Law school introduces hologram witnesses in mock trial

The William & Mary Law School in Virginia has spent the past four months experimenting with hologram witnesses—and recently brought them before judges in the courtroom.

May 19, 2023 9:56 AM CDT

Montana judge gets unpaid suspension for courthouse hallway comments

A Montana judge is getting a public reprimand and a 30-day unpaid suspension as a result of remarks that he made about a witness while in a courthouse hallway.

May 11, 2023 9:13 AM CDT

Judicial committee advances proposal to regulate the use of visual aids at federal trials

A proposed rule that would regulate the use of visual aids during federal trials has won approval from the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules.

May 5, 2023 9:01 AM CDT

Alito says he has ‘a pretty good idea’ who leaked Dobbs, complains that organized bar isn’t defending justices

Justice Samuel Alito says he personally has “a pretty good idea who is responsible” for the May 2, 2022, leak of the U.S. Supreme Court’s abortion decision, “but that’s different from the level of proof that is needed to name somebody.”

May 1, 2023 9:54 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: ‘State takeover’ of city policing challenged; lawyers sentenced in trip-and-fall scheme

NAACP sues over ‘state takeover’ of city policing, courts The NAACP has filed a lawsuit challenging two state laws that “represent a state takeover of Jackson,” Mississippi, a predominantly Black city, according to a press release. One law expands the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Capitol police to act as a…

Apr 28, 2023 2:49 PM CDT

Court watch movement is growing in numbers and public attention

For the past two years, singer-songwriter Fiona Apple has volunteered with Courtwatch PG, the largest court watch program in the country, to observe legal proceedings in Prince George’s County, Maryland, from her home in Los Angeles. Apple has also joined a group of advocates calling attention to the concept of court watching and aiming to get more people involved.

Apr 19, 2023 8:24 AM CDT

Examining NBC’s new ‘Night Court’ and new judges

I’ve never given much thought to being a judge. Sure, the idea comes to mind every election cycle, and I’ve been approached by a few individuals a couple of different times regarding throwing my hat in the ring. Still, I’ve never taken the notion seriously. First of all, I love my job as a criminal defense attorney. Secondly, as tough as it is to advocate for the legally damned, I think adjudicating someone to legal damnation would be more challenging.

Apr 12, 2023 10:58 AM CDT

ABA urges removal of Confederate monuments from courthouse grounds

Apr 1, 2023 12:40 AM CDT

Judicial Conference asks Congress for 75 new, converted federal judgeships—2 of them at appellate level

The U.S. Judicial Conference is recommending that Congress create two more permanent judgeships with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco and dozens of new judgeships at the district court level.

Mar 15, 2023 4:02 PM CDT

Is this a court of record or ‘Nothing But Trouble’?

I’ve always been a fan of those movies that are so bad they’re good. They come in various forms. Sometimes it’s your standard low-budget “B-movie” that owes its appeal to the fact that, despite its low budget, a great deal of effort was put into the production only to yield a subpar result. The 2003 film The Room starring Tommy Wiseau and Juliette Danielle is a great example (and a must-watch for any fan of this genre).

Mar 15, 2023 2:09 PM CDT

Pro tips for using Zoom in virtual courtroom proceedings

Three years into a pandemic full of uncertainties, one thing is clear—virtual legal proceedings are here to stay. Now, attorneys are expected to control the nuances of Zoom to create the most impact.

Mar 3, 2023 8:57 AM CST

Colorado man faces $300K bond after suing, threatening multiple judges

A Colorado man still faces a $300,000 bond after being indicted by a grand jury on 24 counts, including criminal extortion, conspiracy and retaliation against a judge.

Feb 23, 2023 12:52 PM CST

US court system is facing delays, backlogs and workforce shortages, report says

Many courts in the United States are “overburdened and under-resourced,” according to a study released Thursday by the Thomson Reuters Institute. Delays in court hearings have become a significant problem at the state, county and municipal levels.

Feb 17, 2023 10:20 AM CST

Elected court clerk says she was wrongly ousted over ‘unintentional rear-end dial’

An elected court clerk in Franklin County, North Carolina, is appealing her ouster from office following what her lawyer calls “an unintentional rear-end dial.”

Feb 13, 2023 11:51 AM CST

Confederate symbols should be removed from courthouses, ABA House says

Confederate memorabilia “and other symbols of racial and ethnic bias” should be removed from facilities where court proceedings are held, according to a resolution passed Monday by the ABA House of Delegates.

Feb 6, 2023 5:40 PM CST