Criminal Practice

  • September 24, 2026

    Ex-Ill. Prosecutor Wants In On ICE Protest Sanctions Fight

    The former federal prosecutor at the center of alleged grand jury misconduct in a now-dismissed criminal conspiracy case against a group of anti-ICE protesters has said she should be heard in any sanctions proceeding or further contempt probe that may be ordered, as pending motions for both put her "professional conduct and integrity squarely before the court."

  • September 24, 2026

    Foster Care Abuse Claims Against Mich. Facility Can Proceed

    A former resident of a Michigan foster care facility can continue pursuing several claims alleging he was sexually and physically abused as a teenager at a Flint children's center, while also pursuing a First Amendment retaliation claim against Genesee County law enforcement officials who allegedly threatened him when he tried to report the abuse, a Michigan federal judge ruled.

  • September 24, 2026

    5 Circuit Splits To Watch At The High Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court has been deciding fewer and fewer cases over the past three decades, with its caseload reaching a historic low just last term. While attorneys believe several factors have contributed to that trend, they say one of the most consequential is the court's apparent declining interest in resolving circuit splits. 

  • September 24, 2026

    Fla. Surgeon Found Guilty Of Killing Atty Who Went Missing

    A Florida state court judge convicted a plastic surgeon for the murder of an attorney who disappeared after walking into the restroom at his law offices and was then killed, although a body was never recovered. 

  • September 23, 2026

    Judge Tosses Suit Against Detroit In Fatal Police Shooting

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit against Detroit and several police officers over the fatal shooting of Porter Burks, finding officers did not use excessive force when they opened fire after the 20-year-old man, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, ran toward them while holding a knife.

  • September 23, 2026

    Tech CEO Hid Russian Ties To Win Gov't Contracts, Feds Say

    The CEO of Virginia-based Oxygen Forensics, which sought contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies, claimed the software company was completely American-owned when it was actually controlled by a group of Russian nationals, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.

  • September 23, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs Off-Duty Officer's Immunity From Force Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit has ruled that an off-duty Alabama police officer should have qualified immunity from a lawsuit alleging unlawful use of deadly force after he fatally shot his unarmed neighbor who was suffering from a brain cancer-related mental health crisis.

  • September 23, 2026

    9th Circ. Rejects Squatter's-Rights Claim On Dead Baby's Name

    Walter Glenn Primrose testified at trial that he stole a dead baby's name to escape debt and threats in the 1980s and used it for three decades — even joining the U.S. Coast Guard and becoming a defense contractor — before his arrest and convictions. This week, the Ninth Circuit rejected Primrose's novel claim that his identity theft convictions can't stand because he has squatter's rights over the infant's identity.

  • September 23, 2026

    3rd Circ. Bars Early Probation Termination Bids Before 1 Year

    In a precedential opinion Wednesday, the Third Circuit held that a defendant seeking early termination of supervised release must serve at least one year of the current supervised release term before petitioning the court.

  • September 23, 2026

    Board Eases Burden Over Migrant Drug Use Admission

    The Board of Immigration Appeals upheld an immigration judge's decision finding a Mexican national ineligible for status adjustment because he had admitted to possessing and using cocaine, finding no obligation to first inform him of the offense's particular legal elements.

  • September 23, 2026

    Judge Orders Feds To Wait 3 Days Before ICE Transfers

    A Massachusetts judge has ordered federal immigration authorities to provide three days' notice to detainees who request bond hearings before they can be moved from the First Circuit, where they have a right to a bond hearing, to another circuit where the law may be different.

  • September 23, 2026

    NJ County's 1st Watchdog Brings US Atty Experience

    A former federal prosecutor who briefly was U.S. attorney for New Jersey and is now a partner at McCarter & English LLP has been named the inaugural inspector general for Hudson County.

  • September 23, 2026

    Matrix Chambers Adds 3 International Law Team Members

    Matrix Chambers has welcomed three members to its international law team, saying the newcomers bring expertise in the public and private spheres and in practices that include representation of senior government officials and cases involving crime, extradition and human rights.

  • September 23, 2026

    Weinstein Sentenced To 15 Years After NY Trials

    A New York state judge on Wednesday sentenced Harvey Weinstein to 15 years for sexually assaulting "Project Runway" production assistant Miriam Haley, following a series of trials against the already-imprisoned former Hollywood producer.

  • September 22, 2026

    FCC Seeks $25K For Radio Jamming During Alleged Burglary

    The Federal Communications Commission floated on Tuesday a $25,000 fine against three people who, it said, used radio signal jamming devices while apparently trying to impede police during a jewelry store burglary last year in Texas.

  • September 22, 2026

    Pa. Gov., Legislators Must Face Public-Defense Funding Suit

    A divided Pennsylvania appeals court has allowed a petition filed against the commonwealth's top political leaders to proceed, granting a path forward for the claims that chronic underfunding of public defender offices has led to indigent criminal defendants receiving ineffective legal assistance.

  • September 22, 2026

    Fla. Court Nixes Prison Term Over Missed Curfew Check

    A Florida appeals court on Friday ruled that a man should not be incarcerated for a probation violation because there was insufficient evidence to prove that he was not actually home after his curfew.

  • September 22, 2026

    Texas Appeals Court Undoes $3.5M Apartment Murder Verdict

    A Texas appellate court on Tuesday dismissed a $3.5 million judgment and ordered a new trial in a suit accusing a Houston apartment complex of negligently causing a robbery victim's murder, saying the lower court should have let the jury consider the alleged murderers' culpability.

