Grand Jury Said to Be Probing Whether Cape Cod DA Protected Bookmakers

A federal grand jury in Massachusetts is reportedly investigating whether the district attorney for the Cape and Islands protected gambling bookmakers. The Boston Globe says the probe of District Attorney Michael O’Keefe resulted from a wiretap of an alleged bookmaking operation. Its story is based on anonymous sources said to…

Apr 14, 2010 12:03 PM CDT

Inquest Begins Tomorrow in ‘86 Death of Amy Bishop’s Brother

In 1986 Amy Bishop said her brother’s shooting death at their family home was an accident, and authorities believed her. But after she allegedly killed three professors in a Feb. 12 shooting spree at a faculty meeting at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, authorities reopened their investigation into this…

Apr 12, 2010 5:31 PM CDT

DA Warns Teachers that Sex Ed Could Be a Criminal Offense

A Wisconsin district attorney is warning sex-education teachers that they could face criminal charges if they show students how to use contraception. District Attorney Scott Southworth sent teachers in Juneau County a letter last month warning that they could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor if…

Apr 9, 2010 1:47 PM CDT

Manhattan DA Works Misdemeanor Call in Effort to Reduce Case Backlog

The top prosecutor in Manhattan scrambled to handle a busy misdemeanor call this morning, making plea deals in minor check forgery cases and reporting grand jury action in petty larcenies in an effort to make a dent in a backlog of cases. Rookie Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has…

Apr 8, 2010 10:44 PM CDT

Deputy Prosecutor Isn’t Licensed and Isn’t a Law School Student

Margie Alumbaugh doesn’t have a law license and she isn’t a student at a traditional law school, but she’s already getting experience as a deputy prosecutor. In February Alumbaugh became a prosecutor in Kittitas County, Wash., under a state rule that allows law students waiting to take the bar exam…

Apr 5, 2010 4:17 PM CDT

Irell Partner Loses Trial for First Time in 17 Years

A partner at Irell & Manella who once co-headed the prosecution of Enron’s top executives has lost his first trial. It was a long time coming. John Hueston had not had a trial loss in 17 years, the Los Angeles Daily Journal (sub. req.) reports. “I guess now I’m a…

Apr 1, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

The Maricopa Courthouse War

An Arizona showdown over populist politics, abuse of power and pink boxer shorts

Apr 1, 2010 9:45 AM CDT

Pending Death Penalty Cases Weigh Against Maricopa County

Apr 1, 2010 9:40 AM CDT

Claim of a Federal Corruption Investigation Backfires

Apr 1, 2010 9:35 AM CDT

A Panel of Their Peers

Lawyers puzzle over civilian versus military juries

Apr 1, 2010 7:20 AM CDT

Are Criminal Charges the Right Way to Punish High School Bullies in Suicide Cases?

A prosecutor’s unusual decision to pursue criminal charges against a group of high school classmates whose bullying allegedly resulted in the targeted 15-year-old’s suicide has sparked debate about how best to address such situations. Some say the criminal charges—which range from statutory rape to harassment and likely would not have…

Mar 31, 2010 10:39 PM CDT

NSA Illegally Wiretapped 2 Lawyers for Islamic Charity, Judge Rules

Federal authorities violated the law by wiretapping two United States lawyers for an Islamic charity without obtaining a warrant, a federal judge in San Francisco has just ruled. The government will almost certainly appeal the much-awaited ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of the Northern District of California…

Mar 31, 2010 7:54 PM CDT

Boy, Now 12, Will Be Tried as Adult in Murder of Dad’s Pregnant Girlfriend

An 11-year-old boy who police say shot and killed his father’s eight-months-pregnant girlfriend in the family home early last year will be tried as an adult in the homicides of the Pennsylvania woman and her unborn baby. Jordan Brown, now 12, has been charged with criminal homicide and homicide of…

Mar 29, 2010 9:14 PM CDT

Colo. Lawyer Discipline Chief to Review Ethics Case Against Maricopa, Ariz., County Attorney

The Arizona Supreme Court has appointed the head of the Colorado Supreme Court’s attorney discipline office to oversee an investigation of ethics charges against the Maricopa, Ariz., county attorney, the Arizona Republic reports. Attorney Andrew Thomas has made headlines in recent months by bringing criminal charges and civil racketeering litigation…

Mar 24, 2010 9:54 PM CDT

Judge to Review 1,100 Crime Lab Docs; PD: ‘This Could Be Pandora’s Box’

A California judge has ordered the San Francisco police crime lab to turn over for a relevance review some 1,100 pages of documents related to an investigation of a veteran technician suspected of stealing cocaine evidence during her 29-year career there. Depending on what Judge Anne-Christine Massullo sees, the review…

Mar 24, 2010 8:50 PM CDT