States

Private criminal defense lawyers failed to show up for their cases more often than defendants, Philly study finds

Some lawyers are less reliable than defendants when it comes to showing up in court, according to a study of criminal cases in Philadelphia courts during a 10-year span.

Dec 6, 2023 4:12 PM CST

Politics are at play in states seeking to rein in ‘progressive’ prosecutors

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is targeting “progressive” prosecutors—a broad term that carries different meanings in different jurisdictions and frequently signals support for policies aimed at reducing mass incarceration. But it’s not just happening in Florida.

Dec 6, 2023 2:50 PM CST

Armin Salek builds new pathway to profession for aspiring first-generation lawyers

At age 33, Armin Salek has his dream job. He is the founder and the executive director of the Youth Justice Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas, that provides aspiring first-generation lawyers with financial and institutional support starting in high school.

Dec 6, 2023 10:01 AM CST

Why did township lawyer blurt out ‘white power’ at meeting? He had no explanation

A Michigan lawyer who represented Mt. Morris Township since the 1990s has resigned after he raised his fist at a meeting and blurted out “white power.”

Dec 6, 2023 10:00 AM CST

Ex-boyfriend of Covington associate pleads guilty to using information in her files for insider trading

The former boyfriend of an associate at Covington & Burling pleaded guilty on Monday to using information he found in her files for insider trading.

Dec 6, 2023 9:25 AM CST

Public defender who defended cocaine use as sometimes beneficial should be suspended, disciplinary counsel says

A lawyer who displayed a “stunning void of evidence regarding any genuine pursuit of sobriety” should be suspended for using cocaine before his client’s hearing and defending it as sometimes helpful, according to a brief filed by the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Dec 5, 2023 3:26 PM CST

UIC law prof appeals after dismissal of civil rights lawsuit

Updated: A professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law has filed an appeal to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago after his case stemming from his use of abbreviated racial and gender slurs in an essay question in a December 2020 final exam was dismissed.

Dec 5, 2023 2:23 PM CST

Felony murder retrial of former Fisher Phillips partner delayed amid evidence dispute

Updated: The felony murder retrial of former Fisher Phillips partner Claud “Tex” McIver, who is accused of fatally shooting his wife, has been delayed to allow prosecutors to appeal an evidence ruling for the defense.

Dec 5, 2023 12:39 PM CST

Citing mootness, Supreme Court tosses case of disability law tester who ‘singlehandedly generated a circuit split’

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed as moot a case of a disability law tester and directed a federal appeals court to vacate the opinion in her case.

Dec 5, 2023 11:04 AM CST

Alleged Cuban agent most recently worked in BigLaw

A former U.S. ambassador who was arrested Friday for allegedly acting as a Cuban agent had recently worked at Foley & Lardner as a senior adviser on international business.

Dec 5, 2023 10:10 AM CST

Only 7 states imposed new death sentences in 2023; 1 of them has passed new laws likely to expand number

Texas and Florida accounted for more than half of the executions this year, with Florida putting six inmates to death and Texas executing eight, according to a report by the Death Penalty Information Center.

Dec 5, 2023 8:15 AM CST

Woman who threw Chipotle order at employee can reduce jail sentence by getting fast-food job

An Ohio woman who threw her Chipotle order at an employee can avoid part of her jail sentence if she works at a fast-food job, a judge ruled last week.

Dec 4, 2023 3:11 PM CST

Law firm press release didn’t violate patient confidentiality law, top Illinois court rules

A law firm press release describing its client’s suicide attempt in a hospital emergency room did not violate Illinois law on patient confidentiality, the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled.

Dec 4, 2023 2:27 PM CST

Can injured bicyclist tap dad’s uninsured motorist coverage? Despite policy exclusion, it’s covered, top Illinois court says

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled against the Direct Auto Insurance Co. in a dispute over the reach of its uninsured motorist coverage.

Dec 4, 2023 11:56 AM CST

Trump doesn’t have ‘divine right of kings’ to avoid charges in election-subversion case, federal judge rules

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday that former President Donald Trump isn’t immune from criminal charges in the case accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Dec 4, 2023 9:26 AM CST