#legal-system
#legal-system

Shady Shadow Docket Strikes Again - See Also

The Supreme Court's shadow docket is a concern for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. [ more ]

The Atlantic

The Supreme Court Is Shaming Itself

Trump seeks to delay trial to potentially control DOJ.

Justice system urged to expedite resolution for a speedy trial. [ more ]

Above the Law

The Supreme Court Just Doesn't Agree With This Circuit

Cases from the specific circuit are most likely to be overturned by the Supreme Court.

The Court ruled for the petitioner in 88.89% of cases from this circuit. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

In Death Penalty Cases, a Texas Court Tests the Supreme Court's Patience

Prosecutor confession of error in a capital case in Texas is rare.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals defied Supreme Court's decision in a death penalty case. [ more ]

moresupreme-court

justice-system

www.independent.co.uk

2 days ago

Met Police officer who punched man after mistaking him for suspect avoids jail

A serving Metropolitan Police officer who assaulted an innocent man after mistaking him for a criminal has been spared jail. [ more ]

San Jose Inside

DA Rosen Asks Court to Remove Death Penalty from 15 Murder Convictions

District Attorney Jeff Rosen is seeking to change death sentences to life without parole for 15 inmates.

Rosen halted seeking death penalties 4 years ago, citing ineffectiveness and unfairness of the system post-George Floyd's murder. [ more ]

www.mediaite.com

Fox News Anchor Asks Trump Attorney Alina Habba About Saying I Don't Have Hopes' Trump Will Win At Trial

Trump attorney expresses doubt in the justice system regarding hush money trial. [ more ]

ABC7 San Francisco

Supreme Court takes up Donald Trump's claim of 'absolute immunity' from criminal prosecution

No one, including the president, is above the law, as affirmed by Supreme Court justices. [ more ]

www.mediaite.com

Disrespect For the Jury is Unwise': Legal Commentator Shreds Trump's Courtroom Behavior

Former President Donald Trump's behavior in the courtroom, notably disrespecting potential jurors, has drawn criticism and legal scrutiny. [ more ]

Above the Law

Potential Jurors In The Trump Hush Money Trial Take Note

This case focuses on the rule of law and whether Donald Trump violated it, separate from personal political opinions. [ more ]

www.mediaite.com

Angry Trump Emerges from Court After First Day of Trial: The Judge Isn't Going to Allow Me to Escape This Scam'

Donald Trump faces criminal hush money trial, maintains innocence despite 34 felony counts. Challenges court restrictions on attending son's graduation event. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Gag Order Against Trump Is Expanded to Bar Attacks on Judge's Family

Judge expands gag order on Trump to protect family members of the judge and district attorney.

Gag order amendment highlights concerns with Trump's threatening remarks and attacks on the legal system. [ more ]

moredonald-trump

Irish Independent

Cars

Louth judge dismisses drink driving charge after listening back to audio recording of garda's evidence

The accused faced charges of drink driving and dangerous driving but had the case dismissed due to lack of clarity on the specific time of driving. [ more ]

www.cbc.ca

Canada news

Charge dropped for man accused of waving 'terrorist flag' at Toronto rally | CBC News

A Toronto man's charge for flying a 'terrorist flag' at a pro-Palestinian demonstration was withdrawn due to lack of evidence. [ more ]

www.cbc.ca

Canada news

Nearly 80% of people in Ontario jails awaiting bail or trial, new report finds | CBC News

The crisis in Canada's bail system has worsened over the last decade

Major delays in the bail process due to strain on court system [ more ]

www.dw.com

JavaScript

Ashley Judd, others express dismay at Weinstein retrial DW 04/25/2024

The New York appeals court overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction for a new trial due to serious errors and invalid testimonies, leaving many dismayed and survivors potentially having to testify again. [ more ]

Intelligencer

What It Means That Weinstein's Conviction Was Reversed

Weinstein's conviction overturned based on legal technicality. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

A Timeline of Weinstein's New York Case

The initial decision not to prosecute Harvey Weinstein in 2015 was questioned, leading to later charges based on new evidence and public pressure. [ more ]

www.mediaite.com

JavaScript

I Mean, Come On': Jeffrey Toobin Not Buying CNN Panelist's Jury Nullification' Theory in Trump Trial

Jury nullification unlikely in Trump's New York criminal trial. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Court in Iran Sentences Prominent Rapper to Death, His Lawyer Says

A dissident rapper, Toomaj Salehi, has been sentenced to death in Iran for releasing music supporting antigovernment demonstrations, prompting global condemnation. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Fairness, a Trump obsession, Is Central to Jury Selection for His Criminal Trial

Donald J. Trump often views the world in terms of fairness, believing he is treated unfairly by news outlets, political rivals, and prosecutors. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Live Updates: Trump Trial Poised to Begin, a Criminal Case Without Precedent

New Yorkers report for jury duty in Manhattan for trial of former U.S. president amidst intense vetting and questioning processes. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Judge in Trump Criminal Case Braces for Glare of Unprecedented Trial

Justice Merchan prepares to preside over Donald J. Trump's trial, facing challenges from the former president's attacks on the legal system.

