Attorney General Loretta Lynch praises ABA efforts in sentencing reform

Oct 1, 2015 7:10 AM CDT

Strong Cities Network will foster collaboration to fight violent extremism, US attorney general says

Four U.S. municipalities are participating in a new group, the Strong Cities Network, which aims to fight violent extremism through international collaboration between cities. In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch joined with other world leaders to announce the global network,…

Sep 30, 2015 7:16 AM CDT

Justice Department announces $44 million in grants against human trafficking

Attorney General Loretta Lynch today announced more than $44 million in grant funding to fight human trafficking. In remarks to the Seattle-based Washington Advisory Committee on Trafficking, Lynch said the grants will fund efforts to fight trafficking, support victims and expand research. “Human traffickers prey on some of the most…

Sep 24, 2015 5:34 PM CDT

West Virginia funeral home accused of filing false death claims

The owners of a West Virginia funeral home have been accused of filing false death claims with insurers on behalf of 108 people who are still alive. The accusations are contained in a lawsuit filed Friday against the Galens-Harding funeral home in Poca, West Virginia, and owners Chad and Billie…

Sep 23, 2015 5:27 PM CDT

New Jersey judge accused of making vulgar, suggestive remarks faces disciplinary charges

A New Jersey judge faces disciplinary charges for allegedly making vulgar and sexually suggestive remarks to lawyers and witnesses. In a complaint made public Tuesday, a state committee on judicial conduct accused Passaic County Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Portelli of showing “poor judgment and a lack of dignity and…

Sep 23, 2015 12:50 PM CDT

Embattled Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane suspended from practicing law

Updated: Pennsylvania’s highest court has dealt an additional blow to embattled Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, suspending her from practicing law in connection with an ongoing criminal probe over grand jury leaks. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued its order (PDF) on Monday placing Kane on temporary suspension. The unanimous,…

Sep 21, 2015 2:00 PM CDT

Justice officials threatened mass resignation over retroactive approval of NSA program

Justice Department officials threatened mass resignation after President George W. Bush tried to retroactively approve bulk collection of purely domestic metadata for Americans’ phone calls and emails, according to papers disclosed in a lawsuit. The newly declassified information sheds new light on the hospital room showdown in which Attorney General…

Sep 21, 2015 11:16 AM CDT

AG Loretta Lynch says US prosecutor will work at European police agency

Citing a need to work more closely with European authorities on cybercrime investigations, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Wednesday that a federal prosecutor will be temporarily stationed at Europol. “This person will be a day-to-day presence for all issues,” Lynch said in remarks made during a conference at The…

Sep 17, 2015 6:20 AM CDT

Oklahoma appeals court stays execution of Richard Glossip

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeal on Wednesday stayed the scheduled execution of Richard Glossip—who was at the center of a lethal-injection case before the U.S. Supreme Court—with barely three hours to spare. The court said it granted the last-minute reprieve in order to “give fair consideration” to death row…

Sep 16, 2015 5:15 PM CDT

More arrests and charges in FIFA corruption probe should be expected, says AG Lynch

Expect more arrests and indictments in connection with the U.S.-led FIFA corruption probe, the U.S. attorney general has announced. During a speech in Zurich on Monday, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that the final whistle had yet to blow on the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation of world soccer’s…

Sep 14, 2015 12:25 PM CDT

Justice Department releases guidelines to foster pursuit of individuals in corporate wrongdoing

Attorney General Loretta Lynch has approved a new policy that aims to hold individuals accountable for corporate wrongdoing. The policy, outlined in a memo to federal prosecutors, says settlement agreements won’t give companies credit for cooperating with the government unless they turn over evidence against employees involved in wrongdoing, report…

Sep 11, 2015 8:15 AM CDT

Texas attorney general’s lawyer is withdrawing from his defense, citing unspecified ‘issues’

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton renewed his not guilty plea to securities law violations on Thursday during a court hearing in which his lawyer objected to cameras in the courtroom and got permission to withdraw from the case. Paxton’s lawyer, Joe Kendall, said a new defense lawyer was joining Paxton’s…

Aug 27, 2015 1:17 PM CDT

Porn emails cited by Pennsylvania AG are unsealed; she says senders ‘manufactured’ case against her

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has unsealed 398 pages of emails containing pornographic, racist and sexist materials that were sent and received by state employees on office computers, including lawyers and agents with the Attorney General’s office. Newly unsealed documents also include a petition filed by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane…

Aug 27, 2015 10:20 AM CDT

Gun rights advocates sue Seattle over tax on sale of firearms and ammunition

Gun rights groups are suing the city of Seattle over its enactment of a new tax on firearms and ammunition sales. The groups contend that the tax violates a state law barring municipalities from enacting local firearms regulations, Reuters and the Associated Press report. “The Seattle ordinance is nothing but…

Aug 25, 2015 3:27 PM CDT

Justice Department expands civil rights law with ‘statements of interest’ in local suits

The U.S. Justice Department under the leadership of former Attorney General Eric Holder has filed “statements of interest” in dozens of local lawsuits to fight what he calls “institutionalized injustice.” Holder’s replacement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is continuing the practice, which is “pushing the boundaries of civil rights law,” the…

Aug 21, 2015 6:15 AM CDT