  • September 22, 2026

    Ex-Charlotte Councilwoman Gets 10 Months For COVID Fraud

    A former city council member in Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in federal prison on one count of wire fraud conspiracy after prosecutors said she submitted sham applications for COVID-19 relief funds with her two daughters.

  • September 22, 2026

    Mass. Justices Grant New Trial In Fatal Parade Shooting

    Massachusetts' top court ordered a new trial Tuesday for a man accused of fatally shooting a bystander during a parade, ruling that trace amounts of gunshot residue found on his body were improperly admitted as evidence. 

  • September 22, 2026

    Ga. Litigators, Prosecutors Recommended For Judicial Seats

    Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has received a short list of four candidates to fill two state judicial vacancies, with a partner and sole owner at Daniels Taylor Law LLC and a senior litigator for the Federal Defenders of the Middle District of Georgia among the recommended candidates.

  • September 22, 2026

    NJ Prosecutor's Office Claims Immunity In Video-Sharing Case

    A New Jersey county prosecutor's office urged a state court to toss a suspended police officer's suit alleging it improperly shared a video of her meeting with its investigators about gender discrimination and internal affairs complaints.

  • September 22, 2026

    Insurer Owes No Coverage In Wrongful Conviction Deal

    The estate of a man wrongly convicted of an arson that killed his mother-in-law cannot receive $1.8 million for a settlement with a polygraph agency accused of coercing him into a false confession, an Illinois federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • September 22, 2026

    Mich. Fed. Judge On 1-Year Leave Over Drunken Driving Case

    U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington is taking a one-year paid leave of absence from the bench following his misdemeanor conviction for drunken driving, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan announced Tuesday.

  • September 22, 2026

    Gun Industry Says Conn. Pistol Ban Violates 2nd Amendment

    A firearm industry trade association, a gunmaker and a retailer have pushed back on a Connecticut state law banning pistols that can be converted into fully automatic weapons, launching a federal lawsuit that largely mirrors a challenge Glock brought the same day.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Being A Singer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Before law school, I spent seven years trying to make it as a professional singer in Los Angeles, and nearly everything I learned about preparation, humility, confidence and more has followed me into my legal practice, says Jessica Caterina at Moses & Singer.

  • Opinion

    Justices' Parole Ruling Degrades Green Card Holders' Rights

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Blanche v. Lau, holding that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can parole a returning lawful permanent resident without clear and convincing evidence of a crime, weakens the statutory and practical protections Congress intended, say attorneys at Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners.

  • RETRACTED: Updated Fraud Sentencing Guidelines Add New Defense Tools

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    Editor's note: This guest article has been removed to address author updates.

  • How Justices Stayed Off The Geofence In Location Data Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Chatrie v. United States decision reaffirms Fourth Amendment protections for location data but avoids more complicated questions about geofence warrants, say attorneys at Adams Duerk.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Post-Award Noncompliance

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    Grainful Holdings v. Mineev, a recent Commercial Court decision that resulted in a sentence for contempt following post-award enforcement proceedings, illustrates the point at which proceedings, having moved beyond recognition of an arbitral obligation, engage the court's own coercive jurisdiction, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • Series

    Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

  • Reel Justice: 'Obsession' And The Importance Of Precision

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    In “Obsession,” the main character’s failure to define the limits of his wish results in an unexpectedly horrifying outcome, highlighting for attorneys why careful word choice is essential not only in briefs, but also in charging decisions, statutory interpretation and all stages of criminal litigation, says Veronica Finkelstein at Widener-Delaware Law.

  • A 3-Part Blueprint For Sentencing Variance Arguments

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    Tom Goldstein’s upcoming sentencing provides a useful lens for defense practitioners seeking a variance from the guidelines range, serving as a reminder to distinguish those requests from guidelines challenges and build an evidence-based case well before the hearing, says Joseph De Gregorio of Sentencing Advocacy Group.

  • Laptop Farms Highlight Identity Fraud Risks Of Remote Work

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    Two U.S. nationals' recent sentencing in Massachusetts federal court for a scheme that enabled foreign operatives to obtain remote jobs at U.S. companies using stolen identities is a reminder that employers must recalibrate their remote hiring, onboarding and monitoring practices to mitigate evolving cybersecurity and geopolitical risks, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Series

    Bass Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Landing a trophy striped bass and closing a big deal both require cultivating the patience to finesse — not force — your way to desired outcomes, changing course when your old approach isn’t working and learning from the ones that got away, says Jon Ruiss at Alston & Bird.

  • Roundup

    The Most Talked-About Supreme Court Decisions Of 2026

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    This term, 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions quickly became hot topics among Law360's guest writers.

  • Fighting The Evidentiary Risks Of Deepfakes In Court

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    Though courts and federal rules are only slowly developing frameworks for assessing digital evidence that could have been created or generated by artificial intelligence, litigators should understand what steps they'll likely need to take to successfully challenge potentially deepfaked exhibits — and fight questions about the authenticity of their own, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Justices Stand On Statutory Specifics In Cisco And Landor

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    With its June 23 decisions in Cisco Systems Inc. v. Doe and Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, the U.S. Supreme Court doubled down on the critical point that the statute invoked in a federal claim must authorize a private lawsuit and the remedy sought, says Patrick Judd at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Justices' Concurrences Foretell Fault Line On Appeal Waivers

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled 8-1 in Hunter v. U.S. that appeal waivers that produce a miscarriage of justice are unenforceable, but the decision's concurrences indicate future divisions over whether this exception will be used as a rare safety valve or to police ordinary but troubling plea errors, say attorneys at RJO.

  • Series

    Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

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