The upcoming trial marks the first prosecution of a former U.S. president, promising unprecedented levels of contention and scrutiny. [ more ]

Aol

Bronx judge who let migrant squatters go free with no bail released suspects who beat up cop

Bronx judge released suspects against prosecutors' wishes

Repeated controversial decisions by Judge Eugene Bowen [ more ]

New York Post

Six of NYC migrant squatter crew set loose without bail after gun and drug bust as neighbors detail chaos on Bronx block

Gun-toting, drug-dealing migrant squatters in Bronx released without bail, causing distress to the neighborhood.

Multiple individuals involved in criminal activities were allowed supervised release or released on recognizance despite serious charges and weapons found. [ more ]

moreNew York City

Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Federal Court Declares North Carolina Racist Voting Law Unconstitutional

A federal court in North Carolina ruled a racist voter prosecution law as unconstitutional, preventing felony charges for unknowingly voting with prior felony convictions. [ more ]

Above the Law

Who Needs Sociology When Atlanta Prosecutors Can Just Make Up Causes Of Crime?

Crime causes are multifaceted, including preventable factors like poverty and lead exposure. [ more ]

Above the Law

Lawyer Screw Up Leads To Couple's Divorce. Judge Refuses To Fix It.

A mistaken divorce granted in 21 minutes due to online portal error raises concerns about legal repercussions and finality of decisions. [ more ]

Above the Law

Case Tossed When Lawyer Can't Find Any Parking Near The Courthouse

Attorney's failure to find parking led to a case being dismissed due to tardiness. [ more ]

Boston.com

Manhattan court must find a dozen jurors to hear first-ever criminal case against a former president

Picking a jury for a case involving a well-known figure like former President Trump presents unique challenges. [ more ]

www.npr.org

How lawyers with high-profile clients approach jury selection

The selection process for a high-profile jury trial involves vetting potential jurors based on biases and affiliations. [ more ]

Poynter

Left-wing politics

Trump says business records case about hush money is a 'Biden trial.' It's a Manhattan trial - Poynter

Trump falsely claims Biden behind charges against him. [ more ]

Above the Law

Former Biglaw Partner Ty Cobb Skewers Judge Aileen Cannon In No-Holds-Barred Interview

Cobb criticizes Judge Cannon's handling of the Trump document case.

He believes Judge Cannon's actions show bias and incompetence. [ more ]

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

Europe news

Latest Attack On Pakistani Customs Officials Kills 3

Sending funds to banned groups in Belarus leads to lengthy prison sentences. [ more ]

www.aljazeera.com

Germany news

German far-right politician on trial for alleged use of banned Nazi slogan

Bjorn Hocke of AfD faces three years in prison for using banned Nazi slogan. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

Germany news

Former officer with East Germany's secret police goes on trial for a border killing in 1974

Former Stasi officer on trial for murder of a Polish man at Berlin border crossing.

Prosecutors relied on tip from Stasi archives to identify the shooter after decades. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

Germany news

American man admits rape and murder of woman near German castle

Defendant admitted to charges of murder and rape in Germany near Neuschwanstein Castle.

Murder charges in Germany carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. [ more ]

Above the Law

Morning Docket: 04.12.24

The O.J. Simpson case highlighted the distinction between criminal and civil systems, emphasizing the importance of civic education. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

Judge vacates conviction of man whose identity was stolen in 'Kafkaesque' case

A man's wrongful conviction was vacated after his real identity thief pleaded guilty, showcasing a Kafkaesque situation in the criminal justice system. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

Ohtani says he's cooperating with investigators. Yasiel Puig offers a cautionary tale

Federal investigations can lead witnesses suspected of lying to become targets themselves.

Foreign athletes may face pitfalls in the U.S. legal system due to cultural differences and dependencies on others for various tasks. [ more ]

Mail Online

The Elle Woods effect: Good looking lawyers have more success in court

Good-looking lawyers have a higher chance of winning cases and receiving favorable rulings from judges.

Perceived attractiveness impacts lawyers' success rates regardless of gender or experience level, with slight advantages for attractive female lawyers. [ more ]

Above the Law

Privacy professionals

Access To Court Records Should Be Free For Everyone

Court records in some states are costly to access, unlike others where they are typically free for both lawyers and the public.

Transparency in the legal system is essential, and access to court records should be free to ensure fairness and justice for all parties involved. [ more ]

Above the Law

Morning Docket: 04.10.24

Lawyers are advised to develop firm leadership succession plans.

