Criminal Practice

  • July 27, 2026

    Black, Latino Chicagoans Win Cert. In Traffic Stop Bias Suit

    An Illinois federal judge certified a class of Black and Latino drivers who alleged Chicago police pulled them over for minor traffic infractions leading to frisks and vehicle searches at higher rates than white drivers, finding Monday there was significant evidence showing drivers of color are stopped at disproportionate rates. 

  • July 27, 2026

    4th Circ. Says Inmate Can Represent Himself At Sentencing

    The Fourth Circuit held Monday that the Sixth Amendment rights of a South Carolina man were violated when a judge denied him the ability to represent himself during sentencing because he did not make the request prior to the start of his drug-trafficking trial.

  • July 27, 2026

    Mich. Justices Reject Federal Double Jeopardy Rule

    The Michigan Supreme Court has significantly expanded the state's constitutional protection against double jeopardy, finding prosecutors can be barred from retrying a criminal defendant following a mistrial, even if they did not specifically intend to provoke the defense into requesting one. 

  • July 27, 2026

    Conn. Panel Says Bad Atty Advice Warrants New Murder Trial

    A Connecticut appeals court granted a new trial to a man convicted of murder after finding that during initial plea negotiations, an attorney representing him gave him bad advice on whether his codefendant would testify in his case.

  • July 27, 2026

    Conn. Justices Clarify Guilt-Inference Jury Instructions

    The Connecticut Supreme Court placed new guardrails around consciousness-of-guilt jury charges in criminal trials, refusing Monday to rewrite model instructions or toss a conviction but cautioning trial judges to convey the positions of both prosecutors and defendants in a "neutral and balanced" manner.

  • July 27, 2026

    Deal Reached In Comedian Eric André's Racial Profiling Suit

    Actor Eric André and another comedian who said their constitutional rights were violated when they were racially profiled at an Atlanta airport have reached a tentative deal with a Georgia county to settle their lawsuit about a year after the Eleventh Circuit agreed to revive the case. 

  • July 27, 2026

    NJ Justices Set 3rd-Party Legal Fee Rules In Criminal Cases

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Monday set forth parameters for third-party legal fee arrangements in criminal cases, upholding a murder conviction on the grounds that no conflict of interest resulted from a state witness paying his lawyer and finding that third‑party payments don't create per se conflicts of interest.

  • July 27, 2026

    300+ Public Defenders Strike In The Bronx

    More than 300 attorneys and staff with the Bronx Defenders Union went on strike Monday, one year after the last time the union walked off the job.

  • July 27, 2026

    Weill Cornell Medicine Settles Doctor Sex Abuse Probe

    Weill Cornell Medicine reached a settlement on Monday with Manhattan federal prosecutors to end a criminal investigation into allegations that the prestigious medical and graduate school failed to prevent one of its doctors from sexually abusing patients for more than a decade.

  • July 27, 2026

    NJ Mayor Fights DOJ Bid To Toss False Arrest Suit

    Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka is pushing back on a bid from the U.S. Department of Justice to dismiss a lawsuit over his allegedly unlawful arrest last year outside an ICE facility, telling a New Jersey federal court that the government's theories of immunity don't fit the facts and case law.

  • July 27, 2026

    Comey Says Seashell Post No Threat To Trump

    Former FBI Director James Comey urged a North Carolina federal court Monday to dismiss an indictment stemming from a social media post he made last year, arguing the post doesn't constitute a "true threat" to President Donald Trump.

  • July 27, 2026

    Pa. Felony Murder Bill Deadline Expires With No New Rules

    The deadline for Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass new sentencing rules for second-degree murder has passed, after the state Supreme Court didn't act Friday on a request to extend the delay on their ruling that mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder are unconstitutional.

  • July 24, 2026

    Costco Hit With Negligence Suit Over Parking Lot Shooting

    The family of a shopper who was fatally shot in a Costco parking lot in 2024 during an alleged purse-snatching attempt has launched a lawsuit in Washington state court, accusing the warehouse retailer of failing to address a history of criminal activity on store property leading up to her death.    

