Criminal Practice

  • August 26, 2025

    Mass. Justices Overturn Firearm Convictions Over Trial Error

    Massachusetts' highest court ruled Tuesday that a man convicted of carrying a loaded firearm without a license and removing the gun's serial number must get a new trial on the possession charges, finding him not guilty of defacing the weapons due to insufficient instructions provided to the jury.

  • August 26, 2025

    Fla. Jury Hears Money Trail In Law Professor's Murder Trial

    Multiple witnesses were called to the stand in Florida state court Tuesday in the trial of a woman accused of masterminding a conspiracy involving hiring hitmen to murder a law professor amid a custody dispute over her grandchildren, telling jurors about financial transactions that occurred before and after the killing.

  • August 26, 2025

    Ga. Disbars Atty After Arrest In Inmate Drug Smuggling Case

    The Georgia Supreme Court has disbarred an Alabama attorney who was arrested in the Peach State for allegedly smuggling drugs and other banned items to inmates under the guise of an attorney visit, a move that comes after he was disbarred over the arrest in his home state.

  • August 26, 2025

    No Immunity For Wis. Judge Charged With ICE Interference

    A Wisconsin federal judge on Tuesday rejected a motion to dismiss from a state judge accused of helping an unauthorized immigrant escape arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, turning down her argument that she is protected by judicial immunity.

  • August 26, 2025

    Conn. Justices Say Witness With Memory Loss Was 'Available'

    The Connecticut Supreme Court has upheld a man's murder conviction while declining to adopt a rule that would deem a witness "unavailable" for cross-examination if medical issues compromised their memory, finding the defendant's constitutional right to confrontation was not violated since the witness was cross-examined.

  • August 25, 2025

    LA Atty Used Client Trust Acct. To Hide $2.1M Bribe, Jury Told

    A California divorce attorney accepted a $2.1 million bribe from a Swiss oil company related to his work in Nigeria and laundered the money through his U.S. client trust account, a prosecutor told a federal jury in Los Angeles on Monday during opening statements in the attorney's criminal trial. 

  • August 25, 2025

    Trump Plans To Withdraw Federal Funding Over Cashless Bail

    President Donald Trump said Monday that he would suspend or terminate federal funds provided to any jurisdictions that have adopted cashless bail policies, calling the reforms a "failed experiment" that allow repeat criminals to "mock our justice system."

  • August 25, 2025

    Trump Expands Use Of National Guard Post-DC Deployment

    President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday directing federal officials to create new "specialized" units to enforce federal laws in D.C. and other cities nationwide, including a "quick reaction force" within the D.C. National Guard, as well as hire more prosecutors and take other measures, following his recent deployment of the National Guard in the district.

  • August 25, 2025

    Prosecutors Push For DNA Evidence In Gilgo Beach Case

    Prosecutors have asked a New York court to embrace technological advancement and admit the only physical evidence linking accused serial killer Rex Heuermann to the murders of women on Long Island, arguing that a newer form of DNA testing, whole genome sequencing, is jury-ready.

  • August 25, 2025

    Supervised Release Violators Can Be Jailed, 2nd Circ. Says

    The Second Circuit on Monday ruled that federal judges have the authority to detain criminal defendants who are awaiting a hearing to determine whether they violated the terms of their supervised release.

  • August 25, 2025

    Ill. Panel Says Phone Search Went Too Far In Shooting Case

    An Illinois appeals court has ruled police improperly uncovered evidence of a shooting while searching the phone of a man accused of another unrelated crime, determining this evidence should have been suppressed at his trial.

  • August 25, 2025

    Battle Over NJ US Atty Appointment Lands In 3rd Circ.

    The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday it will appeal a Pennsylvania federal judge's ruling that interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba is not lawfully serving as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor.

  • August 22, 2025

    Coder Gets 4 Years For 'Kill Switch' On Ex-Employer's System

    A Texas-based software developer has been sentenced in Ohio federal court to four years in prison after an unsuccessful attempt at getting a new trial following his conviction for deploying a "kill switch" on his former employer's network.

  • August 22, 2025

    Conn. Panel Orders New Abuse Trial Over Ineffective Counsel

    A Connecticut appellate panel vacated sexual assault convictions against a man accused of abusing his former girlfriend's children and granted him a new trial after finding his counsel failed to raise a statute of limitations defense, according to an opinion released Friday.

  • August 22, 2025

    Habba Ruling Could Put Tighter Limits On 'Acting' Officials

    A Pennsylvania federal judge's ruling disqualifying Alina Habba from acting as the U.S. attorney for New Jersey has the potential to end a long-standing means of filling government posts without going through the U.S. Senate.

  • August 22, 2025

    After 41 Years In Prison, Mass. Man Sees Murder Case Nixed

    A man who spent 41 years behind bars for a murder he said he did not commit can now put the long-running case behind him, after prosecutors opted not to try him again for the 1984 killing of his friend in her Massachusetts apartment.

  • August 22, 2025

    Speedy Trial Violation Undoes Sex Assault Conviction In Colo.

    The Colorado Court of Appeals on Thursday reversed the conviction and 34-year-to-life sentence of a man found guilty of sexual assault on a child, pointing to a district court error in holding the trial one month outside of the speedy trial window and remanding the case for dismissal of all charges.

  • August 22, 2025

    4th Circ. Rules Virginia Gov. Can Deny Felon Voting Rights

    A formerly incarcerated Virginia man convicted of attempted murder as a minor couldn't argue his constitutional rights had been violated by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who refused to allow him to vote, the Fourth Circuit said, finding the state's process of vesting reenfranchisement in its top executive was constitutional.

