Prosecutors

Appeals Court Rules for Grasso in Compensation Case

The battle over the $187.5 million compensation package for Richard Grasso has ended in a win for the former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. A New York appeals court ruled that the state attorney general did not have authority to prosecute two violations of the state’s nonprofit law…

Jul 2, 2008 1:35 PM CDT

DOJ Probe Sought in Jail Slaying of Inmate Charged in Cop’s Murder

The family of an African-American inmate apparently slain in an isolation cell after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of a white Prince George’s County, Maryland, police officer is calling for a Department of Justice investigation. Only seven guards and an unknown number of jail supervisors had access…

Jul 1, 2008 9:40 PM CDT

Texas Man Not Indicted in 2 Killings; Immigrants Shot in Back

After two weeks of evidence and consideration, a Texas grand jury today refused to indict a 62-year-old retiree who shot two illegal immigrants in the back on Nov. 14, killing them. Joe Horn initially called 911 when he apparently heard the men breaking into a neighbor’s home in Pasadena, a…

Jun 30, 2008 11:27 PM CDT

Mock Jurors in Fieger Case Reflected Bush Credibility Crisis, Lawyer Says

Mock jurors hearing evidence in a case against Michigan lawyer Geoffrey Fieger overwhelmingly expressed a distrust of government, an attitude probably held by jurors in the real trial, says one defense lawyer. Lawyer Steve Fishman, who represented co-defendant Ven Johnson, told the Detroit Free Press he became sure he would…

Jun 27, 2008 2:07 PM CDT

Judge a Reluctant Ref in Landmark Battle Over White House Subpoenas

Asked by Congressional lawyers yesterday to require the White House to comply with House Judiciary Committee subpoenas of two high-level aides, Federal District Court Judge John Bates was a reluctant referee in the landmark court battle. “Whether I rule for the executive branch or I rule for the legislative branch,…

Jun 24, 2008 8:08 PM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor: DOJ Destroyed My Career

Ryan Rainey admittedly broke a rule when he was a star federal prosecutor, and paid a high price for doing so. In 2005, he resigned, later pleading guilty to criminal charges. They related to failing to inform his bosses at the Department of Justice about applying for work as a…

Jun 24, 2008 6:37 PM CDT

Prosecutor Tells Newspaper He Tried to Help Defense Win Doubtful Case

A New York prosecutor who says he was directed to defend a murder prosecution despite his reservations admits that he did his best to help the defense win the case. Daniel Bibb, who worked under District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, told the New York Times he discussed strategy with defense lawyers…

Jun 23, 2008 2:06 PM CDT

Former Wisconsin DA Loses Libel Appeal

A Wisconsin appeals court has dismissed a libel case filed by a former Wisconsin prosecutor against a newspaper and a nonprofit official. The court said no reasonable jury would find the defendants had acted with actual malice, the Wisconsin Law Journal reports. Former District Attorney Vincent Biskupic of Outagamie County…

Jun 23, 2008 12:58 PM CDT

Bear Stearns Case Means Higher Profile for Young Prosecutor

A federal prosecutor nicknamed “Dangerous Opie” is likely to have a higher profile now that he is handling the case of two Bear Stearns hedge fund managers considered to be the first executives prosecuted in connection with the subprime mortgage meltdown. An extensive Slate profile of Benton Campbell says the…

Jun 20, 2008 7:22 PM CDT

Gonzales Axed Anti-Torture DOJ Lawyer, But Promised US Attorney Job, ABC Says

In Congressional testimony that helps connect two controversial legal issues in the Bush administration, a former high-level Justice Department lawyer says he was asked to leave after he wrote a memo opposing harsh interrogation techniques he considered torture but was promised a job as a U.S. Attorney by former Attorney…

Jun 19, 2008 11:16 PM CDT

Editorial Urges Prosecutors to ‘Keep Digging Into Tort-Bar Practices’

An editorial in the Wall Street Journal asserts that Milberg’s agreement to pay a $75 million fine to settle kickback allegations highlights a need for prosecutors to pursue trial lawyers. “If there’s a moral in this week’s felony settlement by class-action lawsuit giant Milberg Weiss, it’s this: Prosecutors should keep…

Jun 18, 2008 5:50 PM CDT

DNA Better Than Prints for Burglar ID, But What’s the Cost?

DNA evidence isn’t just helpful in violent crimes. It can also help police identify more burglary suspects (who often are involved in violent crimes, too), a new study finds. Analyzing DNA from burglars—which police officers, once trained, can collect as accurately as evidence technicians—greatly increases the chance of catching the…

Jun 16, 2008 6:54 PM CDT

New Theft Conviction for Former 20-Year Texas Prosecutor

For the second time this year, a former 20-year district attorney in Rockwall County, Texas, has been convicted of stealing from the government. Ray Sumrow, 58, shook his head in apparent disbelief when a jury convicted him yesterday of theft by a public servant, reports the Dallas Morning News. He…

Jun 11, 2008 4:22 PM CDT

Alleged Mobster Gets Huffy, Asks Prosecutor, ‘You Making Eyes at Me?’

An alleged mobster apparently didn’t like the way the prosecutor was looking at him during a hearing in a Chicago courtroom yesterday. “You making eyes at me?” Frank “the German” Schweihs wanted to know as he glared at Assistant U.S. Attorney Markus Funk. “Do I look like a [expletive] to…

Jun 11, 2008 1:39 PM CDT

French Judge Participating in U.S. Homicide Investigation

Stymied by the puzzling stabbing death of a 36-year-old French citizen, those in charge of the San Francisco investigation have turned for help to French authorities. A French investigator has been helping for several months, and a French judge will soon hear evidence from witnesses in federal court, reports the…

Jun 10, 2008 4:24 PM CDT