Government

ABA president tells House of Delegates to ‘keep moving’ and ‘keep climbing’

Deborah Enix-Ross, in her final speech as president of the ABA, encouraged the House of Delegates to “keep climbing.”

Aug 7, 2023 1:34 PM CDT

Federal judge who said defendant ‘looks like a criminal’ can’t preside in new trial, 6th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has overturned a Michigan defendant’s drug convictions after a Detroit federal judge presiding in the case said the accused man “looks like a criminal to me.”

Aug 7, 2023 12:30 PM CDT

Criminal court judge, 72, arrested in wife’s shooting death

A criminal court judge in Orange County, California, is free on a $1 million bond after his arrest in the shooting death of his 65-year-old wife. Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, was arrested shortly before 9 p.m. on Aug. 3.

Aug 7, 2023 10:10 AM CDT

ABA task force recommends ethics and transparency changes for Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court should adopt and publish a code of conduct, according to recommendations released Friday by an ABA task force created to recommend steps to increase the public’s trust and understanding of the judiciary.

Aug 4, 2023 4:01 PM CDT

Was slap that left mark child abuse? Suspended judge who sought to hide son’s act didn’t think so

A judge in Wayne County, Michigan, has been censured and suspended for six months without pay for hiding evidence that her son had physically abused one of her grandsons.

Aug 4, 2023 9:04 AM CDT

‘Very, very wise and learned counsel’ defense will be key in Trump’s election trial, his lawyer says

John Lauro, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, is pointing to an advice-of-counsel defense in the case accusing Trump of trying to subvert the 2020 election results.

Aug 3, 2023 1:42 PM CDT

Huge $266.7M legal fee approved in $1B Dell settlement; which law firms will benefit?

Delaware’s chancery court appears to be more lucrative than federal court for plaintiffs lawyers in big-recovery securities class actions.

Aug 3, 2023 12:24 PM CDT

9th Circuit dissenters take aim at state-created danger doctrine

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco should narrow the state-created danger doctrine, according to four judges who dissented when the appeals court refused to grant an en banc rehearing in a lawsuit over a mother’s drowning of her 10-month-old twins.

Aug 3, 2023 10:30 AM CDT

‘Presidents are not kings’ judge will oversee Trump election-subversion case

A federal judge who has previously ruled against former President Donald Trump will be overseeing the new criminal case accusing him of conspiring to subvert the 2020 election.

Aug 2, 2023 3:20 PM CDT

Trump’s election-subversion co-conspirators included DOJ official, 4 other lawyers, indictment says

A former U.S. Department of Justice official and four other lawyers were co-conspirators in former President Donald Trump’s effort to subvert 2020 election results and hold on to power, according to the federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Aug 2, 2023 10:06 AM CDT

ABA members convene in Denver for 2023 annual meeting

The 2023 ABA Annual Meeting runs from Wednesday, Aug. 2, through Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Colorado Convention Center.

Aug 2, 2023 8:08 AM CDT

Georgia judge takes jabs at Trump as he refuses to block potential election-interference indictment

A judge in Fulton County, Georgia, ruled Monday that former President Donald Trump and a fake GOP elector in the state can’t quash a special grand jury report on election interference, can’t block a potential indictment, and can’t get the district attorney tossed from the case.

Aug 1, 2023 10:09 AM CDT

Community Veteran Justice Project founder helps vets navigate legal needs

Jodi Galvin retired in 2010, after spending more than 20 years as a prosecutor with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. For more than a decade prior to that, she had been an investigator in the criminal and mental health sections of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office. When thinking about what to do next, Galvin realized she could use her experience to help veterans, a population that mattered a great deal to her.

Aug 1, 2023 12:50 AM CDT

ABA advocates for combating money laundering while honoring client confidentiality

The ABA supports reasonable efforts by the U.S. government to detect, deter and combat money laundering, including reasonable and appropriate beneficial ownership reporting measures that comply with certain fundamental principles. However, the ABA opposes legislative measures that would require lawyers to disclose information protected by the attorney-client privilege or to violate their ethical duty to preserve client confidentiality.

Aug 1, 2023 12:30 AM CDT

Sept. 25, 1930: U.S. names its first drug czar

Even before the end of Prohibition in 1933, public concern about narcotics addiction had been mounting. In the latter half of the 19th century, various opioids and cocaine were used in “patent medicines” and were widely available for sale, with drug laws and their enforcement deferred to the states.

Aug 1, 2023 12:10 AM CDT