Prosecutors

Janet Reno, Music Mogul

The woman who became famous as the first female attorney general of the United States is now making a mark in an entirely different line of work: music production. Janet Reno, 69, has put together a three-CD package, Song of America, that provides a musical history of the country, and…

Sep 17, 2007 4:49 PM CDT

Hazing Grand Jury Showed Independent Streak

Were the charges against two administrators charged in the hazing death of a Rider University student a case of a runaway grand jury? An assistant prosecutor had tried to steer grand jurors away from an indictment of two deans who oversaw students and Greek life, but didn’t succeed, the Trenton…

Sep 17, 2007 4:46 PM CDT

Religion Statute May Allow Gitmo Claims

Four former Guantanamo Bay military prison detainees who claim American officials abused them there haven’t had any luck trying to sue the U.S. government over alleged constitutional rights violations. But redress may be possible under a 1993 statute that says the government must have a compelling reason for infringing on…

Sep 17, 2007 3:48 PM CDT

AL Prosecutor Rebuked By State AG

An Alabama prosecutor who testified in support of a convicted murderer in his successful appeal of his death sentence has been rebuked by the state attorney general. Robert E. Owens, the Shelby County district attorney and the prosecutor in the case in which LaSamuel Gamble was convicted, testified that it…

Sep 15, 2007 2:40 AM CDT

Novel Court Order: No Gang Loitering

In an unusual and controversial approach to criminal activity by street gangs, a California judge issued a preliminary injunction today prohibiting more than 100 alleged members of a notorious Riverside street gang from gathering together in certain public areas. If it is made permanent by Superior Court Judge Edward D.…

Sep 14, 2007 11:38 PM CDT

AG Nomination Should Avoid Past Errors

As President George W. Bush decides who should succeed Alberto Gonzales, one consideration should be paramount, observers say: Whether the new attorney general will focus on the best interests of the country rather than partisan politics. “The nation’s top lawyers may have broken the law, and even may have sent…

Sep 13, 2007 11:26 PM CDT

Starting at $40K, FL Jobs a Stepping-Stone

Young attorneys working as assistant prosecutors and public defenders in South Florida make only about $40,000 annually when they first start work. So, within five years, most have moved on to other jobs. In Broward and Miami-Dade counties, roughly 20 percent a year depart for greener work assignments elsewhere, and…

Sep 11, 2007 7:01 PM CDT

End of Era: Chicago Mob Murder Case

Yesterday’s guilty verdict in the Operation Family Secrets federal trial in Chicago was an important first step toward resolving 18 unsolved gangland murders stretching back decades. Plus, the case’s aggressive prosecution of organized criminal activity is also significant, according to a local newspaper. The 18 murders were attributed by testimony…

Sep 11, 2007 3:26 PM CDT

Rape Victim Sues Judge Over R-Word Ban

An alleged acquaintance-rape victim has sued the Nebraska judge who banned her from using the word “rape” in testimony, in what her lawyer describes as a troubling trend. A federal lawsuit filed in Lincoln contends Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront violated Tory Bowen’s rights of due process and free…

Sep 10, 2007 4:39 PM CDT

35 La. Deaths: Nursing Home Owners Not Guilty

In a case that has focused criticism on the prosecution, two 60-something owners of St. Rita’s nursing home in Louisiana have been acquitted of 35 charges of negligent homicide. Their 35 patients died after Sal and Mabel Mangano decided not to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina. They two were found not…

Sep 10, 2007 3:21 PM CDT

Law Prof Battled Bush at the White House

What many contend was an excessive use of executive power by President George W. Bush is suddenly the topic of the month. An insider who happens to be a law professor has written something of a tell-all book on the subject, and major publications are vying to offer the most…

Sep 6, 2007 12:29 AM CDT

Nifong in Contempt, Gets 1 Day in Jail

The disgraced former prosecutor responsible for filing unfounded rape charges against former members of the Duke University men’s lacrosse team was found in criminal contempt of court today and sentenced to one day in jail. Former Durham County, N.C., District Attorney Mike Nifong’s decision to withhold DNA evidence from defense…

Sep 1, 2007 12:02 AM CDT

U.S. Prosecutions Drop in Budget Squeeze

Tight budgets at U.S. Attorneys’ offices have forced a drop in prosecutions, especially for drug, white-collar and violent crimes. The offices got actual annual budget increases of only 1.9 percent from 2003 to 2006, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports, as federal spending priorities shifted to the fight against…

Aug 31, 2007 1:28 PM CDT

Disorderly Conduct is Hot Legal Topic

Legal experts are discussing the elements of a disorderly conduct conviction with the zeal one might expect of appellate attorneys conferring over a death penalty case, as the scandal over Sen. Larry Craig’s recent restroom sting arrest exacerbates. The Republican lawmaker from Idaho probably could have beaten the rap, according…

Aug 30, 2007 10:42 PM CDT

CA’s AG: ‘Police’ Badge Banned ... Uh-Oh

Oops. Providing police badges to people who aren’t police officers is illegal. But apparently nobody at the California Attorney General’s office realized that until folks in Riverside County asked for an opinion on the issue. The AG’s office dutifully provided one–and then began collecting from its own attorneys some 1,200…

Aug 30, 2007 9:39 PM CDT