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Everything from proposed legislation to the workings of the criminal court system to celebrity arrests--if it relates to criminal law and criminal defense, we're talking about it.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'criminal defense law'
Rapper Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession
Rapper Lil Wayne – real name Dwayne Carter – recently pleaded guilty to attempted gun possession in front of Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of criminal possession of a weapon because he claims...
Mayor Charged with Bribery, Could Be Removed from Office
In Birmingham, Ala., Mayor Larry Langford was recently accused of allegedly taking bribes from investment bankers in exchange for money to excel their businesses, according to a USA Today article. The accusations are pointed toward Langford’s time ...
“Balloon Boy” Case an Elaborate Hoax?
Richard Heene, the father of the boy who was allegedly trapped inside the helium balloon that was in flight for two hours before crash-landing 40 miles from home, is now under investigation for fabricating the entire event, according to a Wall Street...
Bank Robber Confesses, Hands Cash to Priest
An alleged bank robber in California had second thoughts about his misdeed — so he handed over $1,200 to a parish priest after confessing. His remorse must have ended there, as he has not turned himself into police, ABC 7 in San Fransisco reports. ...
Jurors Taint Trial by Performing Outside Tests
A convicted murderer in Ohio is being released from prison pending a new trial after his defense attorneys successfully argued that juror curiosity violated his right to a fair trial, according to WLWT news. Ryan Widmer of Lebanon, Ohio, was serving ...
Senate Passes Hate-Crime Expansion Bill
The Senate has passed a controversial bill that could expand the definition of hate crime. The bill extends hate-crime protection to include crime committed because of the victim’s sexual orientation and gender identity, according to The New Yo...
Teen Gets 30-Day Sentence for Hunting Accident Death
A teen in Washington state who killed a woman in a hunting accident was sentenced to 30 days in a juvenile intentional center, according to NBC affiliate KHQ. Tyler Kales, who was 14 at the time, was bear hunting with his brother on Sauk Mountain nor...
Boston Trolley Operator Charged for Texting Crash
A subway trolley operator in Boston has been charged with gross negligence following a collision in May. Aiden Quinn, 24, admitted to investigators he was texting seconds before the collision, according to CNN. A news release from the office of Distr...
‘Three-Strikes’ Law Counts Juvenile Crime
California’s Supreme Court upheld a provision that allows crimes committed while a minor to affect sentencing under the state’s controversial Three-Strikes law, according to the San Francisco Gate. Under the three-strikes law, any second ...
Criminal Defendants Have Right to Question Lab Results
Criminal defendants can now question the validity of lab results in court, thanks to a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling, the court said that allowing prosecutors to submit forensic evidence without questioning by the defense is ...
Chicago Man Awarded $21 Million for Wrongful Conviction
Juan Johnson, a man who spent 11 and a half years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, was awarded the largest wrongful conviction award in the history of Chicago, according to WLS-TV. Johnson was convicted of fatally beating a man with a t...
Can Sex Offenders be Imprisoned Indefinitely?
The Supreme Court is set to hear a case that could keep sex offenders in prison for longer periods of time — even after they’ve finished their sentence. The issue of federal “civil commitment” allows the government to avoid releas...
RIAA Gets $1.9 Million in File-Sharing Case
Jammie Thomas-Rasset was sentenced by a federal jury to pay the Recording Industry Association of America nearly $2 million for 24 counts of copyright infringement, according to multiple online news outlets. This was the second trial for Thomas-Rasse...
Christian Conservatives Oppose Hate-Crime Bill
A proposed expansion of hate-crime laws currently up for debate on Capitol Hill is drawing fire from an unlikely source ‒ Christian conservatives. Hate crime laws add extra penalties to crimes that target and aim to intimidate victims based on race...
Utah: Victims Cannot Appeal Plea Bargains
Utah’s highest court ruled that crime victims cannot appeal a plea bargain reached in a criminal case, upholding the constitutional rights of defendants throughout the state. According to an article by the Salt Lake Tribune, the state Supreme C...
Texas Governor Can’t Pardon Dead Man
The family of a wrongfully convicted man who died in prison are urging Texas Gov. Rick Perry to issue a pardon, even though Perry says his hands are tied. Timothy Cole was convicted of rape in 1985 and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died in 1999...
Georgia Left-Turn Law Unconstitutional
A Georgia law prohibiting left turns into the far lane of a multi-lane road has been ruled unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court due to poor wording, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The state legislature, in writing the law, wa...
Phil Spector Sentenced for Murder
Famed music producer Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison today, according to Reuters. Spector was found guilty April 13 of second degree murder in the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson. Doron Weinberg, Spector’s criminal ...
Police use Warrantless GPS to Track Criminals
Police have a new tool to track criminals, and privacy advocates and criminal defense attorneys are crying foul. Across the nation, police are attaching GPS devices to suspects’ cars to track their movements and possibly get incriminating evide...
Gang Crime Gets a New Definition in SLC
Police is Salt Lake City have a new tactic to track gang crime that will likely show a boost in gang activity in the city. The new policy broadens the scope of what qualifies as gang-related crime, and is the result of a three-year study on the issue...
High Court Won’t Hear Medical Marijuana Case
The U.S. Supreme Court announce Monday that it will not review the controversial California law that allows for the use of medical marijuana. The decision by the Supreme Court essentially affirms that state court’s ruling that marijuana used fo...
D.C. Sniper Competent to Defend Himself?
Defense lawyers for John Allen Muhammad, the D.C. Sniper, argued on Tuesday that he was incompetent to represent himself for two days of his 2003 trial. The hearing at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could reverse Muhammad’s conviction an...
How Reliable are Forensic and Ballistic Evidence?
Forensic and ballistic evidence have been key to criminal convictions — and police drama — for the past few decades. But a recent report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) could change the way these types of evidence play out in co...
A Clear Example of Embezzlement
Embezzlement is a big word that can get lost in its long-winded defition. Perhaps the best way to illustrate what is considered embezzlement is through an example. And WILX in Lansing, Mich., recently provided one. In Jackson County, Mich., former at...
Public Defense Lawyers Face Overwhelming Work Load
The Minneapolis Star Tribune as a great read on public defenders in Hennepin County. At the core of their story are these sobering facts about the case loads facing the defense attorneys: With about 750 cases a year, they’re handling nearly twi...
Inventor of Taser Stun Gun Dies
You may not know Jack Cover, but you might known his most famous creation. Hopefully, you’ve never experienced it. He was the creator of the Taser Stun Gun. Cover passed away at the age of 88 over the weekend. Cover, a former NASA scientist, be...
Video Shows Police Beating Homeless Man During Arrest
On Feb. 9, a man recorded a video of two police officers in Fresno, Calif. brutally beating a 52-year-old homeless man during an arrest. The arresting officers say that Glen Beaty resisted arrest and has a criminal record that includes resisting arre...
After litigation, Depression-era currency only adds up to a few thousands
According to CNN, Bob Kitts, a contractor, found $182,000 in Depression-era currency in a bathroom wall during a renovation. After the discovery, Kitts and the homeowner, Amanda Reece, couldn’t agree how to split the money. In the end, Reece, w...
SD sex offender law violates constitutional rights
This week the South Dakota State Supreme Court ruled that the sex offender law requiring sex offenders to register with law enforcement agencies and appear on a list was unconstitutional. It violated the guarantee of equal protection and treated ju...
Vermont looking to crack down on sexual offenders
The Vermont State Senate Judiciary Committee is looking to crack down on sexual offenders by mandating a sentencing of at least 25 years in prison. The new law, aggravated sexual assault on a minor under 16, would greatly increase the penalties on s...
