Judge Orders DA to Give Lawyer Copies of Documents Seized in Police Raid of His Law Office

A state-court judge has ordered the local district attorney’s office to provide to a New York lawyer copies of all documents seized during a police raid last week of his law office. Ezequiel Neuman, 51, doesn’t know what his court schedule is because his calendar was seized, defense attorney Edward…

Jun 12, 2012 6:37 PM CDT

A Tough Road Ahead for Prosecutors Appointed to Probe Classified Leaks

Two U.S. attorneys appointed on Friday to probe leaks of intelligence information face several obstacles under the 1917 espionage law used in such cases. Leak prosecutions typically rely on a law that bars disclosure of national defense information to unauthorized persons, the New York Times reports. For a criminal conviction,…

Jun 11, 2012 2:04 PM CDT

Former DA Calls Ethics Case re His Treatment of Women Unfair, Cites Loss of Job, Home and Bankruptcy

A former Wisconsin district attorney who made headlines due to his alleged sexually-charged treatment of several women in job-related situations is now facing eight legal ethics counts rather than the 11 initially filed against him. But onetime Calumet County Dist. Atty. Ken Kratz says the entire case brought against him…

Jun 4, 2012 4:01 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: Effective Assistance of Counsel Now a Right in Plea Bargaining

As the flurry of end of the term decisions is about to begin from the U.S. Supreme Court, it is important to not lose sight of two cases that are likely to have a dramatic effect on lawyers and judges. In Missouri v. Frye and Lefler v. Cooper, the Supreme…

Jun 4, 2012 1:45 PM CDT

County Attorney Whose Law License Was Summarily Suspended for Not Trying Cases Is Back On the Job

A county prosecutor who summarily had his law license suspended for almost a month by the Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice because of a claimed “temporary disability,” admittedly didn’t stay on top of his busy criminal caseload. But there was no indication that Appanoose County Attorney Richard Scott was in…

Jun 1, 2012 9:46 PM CDT

County Prosecutor Won’t Charge ‘Sister Wives’ Family

Corrected: Members of the family portrayed in the Sister Wives reality TV show won’t face prosecution in Utah County, Utah. In a motion to dismiss a challenge to the state’s bigamy law, Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhman said his office has adopted a policy that it won’t prosecute consenting adults…

Jun 1, 2012 11:33 AM CDT

Please Plea Me: Court Expands Effective Assistance of Counsel

Jun 1, 2012 8:20 AM CDT

DOJ Report Faults Two Prosecutors for ‘Reckless Professional Misconduct’ in Ted Stevens Case

The U.S. Justice Department will suspend two prosecutors without pay based on its finding of “reckless professional misconduct” in the failed prosecution of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens. The DOJ told Congress on Thursday it would suspend Joseph Bottini for 40 days and James Goeke for 15 days, report the New…

May 25, 2012 3:36 PM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor Who Helped Send Courthouse Shooter to Prison Is Arrested in Drug Sting

A prosecutor-turned-criminal defense lawyer in Atlanta has been charged with intent to distribute methamphetamine and ecstasy after his arrest in a drug sting. Rand Csehy was released from jail on Thursday on a $25,000 signature bond, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. He is a former Fulton County, Ga., prosecutor who helped…

May 25, 2012 12:26 PM CDT

Departing US Attorney Regrets Lincoln Remark

The departing U.S. Attorney in Chicago who oversaw the prosecutions of two Illinois governors told reporters of one regret at a news conference on Thursday. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who is stepping down on June 30 after nearly 11 years in office, apologized for a remark he made in a…

May 25, 2012 11:59 AM CDT

Patrick Fitzgerald, US Attorney from Chicago, Is Stepping Down

Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who oversaw the prosecutions of former Illinois Govs. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down June 30. Fitzgerald is the longest-serving U.S. attorney in Chicago history, the Chicago Tribune reports, having served in the post for more than 10½ years.…

May 23, 2012 7:22 PM CDT

Judge Sees ‘Devastating Effect’ If New DA’s Prior Defense Work Knocks Office Off All His Old Cases

Steve Wolfson was a busy defense attorney before he was appointed in January to serve as district attorney for Clark County, Nev. That has presented a problem for his new colleagues, who have been dealing with efforts to disqualify the entire DA’s office from prosecuting at least seven cases due…

May 18, 2012 3:30 PM CDT

Bar Seeks DA’s Disbarment, Cites Hair Transplant Loan, Money Given to Friend and Ex Parte Contact

The State Bar of California is seeking disbarment of the district attorney in a remote county, contending that he has failed to disclose as required information related to his job. Del Norte DA Jon Alexander should have publicly disclosed, the bar contends in an attorney disciplinary case (PDF provided by…

May 16, 2012 7:10 PM CDT

‘Death to Meth’ DA Accused of Taking $6K Loan from Defense Attorney to Pay for Hair Transplants

Jon Alexander admittedly was a recovering former methamphetamine addict when he was elected district attorney of a remote California county in 2010 on a “death to meth” campaign platform. But now the Del Norte district attorney says he is facing a battle on another front, accused of violating legal ethics…

May 15, 2012 10:08 PM CDT

Top Neb. Court OKs 90-Day Contempt Term for Claimed Rape Victim, But Prosecutor May Use Discretion

Upholding a trial judge’s power to compel a witness to testify, the Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday said a Kansas woman who says she was raped at age 7 can be jailed for 90 days if she refuses to cooperate with the prosecution of the case. However, the court noted…

May 11, 2012 9:31 PM CDT