Criminal Justice

Wisconsin judge arrested by FBI, charged with obstructing immigrant arrest

Federal prosecutors have charged a Milwaukee judge with obstructing an immigration arrest operation—a significant escalation of Justice Department efforts to prosecute local officials for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement.

Apr 25, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

Did 9 firms making deals with Trump violate bribery, anti-fraud laws? Democratic letters seek answers

Sixteen Democratic lawmakers have sent letters to nine law firms that ask them to disavow deals with President Donald Trump and to answer questions about their legality.

Apr 24, 2025 2:26 PM CDT

White-collar attorneys see acute changes under Trump administration

Amid a flurry of shifts and shakeups in the U.S. Department of Justice, uncertainty shrouds the future of white-collar enforcement. “This administration is sea changes,” says one expert. “So, all the ways someone who may not be involved in white-collar crime thinks an election may matter, they matter in spades right now.”

Apr 23, 2025 12:45 PM CDT

3 Eric Adams prosecutors won’t confess ‘wrongdoing when there was none,’ their resignation letter says

Three federal prosecutors who worked on the dropped corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams have submitted their emailed resignation letter, saying they won’t accept a requirement to “express regret and admit some wrongdoing” by their office when it refused to dismiss the case.

Apr 23, 2025 11:12 AM CDT

Judge who shot wife, called in absence is convicted in retrial; his advice to son is ‘beyond sad,’ DA says

A California judge who fatally shot his wife and admitted the shooting was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday in a retrial.

Apr 23, 2025 9:57 AM CDT

‘Secrets of the Killing State’ exposes realities of lethal injection

Execution by lethal injection is seen by many Americans as a less barbaric alternative than older methods, such as hanging, firing squads and electrocution. It is easy to assume that the process must resemble euthanasia procedures for terminally ill people or pets. The reality is very different, says Corinna Barrett Lain, a law professor and a death-penalty expert.

Apr 23, 2025 8:51 AM CDT

Magistrate resigns after alleged Venezuelan gang member is arrested while living in his casita

A magistrate judge in New Mexico has resigned after an immigrant with alleged ties to a Venezuelan gang was arrested at his home.

Apr 22, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

What can Luigi Mangione’s trial tell us about unbiased juries?

At a time when 58% of Americans have reported issues with health insurance in the past year, attorneys say finding an unbiased jury for Luigi Mangione, who’s accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, will be nearly impossible without many hurdles.

Apr 22, 2025 9:54 AM CDT

Seeing power abuse by federal judges, 5th Circuit judge warns of ‘hundreds of kings in judicial robes’

A federal appeals judge issued a concurrence to his majority opinion in a death-penalty case last week to remark on federal trial judges who, in his view, abuse their powers to overturn the will of the electorate.

Apr 21, 2025 3:32 PM CDT

Supreme Court will consider scope of Sixth Amendment right to counsel during trial recess

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a criminal defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated when a judge banned him from discussing his ongoing testimony when meeting with his lawyers during an overnight trial recess.

Apr 15, 2025 2:37 PM CDT

Former Girardi Keese CFO ordered to pay over $8.9M in restitution, serve prison time for embezzlement

The former chief financial officer for the now-defunct law firm Girardi Keese was sentenced Friday to 121 months in federal prison for embezzling money from the firm and its clients.

Apr 15, 2025 11:32 AM CDT

McElroy Deutsch settles suit claiming over $3M embezzlement by former executives

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter has reached a settlement in a lawsuit accusing its former chief financial officer and his wife of stealing more than $3 million from the law firm.

Apr 15, 2025 9:32 AM CDT

Judge convicted of shooting ex-boyfriend in the head as he slept

A magistrate judge in Pennsylvania was convicted of attempted murder and aggravated assault of her ex-boyfriend, who was left blind in one eye after he was shot in the head while he slept.

Apr 10, 2025 9:31 AM CDT

Would-be Kavanaugh assassin was ‘furious’ over pending Roe repeal

A California resident pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. He faces possible decades in prison at his sentencing, set for Oct. 3.

Apr 9, 2025 9:45 AM CDT

Barrett joins liberal dissent questioning SCOTUS venue decision that ends case before judge deemed ‘lunatic’ by Trump

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday lifted a temporary restraining order that banned the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, ruling that the legal challenge should have been filed in Texas, rather than Washington, D.C.

Apr 8, 2025 11:52 AM CDT