Criminal Practice

  • November 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Orders New Look At Trump's Hush Money Case

    In a published opinion, the Second Circuit on Thursday ordered a federal district judge to take a fresh look at President Donald Trump's attempt to move his New York hush money conviction to federal court, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 presidential immunity ruling as grounds for reconsidering the case.

  • November 05, 2025

    Crypto Thief Or 'Scapegoat'? Jury To Decide Ex-CFO's Fate

    Prosecutors urged a Washington federal jury Wednesday to convict a software startup's ex-executive for pumping $35 million from company coffers into his fledgling cryptocurrency project, while defense counsel accused the government of pursuing a baseless case because the company needed someone to "scapegoat" for an investment loss.

  • November 05, 2025

    Mich. Justices Hint At 2nd Chance For Female Inmates' Suit

    The Michigan Supreme Court seemed sympathetic to female inmates of Detroit's county jail who want to refile a class action alleging pervasive harassment during strip searches, though a named plaintiff's death put a wrinkle in Wednesday's arguments. 

  • November 05, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs LA In Shop Destroyed In Police Raid

    Los Angeles won't foot the bill for a retail store damaged by police who fired tear gas into the shop during a standoff with an armed fugitive, the Ninth Circuit ruled in a published opinion, saying "just compensation" isn't necessary because the assault was done to protect the public.

  • November 05, 2025

    11th Circ. Affirms Convictions For Super Bowl 'Pimp'

    An Eleventh Circuit panel on Wednesday shot down an attempt by a "self-described pimp" to get out of four convictions for sex-trafficking convictions related to transporting two victims from Atlanta to Miami to perform sex work ahead of the 2020 Super Bowl.

  • November 05, 2025

    11th Circ. Says Not Feds' Fault If $345M Crypto Key Was Lost

    The Eleventh Circuit has ruled that a man convicted of identity theft cannot sue the government for $345 million he claims he lost because federal investigators wiped a hard drive containing access codes to several thousand bitcoins, noting the man didn't tell investigators about the cryptocurrency.

  • November 05, 2025

    Texas Voters Ban Bail For Some Accused Of Serious Felonies

    Texas voters have approved a constitutional amendment requiring judges to deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent crimes if they are shown to be a threat or flight risk during a pretrial hearing.

  • November 05, 2025

    Investigator Immunity Limited In Death Row Exoneree Suit

    An exonerated Florida death row inmate who accused a fingerprint examiner and investigators of causing his wrongful double-murder convictions can continue his case against them, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled, affirming qualified immunity does not shield them from certain allegations.

  • November 05, 2025

    Mich. Justices Ask If Shove Provoked Woman's Fatal Stabbing

    Michigan Supreme Court justices on Wednesday questioned whether a shove and heated confrontation were sufficient provocation for jurors mulling a fatal stabbing to receive an instruction defining crimes done out of a heat of passion in the trial that led to a man being convicted of murder.

  • November 05, 2025

    Atty Is Still Making Cyberstalking Posts, Feds Say

    Federal prosecutors on Wednesday asked a Texas federal court to order an attorney who has been charged with cyberstalking detained until trial, saying she continues to make incriminating blog posts in violation of the terms of her pretrial release.

  • November 05, 2025

    NJ Panel Unsure Businessman's Threats Broke Law

    A New Jersey appellate panel on Wednesday appeared skeptical that the sprawling racketeering indictment against Garden State businessman George E. Norcross was improperly dismissed, asking the state in its bid to revive the case how the power broker's alleged threats outlined in its 111-page indictment were unlawful.

  • November 05, 2025

    Mass. Justices Consider Raises To Address Counsel Shortage

    Justices on Massachusetts' highest court grappled at a hearing Wednesday with its ability to address an ongoing shortage of attorneys willing to represent indigent defendants, after lawyers in two of the state's busiest counties stopped taking cases in May in protest over the low pay compared with other states.

