Criminal Practice

  • July 11, 2025

    DC Circ. Allows Gov't To Undo 9/11 Plea Deals

    A D.C. Circuit panel ruled on Friday that former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acted within the bounds of his legal authority when he yanked back plea deals from a trio of 9/11 co-conspirators that had already been signed.

  • July 11, 2025

    Parents Of Gay Teen File Suit Alleging Death Was No Suicide

    Attorneys for the family of a New Jersey teenager whose 2015 death was deemed a suicide said Friday that they had filed a suit believed to be the first filed under a 34-year-old state constitutional amendment, demanding that New Jersey officials turn over evidence so the family can privately investigate her death as murder.

  • July 11, 2025

    Ohio Panel Orders Resentencing In Firearms Case

    An Ohio appeals panel has upheld the conviction of a Cleveland man convicted of murder and aggravated assault but ordered that he must be resentenced after a state trial court judge incorrectly applied a sentencing enhancement when calculating his prison time.

  • July 11, 2025

    Calif. County Asks Justices To Deny 7th Amendment Review

    A Northern California county is urging the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear a case arguing that the constitutional right to a jury trial should apply in instances of local law enforcement issuing civil penalties for alleged illicit marijuana growing.

  • July 11, 2025

    Bove Faults 'Heavy-Handed' Jan. 6 Cases

    Third Circuit nominee Emil Bove, who is currently serving in the U.S. Department of Justice, in his post-hearing questionnaire obtained by Law360 on Friday, drew what he says is a distinction between condemning violence against law enforcement officers and over-prosecution of Jan. 6 rioters.

  • July 11, 2025

    Widow Asks 4th Circ. For Innocent Spouse Tax Relief

    An 80-year-old widow whose husband went to jail for filing false tax returns asked the Fourth Circuit to overturn a U.S. Tax Court ruling finding her liable for interest payments related to the couple's millions of dollars in tax debt.

  • July 11, 2025

    Claims Stack Up Against Texas Judges Accused Of Tampering

    A Texas judge embroiled in a scandal involving allegations of witness tampering has been suspended without pay following a federal indictment alleging she pressured a subordinate to withhold testimony in a separate proceeding against a local justice of the peace.

  • July 11, 2025

    'Sketchy' Details Of Doc's Death Leave Fraud Case In Limbo

    A Manhattan federal judge said Friday that he would consider dismissing charges against a New York City doctor accused of facilitating a $70 million insurance fraud if his death is confirmed, but cited ongoing questions over his purported demise in a boating accident. 

  • July 10, 2025

    'Tiger King' Loses Retrial Bid Over Alleged Witness Lies

    The Tenth Circuit has rejected Joseph "Tiger King" Maldonado's latest bid for a new trial following the Netflix series star's murder-for-hire conviction and 21-year sentence, saying arguments regarding supposed witness recantations were waived or unclear.

  • July 10, 2025

    Pa. High Court Takes Up Appeal Over Criminal Gun Rights

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of a man who is accused of attempted murder and weapons charges and consider whether the weapons charges are at odds with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen.

  • July 10, 2025

    Ex-Bank CEO Depo Blocked On 5th Amendment Concerns

    A Florida federal judge Thursday blocked the deposition of a former Puerto Rican bank CEO in a suit alleging a $28 million fraud while a related criminal case is pending against him, but suggested the plaintiffs move forward requesting other documents and depositions that would not implicate the CEO's Fifth Amendment right.

  • July 10, 2025

    Pa. Court Says DA Can Refile Murder Charge In Fatal Stabbing

    A split appeals court in Pennsylvania has ruled that the commonwealth may refile charges against a woman for murdering her former girlfriend during an altercation, overturning a state trial court's finding that there was not enough evidence to bring the case.

  • July 09, 2025

    2nd Circ. Axes Conviction Over False Text-To-Vote Memes

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday overturned the conspiracy conviction of a onetime Twitter influencer who worked to convince Democrats in November 2016 they could cast votes for president by text message, saying there was scant proof he coordinated with others.

  • July 09, 2025

    2nd Circ. Backs Convictions For $150M 'Psychic' Fraud

    The Second Circuit upheld Wednesday a Canadian man's 10-year prison sentence and fraud convictions stemming from a decades-long $150 million direct mailing psychic scheme that defrauded elderly victims, ruling there was sufficient evidence he intended to harm his customers who received something different from what was advertised. 

