Criminal Procedure

Indicted alderman among lawyers and judges who partnered in investment club

Two judges in Cook County, Illinois, partnered with lawyers in an investment club, including a Chicago alderman indicted on corruption charges.

Sep 14, 2020 2:00 PM CDT

Bid to dismiss Flynn charges appears to be a ‘corrupt and politically motivated favor,’ report says

The U.S. Department of Justice’s bid to dismiss charges against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser appears to be a “corrupt and politically motivated favor,” according to a report by a former judge tasked with opposing the government request.

Sep 14, 2020 9:27 AM CDT

En banc court rules Florida can require felons to pay fines before voting; 5 Trump appointees join majority

An en banc federal appeals court has ruled that Florida did not violate the Constitution by requiring felons to pay fines, fees, costs and restitution before they are able to vote.

Sep 11, 2020 3:40 PM CDT

Charges brought against man accused of kidnapping and assaulting 2 law students

A Chicago man was charged Tuesday with breaking into the apartment of two University of Chicago Law School students, kidnapping them and physically assaulting them.

Sep 11, 2020 10:20 AM CDT

Former Shoplet general counsel pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $6M through PayPal transfers

Former Shoplet general counsel and senior vice president Leslie Scharf has pleaded guilty to grand larceny for embezzling nearly $6 million from the office supply company.

Sep 4, 2020 9:40 AM CDT

Former doctor is convicted of attempted murder of lawyer who opposed him in 2 lawsuits

A former doctor was convicted Wednesday of the attempted murder of a California lawyer who opposed him in litigation stemming from a road-rage incident.

Sep 3, 2020 9:26 AM CDT

Former inmate’s suit says appointed lawyer was ineffective and unlicensed in this state

A former Washington inmate claims in a lawsuit that he pleaded guilty to two felony charges after getting bad advice from an appointed lawyer who wasn’t licensed in the state.

Aug 31, 2020 12:42 PM CDT

ABC’s ‘The Last Defense,’ Monday morning quarterbacks and the practice of law

Every attorney has faced the proverbial Monday morning quarterback at some point. If you’ve never heard the term before, it usually indicates a person who critiques an event, situation or decision after the fact.

Aug 27, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

Which appeals court is most likely to grant qualified immunity to police?

An analysis of qualified immunity cases in federal appeals courts shows significant disparities in grants of qualified immunity to police officers in excessive force cases.

Aug 25, 2020 12:17 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Sheriff bans masks for deputies; judicial panel won’t centralize COVID-19 insurance suits

Florida sheriff bans masks for deputies, office visitors Marion County, Florida, Sheriff Billy Woods has banned face masks for his deputies and visitors to his offices. Woods made some exceptions for deputies at the courthouse, the jail, hospitals, schools and interacting with people suspected of infection with COVID-19. Deputies at…

Aug 13, 2020 4:33 PM CDT

How does technology fit into calls for police reform?

On the one hand, calls for police reform are causing companies and institutions to reconsider a high-tech infrastructure that civil liberties groups and activists say perpetuate racial injustice and police brutality. On the other hand, lawmakers are looking at how data and tech can improve accountability and identify police officers with a pattern of misconduct.

Aug 12, 2020 10:16 AM CDT

Convicted of a crime that never occurred? It happens all too often, law prof says

We are used to hearing about wrongful convictions in which a murderer walked free because an innocent person was misidentified. But when Jessica S. Henry, a professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey, was researching material for her course on wrongful convictions, she discovered that in one-third of all known exonerations, the conviction was wrongful because there had not even been a crime.

Aug 12, 2020 9:00 AM CDT

Netflix’s new Jeffrey Epstein docuseries explores conspiracy theories and crime cover-ups

Oklahoma lawyer Adam Banner breaks down Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich and various conspiracy theories surrounding the accusations against Epstein and his death. Banner also shares personal experiences in which he has dealt with client suicide.

Aug 11, 2020 9:20 AM CDT

House may sue to enforce former White House counsel subpoena, en banc DC Circuit rules

An en banc federal appeals court ruled Friday that the House Judiciary Committee has standing to seek court enforcement of a subpoena for testimony by former White House counsel Don McGahn.

Aug 10, 2020 11:11 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: State justice contracts COVID-19; $50M verdict upheld for man kept in police storage room

Longtime North Dakota Supreme Court justice tests positive for COVID-19 North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Gerald VandeWalle, who is 86 and the longest-serving justice on the state’s high court, has tested positive for COVID-19. Chief Justice Jon Jensen said Thursday that none of the other four justices have tested positive,…

Aug 7, 2020 3:49 PM CDT