http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-25T15:24:00-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jodi_arias_jury_hangs_on_whether_she_should_get_death_penalty/ It didn't take long for an Arizona jury to convict Jodi Arias of first-degree murder in the grisly death of her former boyfriend. But it wasn't able to agree Thursday on whether the 32-year-old should get the death penalty in the Maricopa County case. That leaves the prosecution with two… Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Criminal Procedure, Trials & Litigation, States, Arizona Fri, 24 May 2013 05:45:40 -0500 44345.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/3rd_law_student_charged_in_beheading_of_exotic_vegas_bird_takes_misdemeanor/ A third law student from the University of California-Berkeley has been charged with playing a role in the beheading death last year of an exotic bird at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Hazhir Kargaran, 26, was charged with three misdemeanors in the Clark County case and pleaded no… Animal Law, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Law Students, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, Nevada Thu, 23 May 2013 11:10:12 -0500 44335.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_reveals_dispute_about_whether_prosecutors_withheld_critical_evidence/ Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Chandra Levy case have been battling in sealed proceedings over the existence of a prosecution witness’s history of cooperating with law enforcement, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher revealed yesterday. In early 2012, prosecutors learned that government witness Armando Morales previously… Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Public Defenders, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Criminal Procedure Wed, 22 May 2013 15:18:15 -0500 44314.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/convicted_of_murdering_ex-client_lawyer_is_fighting_attorney_disciplinary/ Convicted earlier this year of murdering a former matrimonial client and her baby, and sentenced to life in prison, an Illinois attorney is fighting a subsequent legal ethics case. Fredrick Goings reportedly had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with Nova Henry, his client in a child-support case against professional basketball… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Family Law, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Illinois Tue, 21 May 2013 10:55:29 -0500 44290.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/juror_in_contempt_for_posting_comments_in_newspaper_article_about_trial_of_/ A juror has been held in contempt for posting online comments, during trial last year, in a newspaper article about the felony-murder case against one of nine defendants accused of playing a role in the slaying of a Kansas attorney. James M. Reeder must either pay a $1,000 fine or… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, Juries, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Kansas Tue, 21 May 2013 08:20:48 -0500 44285.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_denies_defense_motion_to_withdraw_during_penalty_phase_in_arias_murde/ Lawyers for convicted murderer Jody Arias asked the court to declare a mistrial Monday, on the basis that a key witness was receiving death threats. The judge declined to do so and also denied their motion to withdraw as counsel, which the Associated Press reports was done… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, Juries, Verdicts & Settlements Mon, 20 May 2013 17:33:47 -0500 44279.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/technology_blocks_smuggled_cell_phones_but_not_911_calls_at_maryland_prison/ Maryland corrections officials recently adopted technology that blocks contraband cellphone use at one prison facility and plan to use the technology at other facilities soon. The technology kicks smuggled cellphones off the facility's network, the Baltimore Sun reports, but allows calls made by phones on an approved… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction Mon, 20 May 2013 15:07:39 -0500 44270.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_investigates_personal_id_theft_case/ As an Oregon judge, Christopher Marshall had presided over many an identity theft case. So when the Multnomah County circuit court jurist himself was victimized in a health club gym locker break-in, he quickly developed a game plan. In addition to canceling his credit card accounts, he found out where… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Judiciary, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, Oregon Mon, 20 May 2013 05:34:47 -0500 44259.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/oj_simpsons_lawyer_says_he_knew_about_guns_said_no_deal_no_way_when_told_of/ Reluctantly testifying about his former client, O.J. Simpson, a Miami attorney on Friday contradicted key aspects of Simpson's earlier testimony during a hearing about whether the former football great should be granted a new trial in his Nevada armed robbery case. Called to the stand by prosecutors and reminded that… Appellate Practice, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, Nevada Fri, 17 May 2013 17:35:48 -0500 44238.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/o.j._simpson_i_gave_500k_to_lead_lawyer_for_costs_he_was_supposed_to_defend/ Testifying this week at a hearing in which he hopes to win a new armed robbery trial, O.J. Simpson said he gave $500,000 to his lead defense lawyer, Yale Galanter. But that was for expert witnesses and other costs, Simpson contended—Galanter was supposed to defend the former… Appellate Practice, Celebrities, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, States, Nevada Thu, 16 May 2013 14:33:55 -0500 44224.