Sentencing/Post Conviction

Teen sentenced to 3 months by SCOTUS nominee Jackson felt ‘confusion and shock’ from images, his lawyer says

Many Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have focused their attention on a three-month sentence that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson imposed on a youth in a child pornography case.

Mar 24, 2022 8:50 AM CDT

Questioning of Jackson by Sen. Graham labeled ‘testy,’ ‘caustic’ and ‘tirade’

The questioning by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Wednesday of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is getting a lot of press attention, with one publication labeling his sparring a “tirade.”

Mar 23, 2022 2:53 PM CDT

‘Nothing could be further from the truth,’ Jackson says in response to Sen. Hawley’s sentencing accusations

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday pushed back against accusations that she let child pornography offenders off the hook by giving them lenient sentences for their crimes.

Mar 22, 2022 12:15 PM CDT

Hawley says he wants answers on SCOTUS nominee Jackson’s below-guidelines sentences

Sen. Josh Hawley expressed concern about Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s sentences in seven child pornography cases during his statement on the first day of her nomination hearing.

Mar 21, 2022 2:00 PM CDT

McConnell says SCOTUS nominee is backed by ‘soft-on-crime brigade’; Republicans plan to question her sentencing

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee plan to address “a mishmash” of topics as they question U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson during her nomination hearing next week.

Mar 18, 2022 3:30 PM CDT

Judge orders new DNA tests in Adnan Syed murder case featured on ‘Serial’ podcast

A Baltimore judge has ordered new DNA testing of evidence in the murder case against Adnan Syed after his lawyer and Baltimore prosecutors supported additional tests.

Mar 14, 2022 8:33 AM CDT

Supreme Court Roundup: Win for storage locker robber; Cosby victory; Thomas on Section 230

A storage locker robber and actor and comedian Bill Cosby had victories in the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, while Justice Clarence Thomas called for consideration of the immunity afforded to online publishers.

Mar 8, 2022 11:58 AM CST

Convicted Boston Marathon bomber got a fair trial, Supreme Court rules in reinstating his capital sentence

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday reinstated the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people, wounded 260 others and led to the fatal shooting of a police officer.

Mar 4, 2022 10:39 AM CST

Starting over is ‘invigorating’ for former BigLaw co-chair convicted in college admissions scandal

The former BigLaw partner who served prison time in the 2019 college admissions scandal is starting over with his business consulting company and a reinstated law license.

Mar 4, 2022 9:12 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: ABA will ‘work expeditiously’ to rate SCOTUS nominee; parents of accused school shooter will stand trial

ABA president vows expeditious but through evaluation of SCOTUS nominee The ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary will “work expeditiously” to evaluate U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson “in a thorough and fair manner,” said ABA President Reginald Turner in a statement issued Friday afternoon. Turner said…

Feb 25, 2022 3:47 PM CST

Defendants want new trials because of racist Facebook posts said to be written by their lawyer

Lawyers for at least two convicted men in Massachusetts are seeking new trials because of racist and offensive Facebook posts thought to have been written by their now-deceased defense lawyer.

Feb 24, 2022 8:49 AM CST

Sotomayor has constitutional concerns in case of sex offender who couldn’t find housing

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is expressing “serious constitutional concerns” in the case of a sex offender forced to spend additional time in prison because he couldn’t find housing far enough away from schools in New York City.

Feb 23, 2022 11:08 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: Walter Dellinger dies at 80; lawyer’s ‘succubustic’ comment deemed protected speech

‘Giant in the law’ Walter Dellinger dies Former acting U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dellinger died Feb. 16 at age 80. Dellinger was a longtime professor at the Duke University School of Law and head of the Supreme Court and appellate practice at O’Melveny & Myers. O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin…

Feb 18, 2022 1:45 PM CST

Critics decry long sentence for BLM activist who says she didn’t know her voter registration was illegal

Critics are denouncing a six-years-and-a-day sentence for a Black Lives Matter activist who said she didn’t know that her voter registration was illegal because she received inadequate and faulty information from the state of Tennessee.

Feb 10, 2022 12:26 PM CST

Appeals court says judge may be ‘in the wrong line of work,’ vacates sentence for a second time

The Michigan Court of Appeals has once again vacated a sentence imposed by a Michigan judge in a fatal stabbing case, citing his “blatant refusal” to follow precedent that bars judges from considering acquitted conduct in sentencing.

Feb 9, 2022 2:41 PM CST