Criminal Procedure

Jury rejects murder defense that involved cooking for man accused of killing his lawyer girlfriend

An Indiana man on Thursday was found guilty of killing his then-girlfriend, who was a former magistrate and a longtime criminal lawyer in northeastern Indiana.

Oct 2, 2026 2:47 PM CDT

Scammers impersonate criminal defense lawyer in scheme to defraud families of jailed people

Scammers are impersonating a partner and a criminal defense trial attorney at a Washington law firm in a scheme targeting families and loved ones of people booked into the Pierce County Jail in Washington.

Sep 30, 2026 10:27 AM CDT

Could the use of AI upend privacy and security expectations in court?

As AI becomes more powerful and users become more savvy, will this sort of sleuthing become more frequent in the future? Legal experts say yes, especially since it was already happening long before AI.

Sep 29, 2026 11:10 AM CDT

No decision on retrial in Lindsay Clancy murder case

It remains unclear whether Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother who killed her three children by strangulation, will face trial again after a judge ruled Tuesday to postpone the decision. Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan granted a request from prosecutors and Clancy’s attorneys, who both pointed to outstanding motions in…

Sep 29, 2026 10:13 AM CDT

Attorney sentenced in Medicaid fraud scheme involving Rolls-Royce collection

An Iowa attorney was sentenced earlier this month to six months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a Medicaid fraud charge involving phony sales from his Rolls-Royce collection to elderly clients.

Sep 29, 2026 10:01 AM CDT

Plastic surgeon found guilty of murdering ‘beloved’ lawyer

A prominent Florida plastic surgeon was found guilty of murder charges in the death of a “beloved” lawyer who went missing in March 2023.

Sep 24, 2026 10:55 AM CDT

Scammer who tortured cats hit with state’s harshest animal abuse penalty

After a yearslong practice of torturing cats to create social media donation campaigns generating over $400,000 for nearly 20 abused animals, a 27-year-old Virginia man has received 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to animal abuse and computer fraud.

Sep 24, 2026 10:36 AM CDT

Confession or Coercion? Nation's only torture commission examines claims that police beat suspects into talking

The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, the only such commission in the nation, was created in 2009 in response to confirmed reports that Chicago police detectives for decades routinely tortured suspects into confessing. One of the commission’s most recent cases involves a prisoner’s claim that he was forced to confess to fatally shooting a Chicago police officer.

Sep 23, 2026 9:08 AM CDT

Lindsay Clancy’s lawyers seek juror’s phone records, file motion to dismiss

The defense team from Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial on Friday filed a motion seeking information about the holdout juror, who some blame for the mistrial of the former nurse accused of killing her three young children.

Sep 22, 2026 12:04 PM CDT

Former lawyer sentenced to 24½ years in prison for attempted murder of ex-wife

A former Ohio attorney convicted of trying to kill his ex-wife in a Toledo, Ohio, restaurant last year was sentenced to up to 24½ years in prison.

Sep 22, 2026 9:32 AM CDT

More than $370K has been raised for holdout Lindsay Clancy juror

The sole guilty vote in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial has faced significant backlash over his role in rejecting the defense argument that she was not guilty by reason of insanity after killing her three children, according to his lawyer.

Sep 21, 2026 10:25 AM CDT

In split opinion, court permanently disbars judge convicted of indecent behavior with teens

Following a 2020 conviction for indecent behavior with teenagers and misdemeanor sexual battery, a former Louisiana judge has been permanently disbarred by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Sep 17, 2026 12:04 PM CDT

Former judge who helped man avoid ICE keeps law license

A former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of obstructing federal agents after helping a Mexican man evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not have her law license suspended, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Sep 17, 2026 10:32 AM CDT

District attorney won’t seek death penalty for Nick Reiner based on siblings’ wishes

Based on the wishes of his siblings, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office will not seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner, who is charged with murdering his parents, Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner and photographer and film producer Michele Singer Reiner.

Sep 16, 2026 11:34 AM CDT

DOJ seeks to revive cases against Comey, James a year after dismissals

A federal appellate panel expressed skepticism Tuesday about the Justice Department’s bid to revive prosecutions in Virginia of former FBI director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, following a court ruling last year that the prosecutor overseeing them had been illegally appointed.

Sep 15, 2026 2:33 PM CDT