Attorney General

Weekly Briefs: ‘Copyright troll’ lawyer is suspended; law grad who married Japanese princess fails bar

‘Copyright troll’ lawyer is suspended in NY A New York appeals court has suspended a lawyer once deemed a “copyright troll” because of the large number of copyright complaints that he filed on behalf of photographers. The Appellate Division’s Second Judicial Department of the New York Supreme Court suspended lawyer…

Nov 5, 2021 3:16 PM CDT

DOJ suit claims voting law in Texas harms those who need ballot assistance, seek mail-in ballots

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Texas on Thursday that challenges provisions of its new voting law.

Nov 5, 2021 10:46 AM CDT

DOJ agrees to pay $88M to settle suit over flawed gun check before South Carolina church shooting

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement to pay $88 million to settle litigation stemming from a 2015 mass shooting at a historic Black church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Oct 28, 2021 2:18 PM CDT

DOJ lifts Trump-era case quotas for immigration judges

Immigration judges will no longer be required to close 700 cases per year to get a “satisfactory” rating.

Oct 21, 2021 12:54 PM CDT

US should investigate potential civil rights violations of jailed Capitol riot defendants, judge says

A federal judge found Washington, D.C., jail officials in civil contempt Wednesday for failing to promptly forward medical records of a U.S. Capitol riot defendant with a broken hand to federal officials who would approve surgery.

Oct 14, 2021 1:03 PM CDT

Justice Department lawyers threatened mass resignations if Trump appointed loyalist to pursue election claims

Top Justice Department lawyers and White House counsel Pat Cipollone threatened mass resignations during a White House meeting in which they opposed President Donald Trump’s plan to install a loyalist as acting attorney general to help him overturn the election results through voter fraud investigations.

Oct 8, 2021 11:25 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: DOJ opposes Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal; California bill bans ‘stealthing’

DOJ seeks to stop Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan The U.S. trustee for the Justice Department has filed a motion to halt a judge’s approval of a controversial bankruptcy plan for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. The deal allows members of the Sackler family, which own the company, to avoid legal liability…

Sep 17, 2021 4:15 PM CDT

AG Garland announces limits on federal monitors overseeing police department consent decrees

Monitors overseeing police departments as a result of federal consent decrees and lawsuit settlements will have their powers curbed as a result of changes implemented by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Sep 14, 2021 3:56 PM CDT

DOJ sues to block Texas abortion law, cites conflict with federal constitutional duties

The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of Texas on Thursday in a bid to block its law that bans abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy.

Sep 9, 2021 4:03 PM CDT

How could the DOJ counter Texas abortion restrictions? Law prof suggests prosecution

How can U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland challenge Texas’ new restrictive abortion law when the state isn’t charged with enforcing it and there is no state defendant to sue?

Sep 8, 2021 9:46 AM CDT

DOJ explores ways to challenge Texas abortion law; judge grants TRO against anti-abortion group

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said the U.S. Department of Justice will use a federal law to protect the safety of women seeking abortions in Texas as the department “urgently explores all options” to challenge a law restricting abortions in the state.

Sep 7, 2021 9:46 AM CDT

New York extends eviction protections in wake of SCOTUS decision blocking federal ban

New York has become the first state to extend its eviction moratorium since the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the federal ban on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic late last month.

Sep 3, 2021 3:14 PM CDT

Volunteer legal work needed for pending evictions crisis, says ABA president

Millions of households are behind on their rent and think they will be evicted in the next few months, wrote U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an Aug. 30 letter to the legal community calling for volunteer services.

Aug 31, 2021 9:36 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Trump sued by Capitol officers; state AG pleads no contest in fatal crash

Capitol officers sue Trump, far-right groups Seven Capitol police officers have sued former President Donald Trump, far-right groups, Stop the Steal rally organizers and others. The Aug. 26 lawsuit alleges violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act, which allows civil suits against those who conspire to use “force, intimidation or…

Aug 27, 2021 2:45 PM CDT

Federal white-collar prosecutions continue a long-term decline

Projected numbers for white-collar prosecutions in 2021 show a continuing decline over the last 20 years, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

Aug 20, 2021 9:00 AM CDT