  • November 05, 2025

    Judge Slams DOJ's 'Indict First' Strategy In Comey Case

    Federal prosecutors were given just over 24 hours to hand over all of the grand jury materials and anything seized under years-old warrants in the James Comey case when a Virginia federal judge said Wednesday that the government appeared to be pursuing an "indict first, investigate last" strategy.

  • November 04, 2025

    Philly DA Krasner Defeats Judge Challenger To Win 3rd Term

    Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner fended off former Municipal Court Judge Patrick Dugan Tuesday in his bid for a third term as the city's top prosecutor.

  • November 04, 2025

    Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Defeats 2 To Win Reelection

    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sailed to reelection Tuesday, defeating a Republican former public defender and an independent former prosecutor who had both accused him of being soft on crime.

  • November 04, 2025

    Ex-Fla. GOP Chair Says Police Unlawfully Searched His Phone

    The former chairman of Florida's Republican Party sued a pair of police detectives for alleged violations of his constitutional rights, claiming he was forced to resign after they searched his cell phone and included private communications in reports that were leaked to the public.

  • November 04, 2025

    DC Circ. Affirms Gun Conviction Despite Anxious Juror Note

    A D.C. Circuit panel affirmed a man's nearly five-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a gun, finding on Tuesday that although a juror told the court after the verdict that her anxiety may have deprived the defendant of justice, this couldn't be considered.

  • November 04, 2025

    2nd Circ. Revives Habeas Petition Over Counsel's Mistake

    A divided Second Circuit panel ruled Tuesday that because a convicted sex trafficker's counsel during his first criminal appeal made an admittedly "inexcusable" mistake, the convict should be granted a second chance via a habeas petition to challenge his sentence.

  • November 04, 2025

    Passenger Blameless For Car Contraband To Be Resentenced

    A Connecticut state appeals court said Tuesday that a man convicted of drug offenses who had his probation revoked and was sentenced to eight years in prison after a 2022 police altercation should be resentenced since the drugs and weapon inside a vehicle he was in weren't clearly his.

  • November 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Leery Of Tossing Search After Driver Had Gun

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed skeptical of an argument that a Mississippi police officer lacked probable cause to search a disabled passenger during a traffic stop after he found a gun on the car's driver, saying Tuesday the court must consider the totality of circumstances.

  • November 04, 2025

    DOJ Ignores Court Discovery Order In Letitia James Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice has refused to provide New York Attorney General Letitia James access to documents related to her October indictment on mortgage fraud charges, arguing Tuesday that a Virginia federal judge was too early in making the discovery order.

  • November 04, 2025

    2 Facing Charges In Harvard Medical School Explosion

    Two college-age men from southeastern Massachusetts were arrested Tuesday on charges that they used a commercial-grade firework to set off an explosion inside a Harvard Medical School lab early Saturday morning, the U.S. attorney's office announced.

  • November 04, 2025

    Ex-Conn. Official Gets Sentencing Delayed Pending 2nd Trial

    A Connecticut federal judge on Tuesday indefinitely delayed sentencing for Konstantinos "Kosta" Diamantis, a former Connecticut budget official convicted of soliciting and accepting bribes connected to school construction projects, after defense counsel requested a pause until a second trial on unrelated corruption charges concludes.

  • November 04, 2025

    Ga. Justices Uphold Ex-Atty's Matricide Conviction

    The Supreme Court of Georgia on Tuesday upheld the murder conviction of a disbarred Peach State attorney who was found guilty of killing his mother on the day he was due to report to prison for stealing clients' money, ruling that "ample" circumstantial evidence tied him to the scene of the crime.

  • November 04, 2025

    2nd Circ. Hints Bankman-Fried's $11B Forfeiture Is Overkill

    The Second Circuit suggested Tuesday that the government's $11 billion forfeiture order against Sam Bankman-Fried may be unconstitutionally large, noting that the staggering amount tops the raft of cases tasking the court with determining if such money judgments pass Eighth Amendment muster.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From DOJ Fraud Section's 2024 Year In Review

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Paul Weiss highlight notable developments in the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section’s recently released annual report, and discuss what the second Trump administration could mean for enforcement in the year to come.

