Prosecutors

Drug crimes prosecutions could be taking a back seat as the DOJ focuses on unlawful entry

As misdemeanor unlawful entry prosecutions rose between 2017 and 2018 in the five federal districts along the southwest border, federal prosecutions for nonmarijuana drug offenses dropped. U.S. Customs and Border Protection drug seizure statistics were largely up, suggesting no lack of referrals.

Jun 1, 2019 1:35 AM CDT

Change Agents: A new wave of reform prosecutors upends the status quo

Because so many decisions are made outside of the public eye, the prosecutor’s office is often referred to as the “black box” of America’s criminal justice system. But a wave of new reformers are intent on letting in the light—through transparency, community engagement, and most important, regime change.

Jun 1, 2019 12:00 AM CDT

Nearing his 100th birthday, former district attorney says it’s too late to retire

Former Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau is nearing his 100th birthday, but he still continues to work at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Morgenthau told the New York Law Journal that it’s too late to retire. “My grandfather used to say opportunity comes to everyone. The secret is to recognize…

May 29, 2019 1:24 PM CDT

Reprimands upheld for ex-judge accused of groping women, disparaging prosecutors

A special court of review has upheld two reprimands for a now-former Texas judge accused of groping three women at a party, making disparaging remarks about prosecutors, and making a child custody ruling without a public hearing. The former judge, Guy Williams of Corpus Christi, received two public reprimands after…

May 22, 2019 12:59 PM CDT

Former US attorney gives up his law license after he’s convicted for stalking

A former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia has surrendered his law license after his January conviction on two counts of aggravated stalking for harassing a former girlfriend. The Georgia Supreme Court accepted the petition by Richard Scott Thompson in a May 20 opinion, report the Daily Report…

May 22, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Lawyer faces contempt charges for alleged failure to show up for client hearings

A DUI lawyer in Virginia says he plans to reduce his caseload after he was accused of contempt of court for missing client hearings and failing to produce a client’s driving record. Blacksburg lawyer Jonathan P. Fisher, 42, told the Roanoke Times that the scheduling problems led him to reach…

May 14, 2019 12:06 PM CDT

Under newly introduced federal bill, public defenders would get same pay as prosecutors

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a former prosecutor and Democratic 2020 presidential contender, has introduced a bill that would eventually require pay parity for public defenders and prosecutors. The legislation, introduced Wednesday, creates a $250 million grant program for public defense that requires entities receiving funds to establish workload…

May 10, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Lawyer’s identity stolen by scammer asking timeshare sellers to send money for closing

A scammer targeting timeshare owners desperate to sell their properties stole the identity of a Florida lawyer to further his scheme. The scammer would call people who had placed ads to sell their timeshares and tell them their property could be sold if they forwarded closing costs to the lawyer,…

May 9, 2019 1:59 PM CDT

Prosecutors must maintain ethical conduct during misdemeanor plea deals, ABA ethics opinion says

When entering into a plea bargain for a misdemeanor offense, prosecutors have an ethical duty to ensure the legal and evidentiary basis of the charges are sound, according to a new formal ethics opinion from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

May 9, 2019 9:01 AM CDT

Career of Above the Law founder and Legal Rebel takes another turn

David Lat, the former federal prosecutor who founded the blog Above the Law, has decided to become a legal recruiter. Lat will be a managing director of the New York City office of Lateral Link, he announced in an Above the Law column Monday. The new job follows Lat’s decision…

May 7, 2019 12:39 PM CDT

Hedge fund founder jailed after judge says he lunged at federal prosecutor during trial break

Updated: A hedge fund founder on trial for allegedly faking investment gains was sent to jail Monday after prosecutors accused him of trying to intimidate an assistant U.S. attorney during a trial break. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan revoked bail for Mark Nordlicht, founder of the collapsed hedge fund Platinum…

May 7, 2019 11:50 AM CDT

About 800 ex-prosecutors say Trump would be charged with obstruction if he wasn’t president

Updated: Donald Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice if he wasn’t president, based on evidence described in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, according to a statement signed by hundreds of former federal prosecutors. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 800 former federal prosecutors and Department of Justice attorneys had signed the statement.

May 6, 2019 3:32 PM CDT

City attorney and public defender call for judge to step down after accusations of partiality

Updated: In an unusual show of solidarity, Seattle’s top prosecutor and public defender are asking the presiding municipal court judge to change his behavior and step down.

Apr 29, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Parole requests don’t get an automatic thumbs-down from Brooklyn district attorney

In 1996, when Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez was just starting out as a junior prosecutor, his younger brother was shot and killed in the Bronx.

Apr 26, 2019 1:54 PM CDT

AG Barr to testify over Mueller report before House and Senate

U.S. Attorney General William Barr is expected to testify before House and Senate panels on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation next week. The attorney general will appear before the House Judiciary Committee on May 2, one day after he answers questions about Mueller’s findings on Russian election interference and obstruction…

Apr 26, 2019 11:49 AM CDT