personally sued over rape denial A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday refused to substitute the federal government as the defendant in a defamation suit filed against President Donald Trump by a woman who accused him of rape. The plaintiff, journalist E. Jean Carroll, had alleged that…

Oct 27, 2020 3:58 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyers favor Biden in individual donations; cities sue over ‘anarchist’ label

Lawyers favor Biden campaign in individual donations Presidential campaign donations by individual lawyers heavily favor Joe Biden, according to a Reuters analysis. Individual lawyers gave $29 million to Biden’s campaign and just under $1.75 million to the re-election campaign of President Donald Trump. The Biden predilection includes lawyers at Jones…

Oct 23, 2020 4:15 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 1 murder count tossed in George Floyd case; DOJ lawyer turned away from courthouse

Judge tosses one murder charge against officer in George Floyd death A Minnesota judge on Thursday tossed one of the charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. Judge Peter Cahill of Hennepin County dismissed a third-degree murder charge but allowed charges of second-degree…

Oct 22, 2020 4:59 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Antitrust suit filed against Google; pro se litigant accused of judge death threat

DOJ files antitrust suit against Google The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Google on Tuesday that alleges that the tech company maintains a monopoly in search services and search advertising. The suit alleges that Google uses anti-competitive tactics to make itself the default search engine…

Oct 20, 2020 4:23 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Secretaries get extra bonuses at this law firm; AG Barr warns of liberal DAs

Secretaries at this law firm get extra bonuses; associates left out Goodwin Procter will pay an extra $1,000 to all secretaries to recognize “hard work during these challenging times,” according to an internal email obtained by two legal publications. The law firm won’t be paying special bonuses to associates, however.…

Oct 19, 2020 1:34 PM CDT

DOJ suit accuses Yale of discriminating against Asian and white applicants

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit accusing Yale University of racially discriminating against many Asian and white applicants by considering race at multiple stages of its admissions process and racially balancing its classes.

Oct 9, 2020 10:56 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: DOJ admits sticky note mistake; DA’s wife-hiring plot conviction mostly overturned

Scanned sticky notes on Michael Flynn documents altered dates, DOJ admits The Department of Justice has acknowledged that FBI agents’ sticky notes weren’t removed from documents before they were scanned and provided as exculpatory evidence to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. The notes contained estimated dates for events described…

Oct 8, 2020 4:39 PM CDT