  • August 22, 2025

    Under Trump, White Collar Crypto Defense Gets New Playbook

    White collar lawyers are crafting new blueprints for crypto-related civil and criminal defense amid the Trump administration's embrace of the industry and the financial world’s growing acceptance of cryptocurrency as a legitimate asset.

  • August 22, 2025

    NJ Judge Halts Ex-CEO's Sentencing After Habba Ruling

    Citing a federal court ruling that the Garden State's U.S. attorney is serving unlawfully, a New Jersey federal judge issued an order Friday postponing indefinitely the sentencing of the ex-chief executive of SCWorx Corp., who had promoted a $670 million COVID-19 test kit deal that later fell apart.

  • August 22, 2025

    Judge Can't Become Public Defender After Not Practicing Law

    A California state appellate panel has ruled that a sitting superior court judge is ineligible to serve as public defender because he had not been a practicing attorney in the state's courts for the year before he sought the appointment.

  • August 22, 2025

    Ex-Calif. Judge Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Court Staffer

    A former California Superior Court judge has been charged with sexually assaulting a court employee and seeking to cover up that purported incident and another alleged assault, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

  • August 22, 2025

    Marketer Who Eyed US Fentanyl 'Grand Lab' Gets 15 Years

    A Manhattan federal judge on Friday sentenced a Chinese marketing manager to 15 years in prison after a jury convicted her of scheming to secretly send large quantities of precursor chemicals into the United States for the production of fentanyl.

  • August 21, 2025

    Nursing Home Wins Appeal In Criminal Case Over COVID Deaths

    Criminal charges against a Southern California nursing home in connection with the COVID-19 deaths of 14 people were properly dismissed, a California appeals court has ruled, finding that the prosecution improperly relied on evidence that was inadmissible under the Fifth Amendment.

  • August 21, 2025

    Ga. Panel Backs Obstruction Charge Over ID Refusal

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a felony and three misdemeanor counts of obstruction of a law enforcement officer for the passenger of a car who refused to produce her driver's license during a traffic stop, despite possessing a valid license.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From DOJ Fraud Section's 2024 Year In Review

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Paul Weiss highlight notable developments in the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section’s recently released annual report, and discuss what the second Trump administration could mean for enforcement in the year to come.

  • FCA Enforcement Would Make Trump's Tariffs More Effective

    Author Photo

    In implementing its trade policies, the Trump administration is likely to employ the False Claims Act, a powerful enforcement tool that would give tariffs and customs duties teeth, help raise promised revenue and prevent evaders from gaining a competitive advantage, says Sam Buffone at Buffone Law.

  • End-Of-Year FCPA Enforcement Surge Holds Clues For 2025

    Author Photo

    The last three months of 2024 saw more Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions than any quarter in the previous four years, providing lessons for companies — even as a new administration raises doubts about whether this momentum will continue, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Public Corruption Enforcement In 2024 Has Clues For 2025

    Author Photo

    If 2024 activity is any indication, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely continue to rein in expansive prosecutorial theories of fraud in the year to come, but it’s harder to predict what the new administration will mean for public corruption prosecutions in 2025, says Cathy Fleming at Offit Kurman.

  • Examining DOJ Corporate Whistleblower Pilot's First 100 Days

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. Department of Justice’s corporate whistleblower awards pilot program has successfully elicited numerous tips since its August launch, stakeholder feedback leaves questions about how the scheme compares to other whistleblower awards and protections — and how it will fare in the incoming Trump administration, say attorneys at Joseph Greenwald.

  • A Deep Dive Into DOJ's Proposed FARA Shake-Up

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently published and long-awaited proposed amendments to the Foreign Agents Registration Act's implementing regulations, if adopted, would mark dramatic changes to the commercial exemption and new requirements for labeling informational materials, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • What To Expect In Higher Ed Enforcement Under Trump

    Author Photo

    Colleges and universities should prepare for shifting priorities, as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to focus less on antitrust cases and more on foreign relations policy, while congressional oversight of higher education continues to increase, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

    Author Photo

    In 2024's final quarter, the New York State Department of Financial Services published guidance on mitigating the rising cybersecurity risks of artificial intelligence and remote technology workers with North Korean ties, and the state attorney general launched an antitrust investigation into Capital One's proposed Discover merger, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • What FARA Enforcement In 2024 Reveals For The Year Ahead

    Author Photo

    A number of developments, from indictments to legislation, shaped the Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement landscape last year, and following the U.S. Department of Justice's recently released long-awaited proposed amendments to the law, 2025 shows no signs of slowing down, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

    Author Photo

    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How White Collar Enforcement May Shift In Trump's 2nd Term

    Author Photo

    After President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month, the administration’s emphasis on immigration laws, drug offenses and violent crime will likely reduce the focus on white collar crime overall, but certain areas within the white collar world may see increased activity, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.

  • Data Privacy Landscape After Mass. Justices' Wiretap Ruling

    Author Photo

    In Vita v. New England Baptist Hospital, Massachusetts’ highest court recently ruled that the state’s wiretap law doesn’t prohibit all tracking of website user activity, but major financial and reputational risks remain for businesses that aren't transparent about customer’s web data, says Seth Berman at Nutter.

  • Expect Continuity In 2025 Anti-Money Laundering Policy

    Author Photo

    The past year has seen a range of anti-money laundering actions from federal financial regulators, and notwithstanding the imminent change from the Biden administration to the Trump administration, continuity may be more prevalent than change in the AML compliance space in 2025, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • 5 Notable Anti-Money Laundering Actions From 2024

    Author Photo

    Regulators' renewed interest in anti-money laundering programs in 2024 led to numerous enforcement actions and individual prosecutions in industries like banking, cryptocurrency and gaming, including the blockbuster TD Bank settlement and investigations of casinos in Nevada, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

    Author Photo

    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Criminal Practice archive.