  • FCA Enforcement Would Make Trump's Tariffs More Effective

    Author Photo

    In implementing its trade policies, the Trump administration is likely to employ the False Claims Act, a powerful enforcement tool that would give tariffs and customs duties teeth, help raise promised revenue and prevent evaders from gaining a competitive advantage, says Sam Buffone at Buffone Law.

  • End-Of-Year FCPA Enforcement Surge Holds Clues For 2025

    Author Photo

    The last three months of 2024 saw more Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions than any quarter in the previous four years, providing lessons for companies — even as a new administration raises doubts about whether this momentum will continue, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Public Corruption Enforcement In 2024 Has Clues For 2025

    Author Photo

    If 2024 activity is any indication, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely continue to rein in expansive prosecutorial theories of fraud in the year to come, but it’s harder to predict what the new administration will mean for public corruption prosecutions in 2025, says Cathy Fleming at Offit Kurman.

  • Examining DOJ Corporate Whistleblower Pilot's First 100 Days

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. Department of Justice’s corporate whistleblower awards pilot program has successfully elicited numerous tips since its August launch, stakeholder feedback leaves questions about how the scheme compares to other whistleblower awards and protections — and how it will fare in the incoming Trump administration, say attorneys at Joseph Greenwald.

  • A Deep Dive Into DOJ's Proposed FARA Shake-Up

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently published and long-awaited proposed amendments to the Foreign Agents Registration Act's implementing regulations, if adopted, would mark dramatic changes to the commercial exemption and new requirements for labeling informational materials, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • What To Expect In Higher Ed Enforcement Under Trump

    Author Photo

    Colleges and universities should prepare for shifting priorities, as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to focus less on antitrust cases and more on foreign relations policy, while congressional oversight of higher education continues to increase, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

    Author Photo

    In 2024's final quarter, the New York State Department of Financial Services published guidance on mitigating the rising cybersecurity risks of artificial intelligence and remote technology workers with North Korean ties, and the state attorney general launched an antitrust investigation into Capital One's proposed Discover merger, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • What FARA Enforcement In 2024 Reveals For The Year Ahead

    Author Photo

    A number of developments, from indictments to legislation, shaped the Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement landscape last year, and following the U.S. Department of Justice's recently released long-awaited proposed amendments to the law, 2025 shows no signs of slowing down, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

    Author Photo

    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How White Collar Enforcement May Shift In Trump's 2nd Term

    Author Photo

    After President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month, the administration’s emphasis on immigration laws, drug offenses and violent crime will likely reduce the focus on white collar crime overall, but certain areas within the white collar world may see increased activity, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.

  • Data Privacy Landscape After Mass. Justices' Wiretap Ruling

    Author Photo

    In Vita v. New England Baptist Hospital, Massachusetts’ highest court recently ruled that the state’s wiretap law doesn’t prohibit all tracking of website user activity, but major financial and reputational risks remain for businesses that aren't transparent about customer’s web data, says Seth Berman at Nutter.

  • Expect Continuity In 2025 Anti-Money Laundering Policy

    Author Photo

    The past year has seen a range of anti-money laundering actions from federal financial regulators, and notwithstanding the imminent change from the Biden administration to the Trump administration, continuity may be more prevalent than change in the AML compliance space in 2025, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • 5 Notable Anti-Money Laundering Actions From 2024

    Author Photo

    Regulators' renewed interest in anti-money laundering programs in 2024 led to numerous enforcement actions and individual prosecutions in industries like banking, cryptocurrency and gaming, including the blockbuster TD Bank settlement and investigations of casinos in Nevada, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

    Author Photo

    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Criminal Practice archive.