  • July 24, 2026

    Panel Asks Fla. Justices To Clarify Right-To-Counsel Rule

    A Florida appeals court has concluded that while a man's sexual battery conviction should remain in place, the state's highest court should determine whether the Florida Constitution allows attorney-client conversations during a recess when barred by a trial judge.

  • July 24, 2026

    Fla. Panel To Prosecutors: 'Double-Check' Charging Docs

    Florida appellate judges reversed a man's fentanyl trafficking conviction Friday after finding the substance found on him during a traffic stop was not fentanyl, but a fentanyl derivative, remarking, "'issues like this should be avoided by the state taking a moment to double-check its charging documents.'"

  • July 24, 2026

    Volkswagen Engineers Charged With Rivian Deal Inside Trades

    Two former Volkswagen engineers were arrested Friday following an indictment filed in New York federal court alleging they made more than $300,000 by trading securities using nonpublic information about the company's confidential plans with Rivian to create technology for both companies' electric vehicles.

  • July 24, 2026

    Mich. Panel Allows School Shooting Threat Case To Proceed

    A former high school senior accused of threatening to shoot his principal and teachers failed to escape criminal charges by claiming First Amendment protection, a Michigan Court of Appeals panel has ruled, saying the teen went beyond mere talk when he bought a shotgun and tried to buy two pistols.

  • July 24, 2026

    Fordham Scholar On Neuroscience's Role In Criminal Courts

    Neuroscience has become an increasingly common feature of criminal litigation, shaping everything from death penalty mitigation to juvenile sentencing. Yet many of the assumptions surrounding brain science in the courtroom remain wrong, Fordham Law School Professor Deborah Denno told Law360.

  • July 24, 2026

    Balancing The Scales: Geofence Clarity, Post-Hunter Scrutiny

    The U.S. Supreme Court deemed geofence warrants as searches under the Fourth Amendment, and the justices’ ruling in Hunter spurs a conversation of what the bar should be for criminal appeal waivers. Here, Law360 highlights access to justice stories arising from litigation, verdicts and judgments you may have missed.

  • July 24, 2026

    9th Circ. Agrees That Assault Triggers Immigration Removal

    The Ninth Circuit has refused to review an immigration court's finding that a Mexican national living in Oregon was not unfairly charged by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as being removable after his arrest for abusing his wife in front of his children.

  • July 24, 2026

    Ala. Ruling Leaves Executions In Uncharted Waters

    Last month, a federal district judge ruled that Alabama's nitrogen hypoxia execution protocol violated the Eighth Amendment, an unprecedented decision that upended the state's death penalty process. Now, death row prisoners who chose nitrogen execution face uncertainty as Alabama seeks to execute them instead by lethal injection.

  • July 24, 2026

    Mental Health Agency Sues Mass. Prison System For Records

    A Massachusetts mental health legal advocacy committee has filed a lawsuit against the state's department of correction, claiming it was denied access to data about health services provided in one state prison by a private contractor.

  • July 24, 2026

    Goldstein Gets 6-Year Sentence, Bond Revoked

    Thomas Goldstein, the famed U.S. Supreme Court attorney and founder of SCOTUSblog whose turn into the world of ultra-high-stakes poker ultimately landed him federal tax and mortgage fraud convictions, was sentenced to six years in prison; he was taken into custody and out of court in handcuffs Friday.

  • July 24, 2026

    No Hack Involved In Alleged $53M Crypto Heist, Judge Hears

    A Maryland man accused of hacking Uranium Finance to steal $53 million in cryptocurrency told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that the charges are faulty because he did nothing malicious with the exchange's code.

