Criminal Practice

  • November 18, 2025

    Karen Read Says Police, Witnesses Framed Her For Murder

    Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman acquitted of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, sued witnesses from her trial, claiming she was framed for the crime and that local law enforcement allowed the scheme by "intentionally sidestepping fundamental investigatory procedures."

  • November 18, 2025

    Pa. Panel Says Burnt Weed Smell Justified Search

    The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Tuesday refused to suppress evidence in a drug possession case, ruling that the odor of burnt marijuana creates probable cause for police officers to detain someone and search for drugs.

  • November 18, 2025

    Over-Detentions Are Jail's 'Worst-Kept Secret,' Judge Told

    An attorney for people who allege they were unlawfully kept at a county jail for days after a court ordered their release told a Michigan federal judge Tuesday not to dismiss their due process claims, saying that release delays were the "worst-kept secret."

  • November 18, 2025

    Feds Say Hi-Tech 'Trampled' Trust At Close Of Fraud Trial

    Federal prosecutors closed out a nearly monthlong fraud trial against Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals and its longtime CEO by telling a Georgia jury Tuesday that they "proudly" stood by what defense attorneys for the supplement manufacturer and distributor previously derided as a "paper case."

  • November 18, 2025

    Crypto Co. Founder Charged In $10M Laundering Scheme

    A cryptocurrency exchange business founder was indicted for his alleged role in a $10 million money laundering conspiracy involving ATMs that converted U.S. dollars to virtual currency, often enabling illegal activities.

  • November 18, 2025

    Court Says Keeping Tribe's Suit Alive Respects Federal Law

    An Oklahoma city can't dodge a jurisdictional challenge by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a federal judge determined Tuesday, saying, "The boundary between state authority and tribal sovereignty in Indian Country was marked long before the dispute arose, and nothing in the record suggests Congress has moved it."

  • November 18, 2025

    Pa. Justice Spots 'Slippery Slope' In Trafficking Coverage Row

    Justices on Pennsylvania's Supreme Court seemed wary Tuesday of creating a "slippery slope" where alleged violations of criminal law could be used by insurers to deny coverage under a "public policy exception," scrutinizing a suit in which insurers wanted out of defending a Philadelphia hotel accused of ignoring sex trafficking.

  • November 18, 2025

    Ill. Panel Says Court Misapplied Drug Charge Immunity Law

    An Illinois appeals court revived a man's methamphetamine possession charges, ruling that he is not protected from prosecution by state drug harm reduction laws.

  • November 18, 2025

    Denver DA John Walsh On A Changing City, Country

    John Walsh started his job as Denver's district attorney this year, but he has been an established law enforcement leader in Colorado for a long time. In fact, he was Colorado's longest-serving U.S. attorney.

  • November 18, 2025

    Juror Discharge Prompts New Trial In NY Murder Attempt Case

    A New York state appeals court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for a man sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2022 for attempted murder and other crimes in New York City, finding that the discharge of a juror for allegedly not speaking enough English wasn't supported by the record.

  • November 18, 2025

    Judge Details Reasons For Goldstein's Pretrial Motion Losses

    A Maryland federal judge explained in further detail Tuesday her decision against SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein on several motions seeking to trim his tax evasion case as it heads to trial next year.

  • November 18, 2025

    NY AG James Blasts 'Outrageous Conduct' Behind Indictment

    New York Attorney General Letitia A. James has told a Virginia federal court to dismiss the U.S. government's indictment of her, calling it "patently unconstitutional" and "outrageous conduct."

  • November 18, 2025

    Disbarred NC Atty Must Pay $5.2M For Escrow Fund Misuse

    A disbarred attorney was ordered to pay $5.2 million in restitution and serve four years of probation during a Tuesday sentencing hearing in North Carolina federal court, after he pled guilty to a criminal wire fraud charge related to the misuse of escrow funds.

  • November 18, 2025

    4th Circ. Upholds More Than 15-Year Sentence In Meth Case

    The Fourth Circuit affirmed a more than 15-year prison sentence for a man who pled guilty in West Virginia federal court to possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, rejecting his argument that he shouldn't have received sentencing enhancements due to late filings by the government.

