Criminal Practice

  • January 08, 2026

    Ex-Budget Official's Atty Stays On Case At Judge's Urging

    Despite an order allowing him to withdraw over a $65,000 fee dispute, a lawyer for former Connecticut budget official Konstantinos Diamantis late on Thursday agreed to remain on a case after a federal judge urged him to consider seeking payments under the Criminal Justice Act.

  • January 08, 2026

    3rd Circ. Upholds 24-Year Drug, Fraud Sentence

    A Third Circuit panel on Thursday upheld a roughly 24-year prison sentence imposed on a Pennsylvania man convicted of marijuana trafficking and wire fraud, rejecting arguments that the trial judge improperly relied on acquitted conduct, overstated the man's leadership role and imposed an excessive punishment.

  • January 08, 2026

    Former IRS Official Criticizes CEO's Tax Prosecution

    A former IRS deputy commissioner criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for indicting a former software executive who was ultimately convicted of failing to pay employment taxes, calling the choice "entirely unwarranted" in a letter filed in North Carolina federal court.

  • January 08, 2026

    3rd Circ. Rules Hotel Room Searches After Checkout Are Legal

    The Third Circuit on Thursday ruled that hotel guests are not entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy after checking out, rejecting an appeal from a man arrested after hotel staff notified police that they found drugs in his room.

  • January 08, 2026

    Mich. Man Can Seek New Trial In Murder Case, Panel Says

    A Michigan state appellate court has ruled that a lower court erred in rejecting eyewitness statements that a man convicted of murder 25 years ago sought to introduce in his case, finding the evidence was newly discovered and merits review.

  • January 08, 2026

    Chancery Lifts Stay In Ukraine's PrivatBank Bogus Loan Suit

    Saying that "it is now clear this case must proceed at some point," a Delaware vice chancellor on Thursday lifted a four-year-long hold on a Ukrainian bank's six-year-old suit accusing two oligarchs and others of lining up billions in fraudulent loans that funneled — or "recycled" — hundreds of millions into real estate investments in the United States.

  • January 08, 2026

    Mass. Justices Affirm Murder Verdict But Order Shot At Parole

    Massachusetts' highest court said Thursday that a man convicted of murdering his girlfriend could not get a new trial on the basis that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia several years after the killing, but was entitled to a chance at parole because he was under 21 at the time.

  • January 08, 2026

    Fla. Man Avoids Jail For Insider Trades On ADT-Google Deal

    A Florida man avoided a prison sentence Thursday after pleading guilty to insider trading on a Google-ADT deal and was instead sentenced to a term of probation when a judge found "extraordinary" circumstances warranted a lesser sentence. 

  • January 08, 2026

    US Atty In NY Northern District Serving Unlawfully, Judge Says

    A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday held that the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York is unlawfully serving in his position, the latest in a string of rulings disqualifying prosecutors appointed by President Donald Trump.

  • January 08, 2026

    Harvey Weinstein In Plea Talks As 3rd NY Trial Looms

    A lawyer for Harvey Weinstein said Thursday the former Hollywood movie mogul will consider pleading guilty to a third-degree rape charge after a New York judge denied his bid to toss a separate sexual assault conviction.

  • January 07, 2026

    Bulk Of SDNY Attys Are Tasked With Reviewing Epstein Docs

    Over half of the more than 220 assistant U.S. attorneys at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York have been tasked with sifting through documents related to the investigation of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Justice Department disclosure filed in federal court.

  • January 07, 2026

    NJ Panel Says Erlinger Only Applies To Direct Appeal Cases

    A New Jersey state appeals court on Wednesday held that new rules from the U.S. Supreme Court over how a criminal defendant's prior convictions are used when calculating sentences cannot be applied retroactively if the defendant has previously appealed their sentence.

  • January 07, 2026

    Illinois Man Charged In Snapchat Nude Photo Hacking Scheme

    An Illinois man is facing federal charges alleging he used a phishing scheme to access the Snapchat accounts of hundreds of women, stole nude photos and sometimes sold or traded them on the internet, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced Wednesday. 

  • January 07, 2026

    Wash. Appeals Court Overturns Double-Voting Conviction

    A split Washington state appeals court has overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of voting in two states, ruling that because they were different elections with separate issues and candidates, he did not violate a state voting law.

  • January 07, 2026

    Feds Want To Use Goldstein's Comments To NYT At Trial

    Federal prosecutors preparing to try SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein for tax crimes next week are looking to use his comments in a New York Times Magazine article against him, claiming that admissions and details from the article "directly prove" certain charges the government has brought.

