Already Facing Criminal Charges, DA is Arrested Again for Allegedly Harrassing One of His Accusers

Already facing criminal charges for allegedly seeking to pressure women in his office into providing sexual favors, a Colorado district attorney has been arrested again. Seventh Judicial District DA Myrl Serra is now facing new charges of harassment and violating a protective order and bond conditions, concerning his alleged contact…

Dec 23, 2010 7:54 PM CST

Rapper Visits Police Station Twice Before Cops Take His Confession in Cold Shooting Case

Trying to live a new life in accord with a 12-step program, a rapper known as G. Dep or Ghetto Dependent (Trevell Coleman in real life) walked into a New York police station and confessed to a cold-case shooting. But he had to stop by the precinct twice in one…

Dec 21, 2010 11:37 PM CST

After 21 Years, Inmate’s Conviction Reversed; Prosecutor in ‘91 Trial Still Calls It ‘Bulletproof’

Maurice Caldwell knew his lawyer had a court hearing yesterday, so he gave her a call, collect. After 21 years in prison, the 47-year-old California inmate was stunned to hear that his conviction had been overturned, due to ineffective assistance of trial counsel, who failed to investigate the case properly,…

Dec 17, 2010 5:29 PM CST

As Inmate Seeks to Suppress Wired Lawyer’s Evidence, a New Issue: Did Feds Bug Lawyer Room at Jail?

Motions to suppress are commonplace, but the evidence being debated in a federal district court hearing in Omaha, Neb., this week is anything but. At issue is whether attorney Terry Haddock was acting as a lawyer for inmate Shannon Williams when Haddock carried a government-wired cellphone into the Douglas County…

Dec 16, 2010 6:24 PM CST

Secretary in DA’s Office Accused of Obstructing Robbery Cases Targeting Her Grandson

A longtime secretary in a Pennsylvania district attorney’s office has been indicted on charges of perjury, false swearing and obstruction for allegedly interfering with the investigation of two robbery cases involving her grandson and providing information, including potential witness lists, to his defense counsel. Vera Caroll, 59, is also accused…

Dec 15, 2010 10:00 PM CST

Prosecutor Convicted of Harassing Woman in Child-Support Case, Gets 30 Days

It all began with a “rather revealing dress” a woman wore to court, a Lincoln County deputy district attorney told the Oregon State Bar in a letter. In a phone call with the woman, from whom Rand Overton was trying to collect child support, “I said something about her wearing…

Dec 14, 2010 10:55 PM CST

Acquitted in ‘96, Man Is Convicted of Murder Today in UK, Where Double Jeopardy No Longer Applies

In 1996, when Mark Weston was tried for the murder of a 30-year-old mother who was attacked while walking the family dog, he was acquitted in 50 minutes. Afterward, the jury foreman wrote to him wishing him well and urging him to seek compensation due to the lack of evidence.…

Dec 13, 2010 8:01 PM CST

Law License of Ex-Gov and Ex-AG of NC Is Suspended After Criminal Conviction

A former governor and attorney general of North Carolina who also, until earlier this year, was practicing at McGuireWoods, has had his law license suspended while attorney disciplinary proceedings are ongoing. The action against Mike Easley’s law license was taken earlier this week after he made an Alford plea last…

Dec 11, 2010 3:11 AM CST

Prosecutor’s ‘Chick-Lit Legal Thriller’ Ranks Third on Kindle List

Editors weren’t the only headache for a federal sex crimes prosecutor who wrote a legal thriller. Seven prosecutors had to vet the racy book, Law of Attraction, sex scenes and all, the Washington Post reports. The story describes the novel by Allison Leotta as a “chick-lit legal thriller” that includes…

Dec 10, 2010 5:16 PM CST

Federal Prosecutors Rarely Lose Their Jobs, Despite Misconduct Findings

Justice Department investigations of prosecutor misconduct rarely result in serious sanctions for wrongdoing, according to a newspaper investigation. “Prosecutors have little reason to fear losing their jobs, even if they violate laws or constitutional safeguards designed to ensure the justice system is fair,” USA Today reports. Most violations result in…

Dec 9, 2010 2:58 PM CST

US Attorney Offers Resentencing, Says Federal Judge May Have Been Affected by Drugs or Bias

After a federal judge’s acceptance of a plea deal last month, after he was accused of carrying loaded firearms in his vehicle and buying drugs for a stripper with whom he was having a relationship, federal prosecutors are offering defendants he sentenced during his last months on the bench a…

Dec 3, 2010 1:26 AM CST

Harmless Error? New Study Claims Prosecutorial Misconduct Is Rampant in California

Dec 1, 2010 7:15 AM CST

Prison Time, Not Fines, Is Needed to Enforce Foreign Bribery Law, Specter Says

Multimillion-dollar criminal fines won’t deter corporate officials from bribing foreign officials to maintain or gain new business, says Sen. Arlen Specter (D., Pa.). The senator’s statements stem from a critique on Tuesday of the Justice Department’s prosecution of about 50 individuals under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act since 2009, in…

Nov 30, 2010 10:03 PM CST

Visited By FBI in Big Insider-Trading Probe, Researcher Explains ‘Why I Chose Not to Wear a Wire’

As federal authorities step up the pace in a three-year-old insider-trading investigation of the financial industry that reportedly could be record-breaking in scope, a Portland, Ore., independent research analyst has been making headlines by going public with his refusal to wear a wire when approached by FBI agents. John Kinnucan…

Nov 29, 2010 9:42 PM CST

Civil Suit Against Ex-Lawyer Languishes Along With Criminal Sex Investigation

Four years after swift action was promised in an investigation of underage sex accusations against a then-prominent downstate Illinois personal injury lawyer, the probe is not on a fast track and a related civil suit is hence stalled, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Although Tom Lakin is serving time for…

Nov 24, 2010 4:11 PM CST