  • November 18, 2025

    Mich. Panel Tosses Burglary Conviction Over False Testimony

    A Michigan appellate court has thrown out a man's conviction for a 2016 burglary, finding his trial was undermined by a key witness's false testimony about a cooperation deal.

  • November 17, 2025

    Mich. In Uncharted Waters With Crash Case Citizen's Warrant

    The parents of a teen who died as the passenger in a one-car crash have dusted off a little-used Michigan statute to initiate manslaughter charges against the driver's mother after the county prosecutor declined to charge her, pitting victims' desires against prosecutorial power.

  • November 17, 2025

    Jailing People For Unpaid Garbage Fees Illegal, 11th Circ. Told

    A group of Alabama residents urged the Eleventh Circuit on Monday to revive their proposed class action alleging a city wrongfully jailed people for unpaid garbage collection fees, saying the complaint was improperly tossed. 

  • November 17, 2025

    Wis. Judge And Feds Clash Over ICE Arrest Trial Rules

    Federal prosecutors and a Wisconsin state judge are trading barbs over their respective motions ahead of an anticipated December trial over criminal charges alleging the judge attempted to hinder a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest this spring.

  • November 17, 2025

    Mich. Panel Dings Prosecutors' 'Right To Be Believed' Claim

    A Michigan appeals court has declined to reverse the conviction of a father accused of sexually abusing his daughter, holding that while prosecutors made a mistake by telling jurors victims have an established "right to be believed," they did not commit an error that requires a retrial.

  • November 17, 2025

    Mich. Justice Questions Drug Dog Use After Pot Odor Ruling

    A Michigan Supreme Court justice said a case the top court declined to review Friday highlights the tension between the use of drug-sniffing dogs in traffic stops and the justices' recent ruling that the smell of marijuana alone is not sufficient probable cause to search a vehicle.

  • November 17, 2025

    Feds Back IRS Agent Testimony In Goldstein Tax Case

    An Internal Revenue Service agent must be allowed to testify in Tom Goldstein's tax evasion case, the U.S. government said, arguing that the agent's testimony is relevant to proving willfulness in the tax crimes the U.S. Supreme Court attorney and SCOTUSblog publisher was charged with.

  • November 17, 2025

    Judge Orders Grand Jury Docs Released In Comey Case

    A Virginia federal magistrate judge Monday ordered the disclosure of all grand jury materials related to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, saying government misconduct may have tainted the grand jury proceedings.

  • November 17, 2025

    Justices Decline To Review Jail Construction Injunction

    The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case about whether federal courts can force New Orleans to build a controversial new jail facility for inmates with mental health needs, the last development in a yearslong legal saga centering on the stalled project.

  • November 17, 2025

    New DNA Analysis Enough For Murder Case, Calif. Panel Says

    A California man can be charged with murder decades after the crime, as DNA evidence analyzed using new techniques has linked him to the San Diego killing, a state appeals court said, reversing a trial court's dismissal of the case.

  • November 17, 2025

    Justices Decline To Take Up Another Warrantless Entry Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case exploring the limits of the "protective sweep doctrine," which allows law enforcement officers to conduct limited warrantless searches of homes they have lawfully entered. 

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    FCPA Shift Is A Good Start, But There's More DOJ Should Do

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines bring a needed course correction amid overexpansive enforcement, but there’s more the DOJ can do to provide additional clarity and predictability for global companies, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • CARES Act Fraud Enforcement Is Unlikely To Slow Down

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    In the five years since the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the federal government has devoted massive resources to investigating CARES Act fraud — and all signs suggest the U.S. Department of Justice will continue vigorous enforcement in this area, say attorneys at Kostelanetz.

  • 2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

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    The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • 3 Juror Psychology Principles For Expert Witness Testimony

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    Expert witnesses can sometimes fall into traps when trying to teach juries complex topics by failing to consider the psychology of juror comprehension, but attorneys can help witnesses avoid these pitfalls with a deeper understanding of cognitive lag, chunking and learning styles, says Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

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