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Criminal Practice
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August 27, 2025
Church Leaders Charged In Forced Labor, Laundering Scheme
Two self-proclaimed religious leaders forced people to work in call centers to raise millions of dollars that the pair spent on jet skis and other luxuries in a money laundering scheme investigated by the IRS, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in Michigan federal court.
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August 27, 2025
DOJ Seeks To Expedite Appeal Over NJ US Atty Role Dispute
The U.S. Department of Justice asked the Third Circuit to expedite its appeal of a Pennsylvania federal judge's ruling disqualifying acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba from overseeing two criminal cases, emphasizing the critical questions about her authority under federal law and the fact that the dispute has delayed multiple pending trials.
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August 27, 2025
DC Circ. Upholds Conviction In Tinted Windows Gun Case
The D.C. Circuit has ruled that evidence from a police stop cannot be suppressed in a criminal trial after police ordered the driver of his car to lower his heavily tinted car windows and discovered a firearm in the passenger seat.
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August 27, 2025
Nonprofit Sues For Docs On Federal Takeover Of DC Policing
A nonprofit group has asked a federal judge to order the U.S. Department of the Interior to quickly process records requests related to President Donald Trump's "unprecedented and chaotic" push to federalize Washington, D.C.'s police force and deploy National Guard troops for a "crime emergency" that he declared.
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August 27, 2025
Jailed Pastor Cites Adams Dismissal In Bid To Beat Charges
A clergyman serving a nine-year sentence for fraud cited his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday in a bid to have his conviction overturned in the wake of the Trump administration's dismissal of the charges against Adams.
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August 27, 2025
Years In Solitary Isn't Criminal Punishment, Mich. Court Says
An inmate who spent more than three years in solitary confinement after stabbing a corrections officer in the head could still receive an additional sentence for the attack since his years of isolation were not a criminal punishment, but a civil one, a Michigan state appeals court has found.
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August 27, 2025
Eastern District Of Pa.'s Former Chief Judge To Retire In Sept.
U.S. District Judge Mitchell Goldberg of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who was chief judge until earlier this month, will retire on Sept. 19, according to an update from the federal judiciary posted on Wednesday.
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August 26, 2025
Gun Group Argues For Members' Ability To Buy Nationwide
A gun rights group challenging a federal law that bars handgun purchases by buyers outside their state of residence has asked a Texas federal judge to find that an injunction, if granted, should apply to all of the advocacy group's members and not just named plaintiffs.
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August 26, 2025
Calif. High Court Says Gang Law Applies To Past Convictions
A divided California Supreme Court has ruled that a state law redefining criminal enhancements for people accused of gang activity must be applied retroactively to prior convictions to determine whether they still count under the state's three-strikes law.
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August 26, 2025
DOJ Can't Throw Out Kidnapping Charges, DC Circ. Says
The D.C. Circuit has ruled federal prosecutors used an improper mechanism when trying to toss portions of a kidnapping conviction for a man as part of a bid to retrofit his plea deal.
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August 26, 2025
Mass. Justices Overturn Firearm Convictions Over Trial Error
Massachusetts' highest court ruled Tuesday that a man convicted of carrying a loaded firearm without a license and removing the gun's serial number must get a new trial on the possession charges, finding him not guilty of defacing the weapons due to insufficient instructions provided to the jury.
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August 26, 2025
Fla. Jury Hears Money Trail In Law Professor's Murder Trial
Multiple witnesses were called to the stand in Florida state court Tuesday in the trial of a woman accused of masterminding a conspiracy involving hiring hitmen to murder a law professor amid a custody dispute over her grandchildren, telling jurors about financial transactions that occurred before and after the killing.
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August 26, 2025
Ga. Disbars Atty After Arrest In Inmate Drug Smuggling Case
The Georgia Supreme Court has disbarred an Alabama attorney who was arrested in the Peach State for allegedly smuggling drugs and other banned items to inmates under the guise of an attorney visit, a move that comes after he was disbarred over the arrest in his home state.
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August 26, 2025
No Immunity For Wis. Judge Charged With ICE Interference
A Wisconsin federal judge on Tuesday rejected a motion to dismiss from a state judge accused of helping an unauthorized immigrant escape arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, turning down her argument that she is protected by judicial immunity.
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August 26, 2025
Conn. Justices Say Witness With Memory Loss Was 'Available'
The Connecticut Supreme Court has upheld a man's murder conviction while declining to adopt a rule that would deem a witness "unavailable" for cross-examination if medical issues compromised their memory, finding the defendant's constitutional right to confrontation was not violated since the witness was cross-examined.
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August 25, 2025
LA Atty Used Client Trust Acct. To Hide $2.1M Bribe, Jury Told
A California divorce attorney accepted a $2.1 million bribe from a Swiss oil company related to his work in Nigeria and laundered the money through his U.S. client trust account, a prosecutor told a federal jury in Los Angeles on Monday during opening statements in the attorney's criminal trial.
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August 25, 2025
Trump Plans To Withdraw Federal Funding Over Cashless Bail
President Donald Trump said Monday that he would suspend or terminate federal funds provided to any jurisdictions that have adopted cashless bail policies, calling the reforms a "failed experiment" that allow repeat criminals to "mock our justice system."