Legal situations involving federal mass torts and high-profile cases are highlighted among recent news. [ more ]

ABA Journal

Burdened prison staffers seeking more time between executions should 'suck it up,' top criminal court judge says

Judge dismisses requests for more time between executions

Prison officials facing burden asked to maintain execution pace [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Prosecutors put men on death row. This California D.A. wants to take them off

California has practically ended capital punishment despite it being in law, but some inmates remain on death row.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen is preparing to request a change in penalties for 14 inmates due to concerns over racial bias. [ more ]

Sun Sentinel

On Florida's death row, inmates often outlive the judges who condemn them

Delays and appeals often result in inmates outliving the judges who condemned them.

Florida inmates sentenced to death are more likely to have their sentences overturned than be executed. [ more ]

The Nation

"The System Works So Hard to Silence Us Because Our Voices Are Powerful"

The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act provided hope for domestic violence survivors in the legal system.

Michelle Horton wrote Dear Sister to share her sister's story of abuse and the challenges in seeking justice. [ more ]

Brooklyn Eagle

Justice Walker-Diallo breaks barriers and confronts Islamophobia in the legal system

Justice Walker-Diallo faced backlash for taking oath on the Qur'an

She emphasizes the importance of understanding and embracing diversity in the legal system. [ more ]

www.amny.com

4 months ago

Op-Ed | We can do better for the migrants in New York City | amNewYork

The legal system in New York does not efficiently address the needs of undocumented immigrants.

Quick access to work permits and ethical legal counsel is necessary for long-term stability of immigrants. [ more ]

Above the Law

Special Counsel Threatens To Go To 11th Circuit, Reminds Judge Cannon What Happened The Last Time She Tried This Shit

Prosecutors clash with Judge Aileen Cannon over Trump documents case.

Special Counsel mocks court's handling of Presidential Records Act, threatens mandamus.

Issues with proposed jury instructions in the case potentially leading to distorted outcomes. [ more ]

www.mediaite.com

Left-wing politics

Former RNC Chair Michael Steele Calls Trump Visceral Animal' Over Image Depicting Biden Hogtied in Back of Truck

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele criticizes Trump's attacks on judges and promotion of controversial content.

Trump uses loopholes in court orders to continue criticizing Judge Merchan and his family publicly. [ more ]

Above the Law

Good Lawyering Is Less Effective In Busy Courts

Good lawyering may be less effective in busy courts where time and resources are limited.

Courts with extensive caseloads adopt practices that may hinder the impact of good lawyering. [ more ]

www.aljazeera.com

Black Lives Matter

Overwhelmed in joy': Texas court overturns woman's voter fraud conviction

Court overturns Crystal Mason's voter fraud conviction due to lack of awareness about ineligibility.

Advocates see Mason's case as emblematic of voter disenfranchisement efforts targeting people of color. [ more ]

Bitcoin Magazine - Bitcoin News, Articles and Expert Insights

Cryptocurrency

Judge Imposes Worldwide Asset Freeze on Fake Satoshi Craig Wright

UK judge ordered $7.6 million freeze on Craig Wright's assets for false Satoshi Nakamoto claims.

Court ruling debunked Wright's Bitcoin origins, leading to asset freeze and disclosure requirements. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Carer who smothered mother with dementia spared jail over tragic mercy killing'

Caregiver commits mercy killing on mother with dementia, receives suspended sentence.

Judge recognizes defendant's good character and difficult circumstances in sentencing. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Final moments of mother tortured to death as police share how they caught her killers

Shakira Spencer was subjected to extreme abuse and ultimately killed by three individuals

The three perpetrators were sentenced to life in prison, each serving a minimum of 34 years. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Nottingham victim's mother says she was foolish to trust the legal system'

The mother of a student killed in a knife attack in Nottingham feels let down by the legal system after his killer was hospitalized indefinitely rather than jailed.

The Crown Prosecution Service accepted Valdo Calocane's plea to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility after he denied murder. [ more ]

Above the Law

Morning Docket: 03.22.24

Tennessee passes first law protecting musicians from AI

Republican donors top litigation financiers [ more ]

Sacramento Bee

Texas wants to arrest immigrants in the country illegally. Why would that be such a major shift?

Immigration enforcement is under federal jurisdiction, but Texas attempted to allow state law enforcement to arrest migrants crossing the border illegally.

States can create laws that overlap with federal laws, causing confusion and legal challenges. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

Philadelphia Man Is Cleared in Shooting After About a Dozen Years in Prison

Weak evidence led to a man's exoneration in an attempted murder case after spending years in prison.