  • July 09, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Upholds Death Sentence In Murder Case

    An Arizona man who authorities say was a white supremacist lost a bid to overturn his death penalty sentence for killing his roommates — one of whom was pregnant — after a split Ninth Circuit panel found Wednesday that his trial attorney's performance did not violate his rights.

  • July 09, 2025

    Woman Claims Unwanted Insanity Defense Prejudiced Jury

    A woman who was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2023 has urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to reverse a lower court's opinion that she is not entitled to relief after the possibility of an insanity defense was introduced into her trial against her wishes.

  • July 09, 2025

    ABA Says Unlawful Discriminatory Jury Selection Breaks Rule

    Lawyers may not knowingly engage in unlawful juror discrimination under the cover of "legitimate advocacy," the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility said in a formal opinion released Wednesday, finding that doing so violates prospective jurors' equal protection rights.

  • July 09, 2025

    5 Years Ago, The McGirt Ruling Reshaped Tribal Jurisdiction

    It was widely held for decades that Oklahoma had domain over criminal matters on tribal lands, but five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court turned that regime on its head, finding 19th century federal treaties with the Creek Nation that formed its reservation are valid — and, in turn, reestablishing 45% of the Sooner State as Indian Country.

  • July 08, 2025

    Pot Smell May Be Hemp So No Probable Cause, 4th Circ. Told

    A North Carolina man urged the Fourth Circuit on Monday to revive his challenge of a police officer's search of his car based on the smell of marijuana, saying the government is wrongly asserting the search was legal because there are legal forms of hemp with an indistinguishable odor. 

  • July 08, 2025

    Crypto Groups Back Developer's Money Transmitter Challenge

    A coalition of crypto industry groups voiced their support for a challenge seeking to protect software developers from catching criminal cases over others' use of their creations, telling the Texas federal judge overseeing the case that the U.S. government has recently taken "an unprecedented, sweeping interpretation" of money transmission statutes.

  • July 08, 2025

    Judge Tosses Pot Convict's Gun Rights Case

    A Maine federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a suit from a man convicted of trafficking cannabis who alleged that his Second Amendment rights were being violated, finding that policies barring felons from gun ownership have been consistent with the country's history.

  • July 08, 2025

    Okla. City Illegally Prosecutes Natives On Rez, Tribe Says

    The Muscogee (Creek) Nation sued the city of Henryetta in Oklahoma federal court Tuesday accusing it of violating federal laws and its sovereign rights by prosecuting Native Americans for conduct within the tribe's Creek Reservation, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision restricting the state and its political subdivisions' ability to do so.  

  • July 08, 2025

    FinCEN To Appeal Block Of Trump's Border Cash Biz Order

    The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, its director and others on Tuesday filed a notice of their plan to appeal a California federal judge's decision to temporarily block the Trump administration's order singling out cash-moving businesses along the southwest border for heightened anti-money laundering reporting.

  • July 08, 2025

    High Court Allows Trump's Gov't Cuts And Restructuring

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled the Trump administration can move forward with its plans for large-scale layoffs and reorganizations at various federal departments and agencies, lifting a California federal judge's order that had paused the efforts while a legal challenge continues.

  • July 08, 2025

    11th Circ. Says Circumstantial Proof Backs Gun Conviction

    The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 51-month sentence against a man who was convicted of possession of a firearm while he was a convicted felon, saying the circumstantial evidence in the case was enough to sustain the verdict.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Strengthen A Case By Mastering Expert Witness Prep

    Author Photo

    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'

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • What Baseball Can Teach Criminal Attys About Rule Of Lenity

    Author Photo

    Judges tend to assess ambiguous criminal laws not unlike how baseball umpires approach checked swings, so defense attorneys should consider how to best frame their arguments to maximize courts' willingness to invoke the rule of lenity, wherein a tie goes to the defendant, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

  • Perspectives

    Justices' Sentencing Ruling Is More Of A Ripple Than A Wave

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week in Esteras v. U.S., limiting the factors that lower courts may consider in imposing prison sentences for supervised release violations, is symbolically important, but its real-world impact will likely be muted for several reasons, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • DOJ Atty Firing Highlights Tension Between 2 Ethical Duties

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent firing of a prosecutor-turned-whistleblower involved in the Abrego Garcia v. Noem case illustrates the tricky balancing act between zealous client advocacy and a lawyer’s duty of candor to the court, which many clients fail to appreciate, says David Atkins at Yale Law School.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here