Criminal Justice

Defendant Freed With Help of Ex-Wife

The ex-wife of a convicted murderer worked for 15 years to overturn his conviction, saying she took action because she knew he was innocent. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) chronicles Ana Ortega’s battle to win her husband’s release. He was convicted for the New York crime, she said, even…

Jun 15, 2007 5:56 PM CDT

SG Steps onto Political Stage

U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, a self-described law geek, has been thrust into the political spotlight in the controversy over the firings of at least eight U.S. attorneys. As the highest ranking Justice Department official who was not involved in the hirings, Clement is charged with overseeing the DOJ’s own…

Jun 15, 2007 5:22 PM CDT

Vote on Spying Subpoenas Delayed

A senator has delayed a Judiciary Committee vote on whether to subpoena Justice Department documents related to domestic eavesdropping. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., delayed the vote on subpoenas related to the National Security Agency program for a week, the New York Times reports.

Jun 15, 2007 3:35 PM CDT

Georgia Supremes Accept Teen-Sex Case

The Georgia Supreme Court has agreed to hear prosecutors’ appeal of a tossed sentence in a teen-sex case. On June 11, a state judge overturned a 10-year sentence for Genarlow Wilson, convicted for having consensual sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. The court will hear the case…

Jun 15, 2007 3:28 PM CDT

Judge Accused of Pot Smoking Resigns

The Florida judge arrested for smoking marijuana in a park has resigned from the bench. Judge Lawrence Korda announced in a letter that he will resign on July 2, the Daily Business Review reports. Korda accepted a plea deal in which prosecutors agreed to dismiss the marijuana charge if he…

Jun 15, 2007 1:31 PM CDT

Chiquita Sued in Terrorism Funds Case

A Florida law firm has filed suit against Chiquita Brands Int’l., on behalf of 22 people allegedly killed by a Colombian terrorist group that received funds from the multinational company. The suit–which a company spokesman terms “preposterous”–alleges that Chiquita banana workers and others were murdered by paramilitary troops funded by…

Jun 14, 2007 9:57 PM CDT

Va. Tech Gets Gunman’s Mental File

Frustrated by federal privacy law that protects student mental health records from disclosure even after the subject’s death, a Virginia Tech advisory panel reviewing the on-campus massacre of more than 30 people won permission from the family of the student gunman to get his records. Seung-Hui Cho, who shot himself…

Jun 14, 2007 9:11 PM CDT

AG Influence on Testimony Probed

The leaders of an internal Justice Department investigation confirmed today that they are probing whether the attorney general tried to influence congressional testimony by former aide Monica Goodling. The disclosure was made in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Washington Post reports. Inspector General Glenn Fine and H.…

Jun 14, 2007 8:28 PM CDT

Judge Refuses Stay of Libby Sentence

A federal judge says he will not delay a prison sentence for former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby while he appeals his conviction for lying to investigators. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton made the ruling today after revealing he had received threatening letters and calls following his…

Jun 14, 2007 8:07 PM CDT

No Girlfriend Allowed, Defendant Told

A Canadian judge has ordered a 24-year-old man to stay away from intimate relationships for the next three years. Justice Rhys Morgan said he issued the order to protect the public until the defendant gets counseling for a dependent personality disorder, Associated Press reports. Morgan sentenced Cranley to the 146…

Jun 14, 2007 7:35 PM CDT

Libby Judge Threatened

A federal judge says he received threats of harm after sentencing former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby to 30 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton disclosed the threats as he began a hearing today into whether Libby may remain free pending appeal, the Associated Press…

Jun 14, 2007 7:20 PM CDT

Prisoner Loses Mistaken Deadline Appeal

A convicted murderer who filed his appeal before an erroneous deadline set by a federal judge cannot get a hearing on his habeas claims, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today. The judge’s mistake didn’t alter the time limit set by federal law, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for a majority of…

Jun 14, 2007 4:34 PM CDT

Paris Hilton Out of Medical Ward

Paris Hilton has been released from the medical ward at the Los Angeles County jail. Hilton was released from the treatment center around 11 p.m. yesterday, Associated Press reports. A judge who disagreed with Hilton’s home detention sent her to the treatment center for evaluation on Friday. Critics claimed Hilton…

Jun 14, 2007 2:06 PM CDT

Religious Freedom New DOJ Focus

The Justice Department has shifted its civil rights focus, emphasizing religious-freedom cases rather than racial discrimination. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has cited the department’s advocacy on behalf of religious rights as one of his top accomplishments, the New York Times reports. To press its new mission, the department has transferred…

Jun 14, 2007 1:22 PM CDT

Precedent Favors State in Teen-Sex Case

The youth whose 10-year sentence for consensual oral sex was tossed out may face an uphill battle on appeal. A Georgia judge granted a habeas corpus petition for Genarlow Wilson on June 11, saying his sentence for sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was age 17 was a “grave…

Jun 14, 2007 12:55 PM CDT