State conceded ineffective assistance by the original lawyer, leading to the dismissal of all charges against Charles Rice. [ more ]

Streetsblog

San Francisco

Guest Commentary: The Problem with the Prosecution of the Driver Who Killed Ethan Boyes - Streetsblog San Francisco

Driver pleaded guilty to manslaughter and drunk driving

Case raised concerns about the handling of the charges [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

France news

British woman murdered in France dream home' after asking for Sellotape

Life in prison sentence for mentally ill neighbor in France

Attack stemmed from annoyance over Sellotape request [ more ]

Sacramento Bee

Education

Parental notification policies split opinions of California courts, Department of Education

Parental notification policies are being proposed across California to restrict the rights of transgender youth.

Recent court rulings are favoring controversial parental notification policies allowing schools to enforce them. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

EU data protection

What is the Post Office Horizon bill and why is it controversial?

The Post Office (Horizon system) offences bill will quash convictions linked to faulty IT system.

Unprecedented move to overturn convictions without individual appeals. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

EU data protection

Sunak's Rwanda bill is step towards totalitarianism, top lawyer in the Lords warns

Lawyer warns Sunak's Rwanda bill is a step toward totalitarianism

Lord Carlile warns of attack on integrity of legal system due to internal political quarrelling [ more ]

Sacramento Bee

California

Dad warns he's 'more committed' to killing judge than being a present father, feds say

The individual made serious threats against judges, attorneys, and police, causing fear and prompting legal actions.

The individual was indicted on charges of making threats via interstate and foreign communication, highlighting the severity of the situation. [ more ]

New York Post

NYC subway cellist attacker arrested again for allegedly stealing pricy baseball cap

Amira Hunter arrested for stealing a baseball cap after subway attack on cellist.

Hunter previously had multiple arrests and was released despite prosecutor's objection. [ more ]

www.hackneygazette.co.uk

Murder appeal hears of 'false' confessions, lying cops & undercover reporters

Prosecutors pursued a brain-damaged man despite evidence of another killer.

Lawyers seek to quash Oliver Campbell's conviction due to withheld evidence. [ more ]

ABA Journal

Lawyer mistakenly filed 'verbatim copy' of opponent's brief, leading to loss for Romantics band member

The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against Romantics band member Mike Skill after his lawyer mistakenly filed the opponent's brief as his own.

The trial judge ordered Skill to pay triple damages of more than $232,300 for the mistake. [ more ]

BKReader

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Subway Cellist Attacker Released Under Supervision

Woman accused of beating cello player with bottle was quickly set free on supervised release.

Prosecutors allege 23-year-old Amira Hunter assaulted 29-year-old Iain Forrest with a metal bottle in the subway station. [ more ]

Independent

Parenting

'It's an endless battle. I've become a male Erin Brockovich,' - father tells of fight to access support for autistic son (6)

Fighting for access to services for a child with additional needs can be a challenging legal process.

Parents advocate tirelessly for their children with additional needs. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

$500 Million Over 6 Years: Cost of N.Y.P.D. Misconduct Settlements

Over $500 million paid in police misconduct settlements by NYC in six years

Median payout doubled to $25,000 from $10,500 in recent years [ more ]

Above the Law

Trump Appeals Dismissal Of RICO Trollsuit Against Hillary Clinton On Grounds Of MEAN JUDGE

The lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton and others for RICO violations was dismissed by a judge due to being outside the statute of limitations and lacking legal basis.

Trump was sanctioned $1 million for what the judge saw as an attempt to use the court to promote grievances rather than seeking redress for legal harm. [ more ]

Above the Law

Fake Diamonds, Real Fees

Patent cases take a long time to resolve.

Learning from unsuccessful patent cases is important. [ more ]

Above the Law

Stop It: Your Harvard Law Degree Does Not Make You A Man Of The People

Jury trials rely on connecting with ordinary citizens.

Desperation to appear relatable can backfire. [ more ]

The Hill

NYC politics

Hochul tells NY businesses not to fear about Trump verdict: 'Nothing to worry about'

Governor Hochul reassures NY business owners after Trump's penalty

Legal system ensures separation of powers in Trump case [ more ]

www.standard.co.uk

London

Serving City of London Police sergeant charged with sexual offences

Sergeant Constandino Simeonidis from Milton Keynes faces charges of sexual touching by penetration and sexual touching.

The officer was arrested in March 2023 and suspended immediately following the arrest. [ more ]

Above the Law

Artificial intelligence

Morning Docket: 01.29.24

Law firms are using AI in their practices, but the results are mostly mundane.

A shortage of prosecutors is causing problems for defendants. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

US politics

At the Defense Table, Trump Uses the Courtroom as a Stage

Former President Donald J. Trump's behavior during his defamation trial and pending civil case showcases his disdain for the legal system and courtroom protocols.

His use of the defense table as a stage provides clues to how he might handle himself in future criminal cases. [ more ]

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