Judge Kopf: I would uphold the death penalty for an innocent man rather than play games with the law

A blogging federal judge has taken on a controversial question: Should federal court judges allow the execution of a factually innocent defendant? Writing at Hercules and the Umpire, U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf says he accepted the risk of condemning an innocent to die when he became a federal judge…

Sep 15, 2014 5:45 AM CDT

Retired prosecutor who convicted two men just exonerated after 30 years behind bars is unrepentant

Perhaps it’s not a surprise that the person who was once nicknamed America’s “Deadliest D.A.” has no regrets over his role in putting Henry McCollum and Leon Brown on death row for a 1983 rape and murder in North Carolina—convictions that were overturned last week as a result of DNA…

Sep 8, 2014 1:40 PM CDT

Prisoner exonerations are at an all-time high, and it’s not because of DNA testing

Sep 1, 2014 10:20 AM CDT

Federal medical-privacy law frustrates ID theft victims

Sep 1, 2014 9:10 AM CDT

Determining driver impairment with marijuana involves imperfect science, says law enforcement

How do you determine if someone with THC in their blood was driving under the influence? It’s an imperfect science, say Oregon cannabis supporters and law enforcement. Voters there in November will decide if the state should decriminalize marijuana for recreational use. A key issue, the Oregonian reports, is whether…

Aug 29, 2014 5:37 PM CDT

Judge nixes cellphone evidence in Aaron Hernandez murder case over defective warrant

Evidence from two cellphones and three tablets can’t be used in a murder case against former New England Patriots football star Aaron Hernandez because the electronic devices were omitted from a search warrant list, a Boston judge has ruled. In doing so, Judge E. Susan Garsh rejected prosecution arguments that…

Aug 26, 2014 10:20 PM CDT

Lawyer seeks return of his wine collection seized in liquor investigation

A lawyer accused of selling expensive wines from his home in violation of Pennsylvania’s strict liquor laws is seeking the return of seized bottles worth an estimated $125,000. Arthur Goldman was nabbed after selling wine to an undercover cop, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) and the Philadelphia Inquirer report.…

Aug 26, 2014 10:45 AM CDT

9th Circuit revives pro se habeas petition, says trial court erred in applying ‘prison mailbox’ rule

A federal judge in California dismissed a prison inmate’s pro se habeas petition on statute-of-limitations grounds. But the district court erred in doing so because it didn’t properly apply the “prison mailbox” rule, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, reviving the habeas petition of Eduardo Hernandez. The rule, which says…

Aug 25, 2014 8:05 PM CDT

Two prosecutors disciplined for criticizing jurors on Facebook

Two Minnesota prosecutors are in hot water after posting derogatory messages about jurors on Facebook. According to the Brainerd Dispatch and KFGO-790 in Fargo, North Dakota, the two prosecuting attorneys for the Clay County Attorney’s Office have been disciplined. KFGO-790 reports that the remarks were made in reference to a…

Aug 22, 2014 5:00 PM CDT

After vote, Connecticut Bar Association will not help defend state gun control law in court

The Connecticut Bar Association will not help defend the state’s controversial gun control law in court. According to the Harford Courant, the organization conducted a referendum Wednesday for its members to determine whether the bar association would join in the defense of the law, which bans high-capacity magazines as well…

Aug 22, 2014 3:45 PM CDT

Man accused of posting naked photos of ex on Web said lawyer told him he could do so

A Michigan man reportedly thought he had found a way around a personal order of protection his ex-girlfriend obtained in a domestic court case. The ex-girlfriend told police in Bay City that Chad Monroe was posting naked photos of her on the Internet and said he would keep harassing her…

Aug 19, 2014 8:45 PM CDT

Cops can’t be everywhere, so citizens fill the void

Aug 1, 2014 6:20 AM CDT

Was federal judge on ‘hit list’ reportedly found in courthouse shooter’s belongings?

A public defender representing the son of a man who shot two women to death in a Delaware courthouse last year en route to a child-support hearing is asking the federal judge overseeing a cyberstalking and conspiracy case against David Matusiewicz to step down. Exactly what is said in the…

Jul 29, 2014 9:25 PM CDT

Bizarre Madoff motion appears to be a forgery; judge denies request

A bizarre motion purportedly signed by convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff claims the federal government used “bio-electric sensors” and “voice-to-skull technology” to influence the court in the case. Judge Denny Chin of the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request to dismiss the criminal charges, report…

Jul 24, 2014 2:34 PM CDT

‘Voracious greed’ of some Dewey partners contributed to firm collapse, former leaders say

Three former leaders of Dewey & LeBoeuf say in a joint motion that the firm’s collapse was caused partly by “voracious greed” of some of the firm’s partners, and they shouldn’t be made into scapegoats for things that they didn’t do or approve. The leaders are seeking a review of…

Jul 15, 2014 12:52 PM CDT