Supreme Court Leaves In Place 11th Circuit’s Reversal of $600K Prosecutorial Misconduct Sanction

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to reconsider a federal appellate court’s reversal of a $600,000 sanction imposed by a judge on the Department of Justice over what the judge considered prosecutorial misconduct. The top court’s decision Tuesday not to hear an appeal by the acquitted defendant, Dr. Ali Shaygan,…

Nov 13, 2012 6:46 PM CST

Anonymous Blog Comments Snag Another US Prosecutor; Suit Cited ‘Superfluous Spacing’ as Clue

A New Orleans federal prosecutor who was second in command to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has been demoted after admitting she posted anonymous comments on a newspaper website. Letten announced the demotion of First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Mann on Thursday, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Associated Press reported.…

Nov 12, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Defense Attorney Arrested in Court, Accused of Stalking Female Prosecutor

A Louisiana defense attorney was arrested Thursday on a warrant in a New Orleans courtroom and charged Friday with two counts of stalking after police say he harassed a female prosecutor. Maurice Tyler is accused of entering a courtroom Wednesday in which a prosecutor was working, despite being told to…

Nov 9, 2012 10:54 PM CST

Testifying re Alleged Prosecutor Battery, Assistant Chicago PD Claims Self-Defense; Jury Acquits

Updated: An Illinois public defender who was criminally charged after an altercation with a prosecutor two years ago in a Chicago court hallway testified at his felony aggravated battery trial Wednesday that he acted in self-defense when he grabbed the other lawyer by the neck, threw him to the floor…

Nov 1, 2012 4:06 PM CDT

Queens Justice: Borough’s DAs Criticized for Probing Suspects Before Miranda Rights

Nov 1, 2012 8:30 AM CDT

Volunteer Work at New Jersey AG’s Office Leads to Paying Jobs for Dozens of Law Grads

Volunteer work led to paying jobs at the New Jersey Attorney General’s office for the luckiest volunteers in a program created at the height of the recession. Since the Volunteer Associates in Public Service program began in 2009, the office accepted about half of the around 350 applicants, the New…

Oct 26, 2012 10:30 AM CDT

Texas Bar Files Disciplinary Case Against Ex-DA, Who Is Now a Judge, re Murder Prosecution

A former district attorney who is now a Texas judge is facing a state bar disciplinary case, accused of withholding evidence and making false statements during the 1987 trial of Michael Morton for the murder of his wife. Former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson, who was named prosecutor of…

Oct 19, 2012 6:02 PM CDT

Outsider Calif. ‘Death to Meth’ DA Faces Disciplinary Trial, Sues Bar and Lawyers re Claimed Bias

First licensed to practice law in 1987, Jon Alexander followed an unlikely career path to be elected the district attorney of California’s Del Norte County. After overcoming his methamphetamine addiction and serving time in jail, he narrowly won election on a “Death to Meth” campaign. Now, after less than two…

Oct 15, 2012 5:00 PM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: Media Getting Rape Case Wrong, Bloggers Say; Will LinkedIn Take Over?

In 2008, a Connecticut jury found Richard Fourtin Jr. guilty of sexually assaulting a woman with severe cerebral palsy. But in 2009, state appellate court, considering “the sole issue of whether the jury reasonably could have found that the state introduced sufficient evidence to prove that the victim was unable…

Oct 12, 2012 1:30 PM CDT

New Hampshire AG Won’t Charge Ex-Prosecutor over Fantasy Football League

A former county prosecutor in New Hampshire won’t face charges over work emails discussing fantasy football. New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney issued a statement on Monday announcing his decision not to prosecute, report the Union Leader and the Eagle-Tribune. Ross McLeod resigned from his position as a Hillsborough County…

Oct 10, 2012 12:13 PM CDT

Suit Against DA Claims Complaints About Lack of Breast-Feeding Stations, Hispanic Bias Led to Firing

The District Attorney’s Office for Topeka’s Shawnee County is being accused of race and gender discrimination in a federal lawsuit (PDF) filed by two former employees. The plaintiffs, Krystal Boxum-Debolt and Lisa Anne Moore, were victim witness specialists before they were fired in 2010. They claim they were dismissed in…

Oct 10, 2012 11:00 AM CDT

Pennsylvania Deputy AG Charged with Abuse of Adopted Ethiopian Children

A deputy attorney general in Pennsylvania and his wife have been charged with abuse and neglect of two children adopted from Ethiopia earlier this year. Douglas Barbour, 33, has been suspended without pay from his job with the attorney general’s office pending resolution of the charges, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.…

Oct 5, 2012 2:20 PM CDT

Man Facing Execution Next Week Says Prosecutors Hid Mitigating Evidence at Sentencing

A Philadelphia man facing execution next week for a 1984 murder claims prosecutors hid evidence at his sentencing that he had been sexually abused by the man he was convicted of killing. Terrance Williams, 46, says the evidence, which was only turned over to the defense on Monday, corroborates his…

Sep 27, 2012 5:54 PM CDT

Chicago Prosecutor Placed on Leave After Accusations She Bit Man at Adult Store

A Cook County prosecutor was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal trespass, accused of becoming disruptive and biting a worker when asked to leave an adult store over the weekend. Sarah Naughton, who appeared to be intoxicated according to news reports and video posted to YouTube (Warning:…

Sep 27, 2012 2:57 PM CDT

Florida Considers Safe Houses for Child Trafficking Victims

Responding to growing concerns nationally about human trafficking, Florida social services officials have outlined plans to create a network of “safe houses” and treatment facilities for underage sex workers and other minors held against their will. “We have to have a different treatment program for these kids,” Department of Children…

Sep 27, 2012 11:00 AM CDT