Prosecutors

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyer is accused of $20M money laundering scam; BigLaw firm trims salary cuts

Lawyer is charged in alleged $20M cryptocurrency scam Lawyer Scott Hughes, 44, of Newport Beach, California, has been accused of helping launder at least $20 million in an alleged cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. The indictment unsealed Tuesday claims that Hughes and four other defendants promised guaranteed returns for phantom investments in…

Aug 19, 2020 4:29 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Actor Jussie Smollett’s prosecutors are reviewed; enhanced protection is recommended for judges

No crimes by prosecutors found in Jussie Smollett case Special prosecutor Dan Webb has found “substantial abuses of discretion” but no criminal wrongdoing by prosecutors who dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett, who was on the TV show Empire. He was accused of orchestrating a hate crime attack on himself.…

Aug 17, 2020 4:51 PM CDT

DA’s husband faces charges for pointing gun at protesters on their porch

The husband of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey is facing misdemeanor charges for pointing his gun at protesters on their porch.

Aug 5, 2020 11:55 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump accused of violating disability law; CoreCivic settles suit over recorded attorney-client calls

Lawsuit seeks sign language interpreters at Trump’s COVID-19 briefings The National Association of the Deaf alleges in lawsuit that President Donald Trump is violating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by refusing to provide American Sign Language interpreters at coronavirus briefings. Section 504 says individuals with disabilities may not be…

Aug 4, 2020 12:21 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: BigLaw firm reveals ‘stay gap;’ full DC Circuit will hear Michael Flynn case

Allen & Overy reveals its ‘stay gap’ Allen & Overy is the first major law firm to disclose its “stay gap”—the difference in retention between minority and white lawyers. Black, Asian and minority ethnic lawyers leave the firm seven months earlier on average than white lawyers, while Black lawyers leave…

Jul 30, 2020 4:39 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: AG Barr defends Portland response; protesters call Black district attorney a racist

Attorney General Barr defends sending federal agents to Portland Testifying before Congress on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr denied that he was giving special breaks to President Donald Trump’s associates and defended the deployment of federal agents to Portland, Oregon. Barr said “violent rioters” in Portland were trying to…

Jul 28, 2020 4:44 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Suit filed for immigrant children detained at hotel; ill judge doesn’t have to sign reelection papers

Lawsuit filed for immigrant children detained at Hampton Inn A lawyer with the Texas Civil Rights Project was forced out of a Hampton Inn hotel in McAllen, Texas, where he was investigating an Associated Press claim that children were being secretly held there before their deportation, according to a video…

Jul 27, 2020 4:58 PM CDT

Lawyer is accused of forging signatures of judge and prosecutor to get client’s ankle monitor removed

A lawyer in Cornelia, Georgia, is facing criminal charges after he was accused of forging signatures of a judge and a prosecutor to get his client’s costly ankle monitor removed.

Jul 21, 2020 3:49 PM CDT

Prosecuting attorney criticized for ‘racial undertone’ of Facebook comment

More than 35 lawyers have signed an open letter criticizing a prosecuting attorney in Mississippi for a Facebook comment saying she hoped deadly COVID-19 spreads during riots. The letter says Madison County, Mississippi, Prosecutor Pamela Hancock damaged her professional credibility in the post. The Mississippi Clarion Ledger has coverage. “Your…

Jul 17, 2020 11:05 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Protesters charged in state AG protest; Zoom comment aftermath

87 protesters charged with trying to intimidate prosecutor Eighty-seven protesters arrested at the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron have been charged with felony intimidation for trying to influence a prosecutor’s decision. The protesters held a sit-in Tuesday to seek the prosecution of police officers in the death of…

Jul 16, 2020 6:25 PM CDT

Prosecutorial ethics are in the spotlight after the death of Ahmaud Arbery

The horrific shooting death of African American jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, has inspired calls for social justice and prompted the passage of hate crime legislation for the first time in the state’s history. In addition to criminal charges against the three men, the case poses legal ethics questions raised by the conduct of the initial prosecutors in charge.

Jul 16, 2020 11:00 AM CDT

At least 837 attorney-client calls were recorded by Maine jails

At least 837 attorney-client calls were recorded by Maine jails in the last year in a “massive breach of attorney-client privilege,” according to an investigative report.

Jul 15, 2020 4:25 PM CDT

Prosecutor in critical condition with COVID-19 had filed an OSHA complaint

A hospitalized prosecutor in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, told colleagues he filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after becoming ill with COVID-19.

Jul 14, 2020 1:25 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Deloitte unveils legal services unit; forensic botanist as crime solver

Deloitte launches legal business services in US Deloitte announced Monday it is launching its Legal Business Services unit in the United States to help corporate legal departments streamline and automate functions such as contract management. Bloomberg Law says the launch “represents perhaps the most direct effort yet by a Big…

Jul 13, 2020 4:15 PM CDT

Prosecutorial immunity protects 3 defendants in former judge’s retaliation lawsuit, 5th Circuit says

A Texas judge who was wrongfully convicted can only sue one of the four prosecutors she named in a lawsuit, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Jul 10, 2020 10:59 AM CDT