Sentencing/Post Conviction

Comedian’s podcast remarks during jury duty spur appeal by convicted defendant

A convicted former currency trader has filed an appeal partly based on podcasts by an unhappy juror during the federal trial in New York City. Akshay Aiyer has contended that a juror’s podcasts were “a flagrant violation of the judge’s instructions.”

Mar 16, 2021 9:33 AM CDT

Man convicted of murder sues Hertz for failing to produce receipt backing his alibi

A Michigan man convicted of second-degree murder has sued car rental company Hertz for failing to produce a receipt that would have backed up his alibi.

Mar 12, 2021 10:38 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Florida lawmaker says he’s ‘Christian, not an attorney;’ suit challenges hotel resort fees

Lawmaker says he’s ‘Christian, not an attorney’ A Florida lawmaker says he was just joking when he said told a Jewish colleague that he was a “Christian, not an attorney.” State Sen. Jeff Brandes made the comment when asked about the definition of gross negligence in his bill to limit…

Mar 11, 2021 4:50 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: States ratified ERA too late, judge says; US supports school in cheerleader’s SCOTUS case

Federal judge rules ERA ratified too late U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras of the District of Columbia has ruled that the last three states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment acted too late. Contreras said Congress had set deadlines for ratification that expired long ago, and the three states that…

Mar 8, 2021 3:40 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: California opens process for retroactive bar admission; judge suspended after election-fraud charge

California opens applications for retroactive bar admission Provisional licensure applications, for people who recently did not pass the California bar exam but would have with the new cut score, are now open. People who took the California bar exam between July 2015 and February 2020 and scored no lower than…

Feb 25, 2021 3:39 PM CST

Prisoner who filed pro se appeal of his enhanced sentence wins Supreme Court review

An inmate convicted for breaking into 10 storage lockers has persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to review his mandatory minimum sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act.

Feb 23, 2021 9:01 AM CST

Nation’s oldest, longest-serving juvenile lifer is released from prison at age 83

The nation’s oldest, longest-serving juvenile lifer was released from prison this month at age 83, thanks to a pair of U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

Feb 23, 2021 9:00 AM CST

Witness accounts of federal executions are at odds with government reports on tranquil deaths

Executioners who put 13 federal inmates to death during the Trump administration described tranquil last moments in which inmates appeared to be sleeping.

Feb 19, 2021 12:20 PM CST

SCOTUS bars Alabama from executing inmate without pastor; Barrett joins with liberal justices in concurrence

The U.S. Supreme Court late Thursday refused to allow Alabama to execute an Alabama inmate if he is not allowed to have a pastor with him in the execution chamber.

Feb 12, 2021 11:22 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Former adoption lawyer sentenced; lawyer accused in real-estate fraud scheme

Ex-adoption lawyer sentenced for stealing fees Disbarred adoption lawyer Steven Dubin of Holland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for pocketing retainer fees from client who thought he would help them adopt. Dubin, 66, was accused of spending the money on himself or other cases. He will…

Feb 11, 2021 4:39 PM CST

Lawyer who pleaded guilty in porn lawsuit scheme must pay $1.5M restitution, 8th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has upheld a $1.5 million restitution order against a Minnesota lawyer who pleaded guilty in a scheme to upload porn to file-sharing websites and then sue people who downloaded it.

Feb 11, 2021 11:20 AM CST

Inmate given clemency by Trump had backing of former judge who sentenced him to life

A federal judge who sentenced a Clarksville, Tennessee, man to life in prison in a drug trafficking case greeted him in person after then-President Donald Trump commuted the sentence in January.

Feb 4, 2021 12:12 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyer regrets pepper-spray incident; ex-FBI lawyer avoids prison

Lawyer expresses regret after he is pepper-sprayed by mayor A lawyer who was pepper-sprayed by the mayor of Portland, Oregon, has expressed regret for the incident that provoked the response. Mayor Ted Wheeler had pepper-sprayed Cary Cadonau after the lawyer confronted the mayor in a restaurant parking lot and accused…

Jan 29, 2021 3:49 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Biden addresses environmental justice; scammers impersonate law firm

Biden climate orders address environmental justice President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed executive orders to address climate change. Biden paused oil and gas leases on federal land and created a White House office of domestic climate policy. Biden addressed environmental justice with a directive for federal agencies to invest in…

Jan 27, 2021 4:31 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judge blocks Biden’s deportation moratorium; Biden orders private prison phaseout

Federal judge blocks Biden’s deportation moratorium U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton of Texas has blocked President Joe Biden’s moratorium on many deportations. Tipton ruled Tuesday in a Texas lawsuit claiming that the 100-day moratorium violated a pact with the state by the Trump administration. Tipton said he was granting a…

Jan 26, 2021 4:38 PM CST