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/man_jailed_for_10th_dui_is_convicted_in_murder_plot_against_judge_prosecuto/ Corrected: Sentenced to an additional 16-year prison term after being convicted–for the 10th time–of driving under the influence, Gordon Vanderark allegedly tried to get back at the Illinois prosecutor and judge who put him there. He tried to arrange with a fellow inmate for them to be killed, along with… Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Judiciary, Court Security, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Illinois Thu, 16 May 2013 11:20:20 -0500 44216.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/appeals_court_upholds_20-year_sentence_for_ex-judge_says/ A 20-year prison term for a former Miami judge has been upheld by a Florida appeals court. Former Circuit Judge Phillip Davis had argued that the sentence was excessive, because he had turned down a plea deal that could have gotten him only a four-year prison term. But the 3rd… Appellate Practice, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Judiciary, States, Florida Thu, 16 May 2013 10:45:40 -0500 44215.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_legal_chief_gets_90_days_for_fujitec_expense_fraud/ A former chief legal and administrative officer for the U.S. arm of an international Japan-based elevator manufacturing company has been sentenced to 90 days for stealing $150,000 from his then-employer for faking legal matters. Darren Courtney reached a plea deal with prosecutors in March, but he has since been threatened… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, In-house Counsel, States, Ohio Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:04 -0500 44198.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/oj_simpson_is_allowed_to_have_one_hand_free_as_he_argues_for_new_armed_robb/ In an effort to curtail the prison term he is serving for the armed robbery of sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas casino hotel, former football great O.J. Simpson is arguing for a new trial in a Nevada courtroom. His lead counsel, Yale Galanter, is being portrayed… Appellate Practice, Celebrities, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, Nevada Wed, 15 May 2013 10:50:54 -0500 44180.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/convicted_of_first-degree_murder_abortion_doc_strikes_deal_for_life_term_in/ Convicted earlier this week of first-degree murder in the deaths of three infants who survived late-term abortions only to be slain at his Philadelphia clinic, a Pennsylvania physician struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. Kermit Gosnell, 72, will get a life term in prison without parole… Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Health Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Pennsylvania Tue, 14 May 2013 17:05:20 -0500 44179.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/cuffed_client_decks_lawyer_with_baseball_bat_fashion_punch/ A handcuffed client decked his defense lawyer Monday in a Blair County, Pa., courtroom, in front of the judge who was hearing his post-conviction argument that he should not be sentenced to the death penalty. Andre Staton, 50, slammed the blow in a "baseball bat fashion" squarely in the forehead… Appellate Practice, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Public Defenders, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Judiciary, Court Security, States, Pennsylvania Tue, 14 May 2013 11:30:24 -0500 44169.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/o.j._simpson_was_somewhat_intimidated_by_his_lawyer_witness_says_in_new_tri/ Former football great O.J. Simpson was back in a Las Vegas courtroom Monday in a quest for a new trial based on alleged bad advice by the lawyer who represented him on charges he robbed two… Celebrities, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Criminal Procedure Mon, 13 May 2013 13:53:31 -0500 44156.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_public_defender_gets_1_year_for_submitted_false_payment_vouchers/ A former panel attorney who worked as a public defender in multiple counties in West Virginia has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for submitting false payment vouchers for her services to the state. Lisa A. Weese, who has since been disbarred by consent, was… Criminal Justice, Public Defenders, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, West Virginia Mon, 13 May 2013 12:30:46 -0500 44154.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/unhappy_with_child-custody_award_woman_and_parents_plotted_to_murder_her_ex/ A former elementary school teacher and her father pleaded guilty Thursday to their admitted roles in a plot to murder her former husband because they were unhappy with a child-custody award in the couple's divorce case. Then, after onetime third-grade teacher Kathleen Dorsett was arrested in the 2010 slaying of… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Family Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, New Jersey Fri, 10 May 2013 10:30:57 -0500 44112.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_with_little_experience_cant_withdraw_at_11th_hour_from_death-penalty/ Gerald Bettman runs a two-attorney law office in Jacksonville, Fla. In addition to criminal defense, the lawyers also focus on divorce and personal injury matters. He has never represented a defendant sentenced to the death penalty during the flurry of appeals that precedes a scheduled execution once the death warrant… Appellate Practice, Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Criminal Procedure, Trials & Litigation, States, Florida Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:49 -0500 44096.abajournal.com