Prosecutors

Justice Department won’t prosecute pot sales on reservations, even in states that ban it

The Justice Department will instruct U.S. attorneys to allow pot sales on Native American reservations in guidance to be released today, according to two federal prosecutors. The Justice Department guidance will say that tribes should not be prosecuted for growing and selling marijuana on reservations, even in states that ban…

Dec 11, 2014 8:29 AM CST

Assistant DA is shot and killed; alleged gunman was motivated by jealousy, police say

Updated: An assistant district attorney in Barrow, Alaska, was shot and killed at his girlfriend’s home on Monday. A suspect who formerly dated the woman is being held in the shooting death of the prosecutor, Brian Sullivan, 48. Sullivan is a former Washington state lawmaker and a former JAG lawyer.…

Dec 10, 2014 3:15 PM CST

2nd Circuit reverses 2 insider-trading convictions, narrowing scope of future prosecutions

In a blow to the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed the insider-trading convictions of two former hedge fund portfolio managers. Finding that the government failed to prove defendants Anthony Chiasson and Todd Newman had prerequisite knowledge of wrongdoing, the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit…

Dec 10, 2014 2:30 PM CST

Judge is investigated amid controversy over courtroom audio-recording system

A Pennsylvania judge has been removed from hearing criminal cases, at her own request, amid a controversy over the audio-recording system at the Monroe County courthouse. District Attorney E. David Christine Jr. is among those who are concerned the system may be picking up attorney conversations that are supposed to…

Dec 9, 2014 11:00 AM CST

Former federal prosecutor gives up law license after client-theft claim

A former federal prosecutor who for many years served as the first assistant to the U.S. attorney in Connecticut has given up his law license after a misappropriation claim by a former client. H. James Pickerstein said in a Friday filing (PDF) in state court in Bridgeport that he is…

Dec 8, 2014 9:00 AM CST

Ex-lawyer found guilty of killing DA’s wife; jury to decide next week on death penalty

Updated: It didn’t take a Texas jury long to find a former justice of the peace guilty of shooting to death the local district attorney’s wife last year. Within two hours of starting deliberations Thursday, the panel had reached a guilty verdict, although the case against 47-year-old Eric Lyle Williams…

Dec 4, 2014 12:00 PM CST

Attorney General nominee previously spoke of ‘conflicted relationship’ between cops and minorities

As Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch visited senators on Tuesday who will vote on her nomination for attorney general, a newspaper report called attention to speeches she made more than a decade ago about relations between police and the minority community. In speeches made in 2000 and 2001, Lynch said…

Dec 3, 2014 11:01 AM CST

Huge power outage closes Detroit courts and many other buildings

A high-profile murder trial was abruptly put on hold Tuesday as the lights in Detroit’s Frank Murphy Hall of Justice flickered and went out. It was just one of 100 buildings affected by a massive cable failure that shut down power to all Detroit Public Lighting customers around 10:30 a.m.,…

Dec 2, 2014 3:50 PM CST

Senior city prosecutor faces possible issue at work after 3rd DUI arrest

A senior city prosecutor in St. Petersburg, Florida, arrested Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving, is now facing potential consequences at work as well as a misdemeanor driving-under-the-influence case. The DUI arrest is the third for Mark Winn, 60, who serves as chief assistant to city attorney John Wolfe, the…

Dec 2, 2014 12:45 PM CST

Capital murder trial begins for ex-justice of peace accused of slaying DA, wife and prosecutor

A capital murder trial began Monday for a former justice of the peace accused of killing two senior Texas prosecutors last year, along with one man’s wife. However, Eric Lyle Williams is being tried right now only for the slaying of Cynthia McLelland, who was shot to death along with…

Dec 2, 2014 10:30 AM CST

DA’s men accused of stealing rare comics forfeited by in-house lawyer jailed in $9M theft scheme

An in-house lawyer accused of stealing $9 million by paying fake law firm bills took a felony plea and was sentenced to 40 years by a Texas judge six months ago. But that wasn’t the end of the fallout over Anthony Chiofalo’s theft scheme. A onetime investigator for the Harris…

Nov 26, 2014 1:45 PM CST

Woman sues prosecutor and wife for defamation, says he sought nude photos, wife lied to protect him

A woman has filed a defamation suit against a former Alabama municipal prosecutor and his wife, contending that he abused his position by contacting her and seeking nude photos, and that his wife lied to protect him. The Coffee County Circuit Court suit filed by Sherry McCormick also seeks damages…

Nov 26, 2014 11:10 AM CST

Former prosecutor talks of living in fear after slayings of Texas DA and senior colleague

Prosecutor Shannon Hebert at first thought her colleague, Mark Hasse, must have been struck by a car before he was found fatally injured not far from the courthouse in Kaufman County, Texas. When she found out he had been shot to death on Jan. 31, 2013, she thought Hasse must…

Nov 25, 2014 1:20 PM CST

Former DA explains his ‘prosecutor speak’ on why he declined to charge Cosby

A former Pennsylvania district attorney who declined to prosecute Bill Cosby in 2005 says his decision was based on the available evidence. In an interview with NBC 10 in Philadelphia, former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor said the alleged victim had delayed going to police for a year, making…

Nov 24, 2014 7:20 AM CST

Prosecutors under fire for flashing gang signs in holiday photo

Defense lawyers in New York aren’t ho-hoing over a year-old photo that recently surfaced of prosecutors in the Bronx district attorney’s office. It shows a group of assistant district attorneys in business suits and ties flashing gang signs associated with the Bloods, the Crips and the Trinitarios, while standing in…

Nov 21, 2014 4:05 PM CST