  • July 24, 2026

    Over 100 Legal Aid Staffers Strike In Harlem And The Bronx

    Over 100 legal aid attorneys, social workers and advocates in Harlem and the Bronx went on strike Friday, with the possibility of more to come in the New York City area.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Judges On AI: Examining Administrative, Organizational Uses

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    U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas examines how artificial intelligence could transform a court's ability to deal with administrative work and organize materials when preparing for hearings or drafting opinions, thereby affording judges more time to resolve contested issues.

  • Series

    Being A Singer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Before law school, I spent seven years trying to make it as a professional singer in Los Angeles, and nearly everything I learned about preparation, humility, confidence and more has followed me into my legal practice, says Jessica Caterina at Moses & Singer.

  • Opinion

    Justices' Parole Ruling Degrades Green Card Holders' Rights

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Blanche v. Lau, holding that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can parole a returning lawful permanent resident without clear and convincing evidence of a crime, weakens the statutory and practical protections Congress intended, say attorneys at Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners.

  • RETRACTED: Updated Fraud Sentencing Guidelines Add New Defense Tools

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    Editor's note: This guest article has been removed to address author updates.

  • How Justices Stayed Off The Geofence In Location Data Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Chatrie v. United States decision reaffirms Fourth Amendment protections for location data but avoids more complicated questions about geofence warrants, say attorneys at Adams Duerk.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Post-Award Noncompliance

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    Grainful Holdings v. Mineev, a recent Commercial Court decision that resulted in a sentence for contempt following post-award enforcement proceedings, illustrates the point at which proceedings, having moved beyond recognition of an arbitral obligation, engage the court's own coercive jurisdiction, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • Series

    Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

  • Reel Justice: 'Obsession' And The Importance Of Precision

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    In “Obsession,” the main character’s failure to define the limits of his wish results in an unexpectedly horrifying outcome, highlighting for attorneys why careful word choice is essential not only in briefs, but also in charging decisions, statutory interpretation and all stages of criminal litigation, says Veronica Finkelstein at Widener-Delaware Law.

  • A 3-Part Blueprint For Sentencing Variance Arguments

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    Tom Goldstein’s upcoming sentencing provides a useful lens for defense practitioners seeking a variance from the guidelines range, serving as a reminder to distinguish those requests from guidelines challenges and build an evidence-based case well before the hearing, says Joseph De Gregorio of Sentencing Advocacy Group.

  • Laptop Farms Highlight Identity Fraud Risks Of Remote Work

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    Two U.S. nationals' recent sentencing in Massachusetts federal court for a scheme that enabled foreign operatives to obtain remote jobs at U.S. companies using stolen identities is a reminder that employers must recalibrate their remote hiring, onboarding and monitoring practices to mitigate evolving cybersecurity and geopolitical risks, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Series

    Bass Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Landing a trophy striped bass and closing a big deal both require cultivating the patience to finesse — not force — your way to desired outcomes, changing course when your old approach isn’t working and learning from the ones that got away, says Jon Ruiss at Alston & Bird.

  • Roundup

    The Most Talked-About Supreme Court Decisions Of 2026

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    This term, 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions quickly became hot topics among Law360's guest writers.

  • Fighting The Evidentiary Risks Of Deepfakes In Court

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    Though courts and federal rules are only slowly developing frameworks for assessing digital evidence that could have been created or generated by artificial intelligence, litigators should understand what steps they'll likely need to take to successfully challenge potentially deepfaked exhibits — and fight questions about the authenticity of their own, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Justices Stand On Statutory Specifics In Cisco And Landor

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    With its June 23 decisions in Cisco Systems Inc. v. Doe and Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, the U.S. Supreme Court doubled down on the critical point that the statute invoked in a federal claim must authorize a private lawsuit and the remedy sought, says Patrick Judd at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Justices' Concurrences Foretell Fault Line On Appeal Waivers

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled 8-1 in Hunter v. U.S. that appeal waivers that produce a miscarriage of justice are unenforceable, but the decision's concurrences indicate future divisions over whether this exception will be used as a rare safety valve or to police ordinary but troubling plea errors, say attorneys at RJO.

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