Criminal Justice

20640 ABA Journal Criminal Justice articles.

Judge Ernestine Gray created a model court that put New Orleans children and families first

“You are impacting lives in a critical way,” says Judge Ernestine Gray about working in juvenile court. “And if you are talking about children who are growing up, it’s going to help determine where they are in the future. I don’t want to look back and say, ‘If I had done X for this child, maybe they could’ve done great things.’ So in the moment where you are, do the good work.”

Apr 1, 2023 1:20 AM CDT

ABA endorses 10 principles to improve gender equality in the criminal legal profession

Apr 1, 2023 12:30 AM CDT

ABA has a long history of advocating for indigent defense and public defenders

For more than a century, the ABA has advocated on issues related to indigent defense, primarily through its Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense. In fact, SCLAID (when it was operating as the Standing Committee on Legal Aid Work) stated in its 1937 annual report: “We believe that every man accused of serious crime is absolutely entitled to counsel and that, if too poor to employ one, society must furnish him that lawyer.”

Apr 1, 2023 12:20 AM CDT

Former BigLaw partner accused of lying to bankruptcy court to keep pricey home, Aston Martin

A former BigLaw lawyer who previously gave up his law license has been arrested for allegedly lying to a bankruptcy court about his ability to pay creditors.

Mar 29, 2023 11:53 AM CDT

Murder conviction of Adnan Syed of ‘Serial’ podcast fame is reinstated because of notice issue

Adnan Syed's February 2000 conviction for the murder of his ex-girlfriend has been reinstated because the victim's brother got insufficient notice of a hearing last year in which a judge vacated the conviction.

Mar 28, 2023 4:15 PM CDT

Prosecution of environmental lawyer Steven Donziger broke ‘basic constitutional promise,’ 2 SCOTUS justices say

Two conservative justices are raising concerns about judge-appointed prosecutors in a dissent from the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case of disbarred environmental lawyer Steven Donziger.

Mar 27, 2023 11:56 AM CDT

Florida plastic surgeon accused of killing lawyer who disappeared after going to restroom

A Florida plastic surgeon who filed a lawsuit over alleged medical billing errors by his former employer has been charged with murdering a lawyer representing the defendants.

Mar 27, 2023 10:32 AM CDT

Many young people arrested for Chicago carjackings have been exposed to violence daily, lawyer and pastor says

As rises in Chicago carjackings continue to increase fear among many residents, Cliff Nellis, an attorney and pastor who founded the Lawndale Christian Legal Center, says his nonprofit group represents a fair amount of young people charged with the crime.

Mar 27, 2023 8:44 AM CDT

Alex Murdaugh and whether to testify in your own defense

“At the end of the day, I do believe juries want to see someone get on the stand and say, ‘I didn’t do it.’ But at what cost?” writes ABA Journal columnist and Oklahoma lawyer Adam Banner.

Mar 23, 2023 9:30 AM CDT

Selective-prosecution argument in Trump falsified-records case is ‘long shot’ that may still resonate

Former President Donald Trump may argue that any forthcoming indictment in connection with hush-money payments to an adult film actress is a selective prosecution entitling him to dismissal of the charges.

Mar 22, 2023 10:56 AM CDT

Trump motion seeks to block evidence from Georgia special purpose grand jury, disqualify district attorney

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump filed a motion Monday arguing that a special purpose grand jury investigating possible election interference in Georgia was created under statutes that are unconstitutionally vague, inviting “arbitrary, amorphous enforcement.”

Mar 22, 2023 8:37 AM CDT

Georgia lawyer who bragged of shutting down ‘stolen election shenanigans’ is found guilty in Jan. 6 case

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., found a Georgia criminal defense lawyer guilty of several charges Monday for entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and pounding on doors with other rioters before making it to outside the office of Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mar 21, 2023 9:21 AM CDT

Former BigLaw attorney pleads guilty to stealing from estate

A suspended Memphis, Tennessee, lawyer has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for stealing $124,000 from the estate of a former client.

Mar 21, 2023 8:33 AM CDT

Arrests without formal charges or convictions no longer have to be disclosed by would-be lawyers in New York

The New York Supreme Court’s appellate division is whittling down the types of justice system involvement that would-be lawyers have to disclose when applying for bar admission. The changes are intended “to better promote equity and fairness in the character and fitness interview process.”

Mar 20, 2023 9:35 AM 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

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