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August 25, 2025
Trump Expands Use Of National Guard Post-DC Deployment
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday directing federal officials to create new "specialized" units to enforce federal laws in D.C. and other cities nationwide, including a "quick reaction force" within the D.C. National Guard, as well as hire more prosecutors and take other measures, following his recent deployment of the National Guard in the district.
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August 25, 2025
Prosecutors Push For DNA Evidence In Gilgo Beach Case
Prosecutors have asked a New York court to embrace technological advancement and admit the only physical evidence linking accused serial killer Rex Heuermann to the murders of women on Long Island, arguing that a newer form of DNA testing, whole genome sequencing, is jury-ready.
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August 25, 2025
Supervised Release Violators Can Be Jailed, 2nd Circ. Says
The Second Circuit on Monday ruled that federal judges have the authority to detain criminal defendants who are awaiting a hearing to determine whether they violated the terms of their supervised release.
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August 25, 2025
Ill. Panel Says Phone Search Went Too Far In Shooting Case
An Illinois appeals court has ruled police improperly uncovered evidence of a shooting while searching the phone of a man accused of another unrelated crime, determining this evidence should have been suppressed at his trial.
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August 25, 2025
Battle Over NJ US Atty Appointment Lands In 3rd Circ.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday it will appeal a Pennsylvania federal judge's ruling that interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba is not lawfully serving as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor.
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August 22, 2025
Coder Gets 4 Years For 'Kill Switch' On Ex-Employer's System
A Texas-based software developer has been sentenced in Ohio federal court to four years in prison after an unsuccessful attempt at getting a new trial following his conviction for deploying a "kill switch" on his former employer's network.
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August 22, 2025
Conn. Panel Orders New Abuse Trial Over Ineffective Counsel
A Connecticut appellate panel vacated sexual assault convictions against a man accused of abusing his former girlfriend's children and granted him a new trial after finding his counsel failed to raise a statute of limitations defense, according to an opinion released Friday.
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August 22, 2025
Habba Ruling Could Put Tighter Limits On 'Acting' Officials
A Pennsylvania federal judge's ruling disqualifying Alina Habba from acting as the U.S. attorney for New Jersey has the potential to end a long-standing means of filling government posts without going through the U.S. Senate.
Expert Analysis
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How To Successfully Challenge Jurors For Cause In 5 Steps
To effectively challenge a potential juror for cause, attorneys should follow a multistep framework rather than skipping straight to the final qualification question, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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Series
Hiking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
On the trail, I have thought often about the parallels between hiking and high-stakes patent litigation, and why strategizing, preparation, perseverance and joy are important skills for success in both endeavors, says Barbara Fiacco at Foley Hoag.
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DC Circ. Ruling Augurs More Scrutiny Of Blanket Gag Orders
The D.C. Circuit’s recent ruling in In re: Sealed Case, finding that an omnibus nondisclosure order was too sweeping, should serve as a wake-up call to prosecutors and provide a road map for private parties to push back on overbroad secrecy demands, says Gregory Rosen at Rogers Joseph.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Negotiation Skills
I took one negotiation course in law school, but most of the techniques I rely on today I learned in practice, where I've discovered that the process is less about tricks or tactics, and more about clarity, preparation and communication, says Grant Schrantz at Haug Barron.
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What Justices Left Unsaid About The Federal Tort Claims Act
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Martin v. U.S. rejected the Eleventh Circuit's interpretation of the Federal Tort Claims Act in the case of a botched police raid — but left unresolved many questions about plaintiffs' ability to hold the government accountable for officers' misdeeds, says Scott Brooks at Levy Firestone.
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Opinion
Bar Exam Reform Must Expand Beyond A Single Updated Test
Recently released information about the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ new NextGen Uniform Bar Exam highlights why a single test is not ideal for measuring newly licensed lawyers’ competency, demonstrating the need for collaborative development, implementation and reform processes, says Gregory Bordelon at Suffolk University.
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A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations
As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.
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Strategies For ICE Agent Misconduct Suits In The 11th Circ.
Attorneys have numerous pathways to pursue misconduct claims against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Eleventh Circuit, and they need not wait for the court to correct its misinterpretation of a Federal Tort Claims Act exception, says Lauren Bonds at the National Police Accountability Project.
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DOJ Consumer Branch's End Leaves FDA Litigation Questions
With the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch set to occur by Sept. 30, companies must carefully monitor how responsibility is reallocated for civil and criminal enforcement cases related to products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.
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Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase
As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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Series
Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.
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Supreme Court's Criminal Law Decisions: The Term In Review
Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s criminal law decisions in its recently concluded term proved underwhelming by many measures, their opinions revealed trends in how the justices approach criminal cases and offered reminders for practitioners, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.
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Opinion
The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable
As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.
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'Pig Butchering' Seizure Is A Milestone In Crypto Crime Fight
The U.S.' recent seizure of $225 million in crypto funds in a massive "pig butchering" scheme highlights the transformative impact of blockchain analysis in law enforcement, and the increasing necessity of collaboration between law enforcement agencies, cryptocurrency exchanges and stablecoin issuers, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions
In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.