Criminal Procedure

Joyce Hens Green, a pioneering woman on the federal bench, dies at 95

Joyce Hens Green, who helped blaze a trail for women in the law while serving as a Washington attorney and federal judge, presiding over high-profile cases involving the BCCI bank fraud scandal and the rights of detainees at Guantánamo Bay, has died. She was 95.

Oct 18, 2024 8:10 AM CDT

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appears in court as judge sets May 2025 trial date

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in Manhattan federal court as a judge set a May 5 trial date in the music mogul’s racketeering and sex trafficking case.

Oct 11, 2024 9:50 AM CDT

New ‘Law of the Police’ class open to law students, lawyers and the public

Starting next week, lawyers and law students can learn more about policing and the law, from anywhere and for free.

Oct 10, 2024 3:02 PM CDT

Former CFO at Tom Girardi’s law firm reaches plea deal, agrees to $3.1M forfeiture

The former chief financial officer at disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi’s law firm has reached a deal to plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud that caused losses of at least $3.5 million.

Oct 10, 2024 9:18 AM CDT

Female lawyer lead in ‘Matlock’ on CBS shows the power of appearing powerless

When I first came across the new Matlock offering staring Kathy Bates, I figured it would either be a reboot or a continuation of the original series, which starred Andy Griffith and ran from 1986 to 1995. However, the production team answered that question within the first few minutes of the pilot: 2024’s Matlock is kin to its predecessor only in name and genre. The meta explanation given for the series’ title is the first of many surprises in store for the audience.

Oct 9, 2024 8:44 AM CDT

SCOTUS immunity decision may have protected crimes in Nixon White House, 9th Circuit judge says

White House “plumbers” who broke into the office of the psychiatrist treating the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers may have had immunity for their crimes if the U.S. Supreme Court’s July immunity decision had governed the cases, according to an op-ed by a federal appeals judge.

Oct 8, 2024 3:54 PM CDT

Death row inmate held in solitary confinement for 26 years can sue, federal appeals court rules

A death row inmate with a known history of serious mental illness can sue Pennsylvania’s corrections chief for holding him in solitary confinement for 26 years, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Sep 26, 2024 9:22 AM CDT

Canadian courts are definitely different than American ones

How do Canadian court systems and protocols differ from American ones? Let me count some of the ways.

Sep 26, 2024 8:55 AM CDT

Suspect in custody after courthouse explosion that injured several people

Updated: Police were questioning a suspect Wednesday afternoon after he was arrested following an explosion at the Santa Maria Courthouse in California.

Sep 25, 2024 4:05 PM CDT

Judge’s tactics of ‘overzealous collection’ lead to unpaid suspension

The Ohio Supreme Court has suspended an Ohio judge who deemed it to be impractical to comply with a law setting procedural safeguards for jailing people for failure to pay fines.

Sep 25, 2024 2:47 PM CDT

Ex-prosecutor indicted for alleged bribery conspiracy is ‘honorable man,’ his lawyer says

A former Louisiana prosecutor accused in a kickback scheme is an “honorable man” who will “stand tall and fight these false allegations,” according to his lawyer.

Sep 23, 2024 1:32 PM CDT

Alaska man charged with threatening to kill six Supreme Court justices

An Alaska man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to torture and assassinate six Supreme Court justices and their relatives, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Sep 19, 2024 10:40 AM CDT

Teen shooters and their parents’ responsibilities examined in Fox’s ‘Accused’

School shootings by youths have risen frequently over the last quarter century, and the past five years reflect a substantially higher number of incidents, according to a recent article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Sep 19, 2024 8:52 AM CDT

Murder trial delayed for slain law prof’s mother-in-law after her lead lawyer resigns

A Florida woman accused in the July 2014 murder of her son-in-law, a professor at the Florida State University College of Law, won’t be going to trial in Tallahassee, Florida, this week because of the resignation of her lead attorney.

Sep 18, 2024 1:21 PM CDT

Disbarred lawyer is sentenced for alleged forgery that facilitated deed thefts

A disbarred attorney accused of impersonating a practicing lawyer to forge legal documents in a deed theft scheme was sentenced last week to 18 months to three years in prison for her actions.

Sep 17, 2024 9:12 AM CDT