  • January 07, 2026

    Joseph McGettigan Remembered As 'Tenacious' Litigator

    Former local, state and federal prosecutor Joseph E. McGettigan III is being remembered a week after his death as a brilliant trial strategist and a fearless advocate for victims of abuse and crime, a reputation built on the high-profile convictions of multimillionaire John du Pont and former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

  • January 07, 2026

    Defense Bar Says 11th Circ.'s Arbery Ruling Risks Overreach

    The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers urged the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday to reconsider its support for the kidnapping convictions of Ahmaud Arbery's murderers, arguing its decision "extends without limit" the federalization of criminal charges based on the mere presence of an automobile.

  • January 07, 2026

    Convicted Oil Trader Agrees To $1.7M Forfeiture For Bribes

    A former Freepoint Commodities LLC and Arcadia Fuels Ltd. oil trader convicted of paying bribes to Brazilian officials has reached a $1.7 million forfeiture agreement with federal prosecutors, who initially asked the Connecticut court for $7.8 million.

  • January 06, 2026

    Ciminelli Walks As 10-Year Buffalo Billion Fraud Case Ends

    The long and contentious corruption case against New York developer Louis Ciminelli and others that led to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on fraud came to a close Tuesday, after he pled guilty and was sentenced to no time in prison.

  • January 06, 2026

    8th Circ. Revives Jail Suicide Suit Against Mental Health Org.

    An Eighth Circuit panel unanimously revived a lawsuit Tuesday by the family of an Iowa jail inmate who died by suicide, holding that a jury could find that a mental health provider's alleged incomplete report to jail staff put the inmate at greater risk.  

  • January 06, 2026

    Georgia Justices Uphold Murder Verdict, Merge Assault Count

    The Georgia Supreme Court has largely upheld the murder conviction of a man found guilty of killing his mother in 2018, finding that his attorney didn't need to assert an insanity defense and that the man cannot also face a separate aggravated assault charge.

  • January 06, 2026

    NJ Justices Reinstate Conviction For Drug Dealer Killing

    The New Jersey Supreme Court reinstated a man's murder conviction Tuesday, finding he was not entitled to a special jury instruction about crimes of passion at his trial over charges that he shot and killed a man who sold drugs to his girlfriend.

  • January 06, 2026

    10th Circ. Denies Immunity For Colo. Search Before Pat-Down

    A Colorado police officer who reached inside a man's pockets before conducting a pat-down search at a Walmart store is not entitled to qualified immunity, the Tenth Circuit ruled Tuesday, finding the officer's actions violated the Fourth Amendment.

  • January 06, 2026

    NC Sheriff Faces Ouster Bid Over Alleged Threats To Lawmaker

    A district attorney in North Carolina has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look into allegations of bribery and extortion against an elected county sheriff accused of trying to influence a state lawmaker's vote on an immigration bill.

  • January 06, 2026

    Feds Seek More Than 21-Year Sentence In Navy Espionage Case

    The federal government has asked a California federal court to sentence a former U.S. Navy member to more than 21 years in prison for sharing classified information about its amphibious assault ships with the Chinese government.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • New Interpol Silver Notice Could Be Tool For Justice Or Abuse

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    Interpol has issued dozens of Silver Notices to trace and recover assets linked to criminal activity since January, and though the tool may disrupt organized crime and terrorist financing, attorneys must protect against the potential for corrupt misuse, say attorneys at Clark Hill and Arktouros.

  • Justices' Resentencing Ruling Fortifies First Step Act Tools

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hewitt v. U.S. ruling clarifies that resentencing after vacatur must reflect the law in effect at the time of the new sentencing, ultimately strengthening the strategic tools available to defense attorneys under the First Step Act, says Benson Varghese at Varghese Summersett.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Unpacking Enforcement Challenges Of DOJ's Bulk Data Rule

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    Now fully effective, the U.S. Department of Justice's new data security program represents the U.S.' first data localization requirement ripe for enforcement, but its implementation faces substantial practical challenges that may hinder the DOJ's ability for wide-ranging or swift action, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    Juries Are Key In Protecting The Rule Of Law

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    Absent from the recent discourse about U.S. rule of law is the crucial role of impartial jurors in protecting the equitable administration of justice, and attorneys and judges should take affirmative steps to reverse the yearslong decline of jury trials at this critical moment, says consultant Clint Townson.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • DOJ Actions Signal Rising Enforcement Risk For Health Cos.

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement of a new False Claims Act working group, together with the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history, underscore the importance of sophisticated compliance programs that align with the DOJ's data-driven approach, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • How To Strengthen A Case By Mastering Expert Witness Prep

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    A well-prepared expert witness can bolster a case's credibility with persuasive qualifications, compelling voir dire responses and concise testimony that can withstand cross-examination, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges

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    In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

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