Reports: Convicted Judge Proclaims Victory, Turns His Back on Mom Blaming Him for Her Son’s Suicide

Convicted on only 12 of the 39 federal criminal counts he faced, a former Pennsylvania judge and his lawyers stepped outside a Scranton courthouse on Friday and proclaimed victory in the “kids for cash” case because he hadn’t been convicted of bribery. “He never took a kickback,” attorney Al Flora…

Feb 22, 2011 11:49 PM CST

Was Killing Outside Courthouse First-Degree Murder? Manslaughter? Case Goes to Jury

The question that a jury must soon decide is not whether community leader Cleaven Williams stabbed his pregnant wife to death outside a Baltimore courthouse in 2008, minutes after she filed for a protective order. Even his own lawyer admits that he did. But his intent at the time will…

Feb 22, 2011 9:08 PM CST

Accused Ponzi Schemer Stanford Sues US for $7.2B, Claims ‘Abusive Law Enforcement’

Accused Ponzi schemer R. Allen Stanford has sued federal lawyers and FBI agents for $7.2 billion, claiming the government improperly used $51 million of his own money to fund its investigation even as it denied him funds for a lawyer. Stanford claims “abusive law enforcement” and seeks compensation for all…

Feb 18, 2011 12:36 PM CST

Ex-Inmate Sues 7 Lawyers in Brooklyn DA’s Office, Says He Was Framed in Rabbi’s Murder

Convicted in 1995 of murdering a rabbi, Jabbar Collins was freed from a New York prison last year after a key witness told a federal court that a prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office had threatened him with jail if he didn’t testify against Collins. Shortly before the accused…

Feb 16, 2011 6:31 PM CST

Cook County Court Clerk Warns 170 of Layoffs, Another 125 Flagged for Layoffs in Prosecutor’s Office

Layoffs in the county that includes Chicago are affecting prosecutors and employees in the court clerk’s office. The Cook County circuit court clerk notified 170 employees of layoffs on Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Herald. The cuts are a response to a 16 percent budget reduction…

Feb 15, 2011 4:59 PM CST

Former DA Convicted of Civil Rights Violations Will Have to Register as Sex Offender

A former Alabama district attorney will have to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison because his conviction for civil rights violations stems from fondling allegations that he failed to contest, according to a federal appeals court. Former Franklin County DA John Pilati will be released…

Feb 15, 2011 4:26 PM CST

Criminal Courts Should Provide a Brady Checklist, ABA Says

State and federal judges should provide both prosecutors and defense counsel with a written checklist of the disclosure obligations of prosecutors under 1963’s Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), and its progeny, the ABA’s policymaking House of Delegates said Monday. Brady requires the production of exculpatory evidence to defense…

Feb 14, 2011 2:40 PM CST

The Judge Who Tried My Case Also Acted as Prosecutor, Convicted Burglar Says on Appeal

Ordinarily, when a defendant shows up for trial and there’s no prosecutor in court, the trial is rescheduled. But when that happened in a New Jersey municipal court last year, the judge went ahead and tried a burglary case against two brothers without a prosecutor. He also allegedly denied one…

Feb 10, 2011 8:26 PM CST

Angry Jurors Hope to Give Acquitted Teen Their Jury Pay

At least three jurors who acquitted a Cleveland teen are so angry about the prosecution that they plan to give the defendant their $100 jury pay if he obtains a high school equivalency degree. The 19-year-old defendant, Demrick McCloud, has been in jail since his Oct. 13 arrest, the Cleveland…

Feb 10, 2011 2:49 PM CST

Wash. High Court Refuses Prosecutors’ Motion to Toss Defeated Justice from Cases

The Washington Supreme Court has rejected a request by prosecutors who said defeated Justice Richard Sanders should not have received a temporary appointment to wrap up work on cases heard while he was on the court. Prosecutors from five counties had argued that the Constitution only allows sitting or retired…

Feb 7, 2011 11:30 AM CST

Five Women Seek Compensation for Prosecutor’s Alleged Sex-for-Leniency Requests

Five women who say a Tennessee prosecutor offered them leniency in exchange for sexual favors are seeking compensation from a governmental commission. The women claim former Hawkins County Assistant Attorney General Doug Godbee exploited his position of authority in making sexual requests, according to the Kingsport Times-News and KnoxNews.com. Four…

Feb 2, 2011 2:19 PM CST

Reprimanded re Bailiff Relationship, Ex-Judge Says He’s Sued NJ Supreme Court for Racial Bias

Reprimanded for failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a bailiff in his courtroom, a former part-time New Jersey municipal judge says he has filed a federal lawsuit against the state supreme court. Wilson Campbell, who now serves as chief of the criminal division in the U.S. Virgin Islands Department…

Feb 1, 2011 7:32 PM CST

Letters: Kudos for Comic Book

Feb 1, 2011 10:00 AM CST

Expanding Field of Forensic Botany Helps Point Detectives to Suspects

When it comes to pointing the finger at a murder suspect, plants are gaining an increasing role in the criminal justice community. Although the use of expert testimony by botanists dates back at least to the 1935 “trial of the century” in New Jersey over the kidnapping and slaying of…

Feb 1, 2011 12:07 AM CST

Ex-Top Chicago Cop Accused in Widespread Alleged Torture of Suspects Keeps $3K Per Month Pension

A former Chicago police commander who is accused of having played a leading role in widespread torture of minority suspects decades ago will be able to keep his $3,000-a-month pension. Five of the eight police pension board members would have had to side against Jon Burge to deny him his…

Jan 27, 2011 7:00 PM CST