Criminal Justice

Duke Prosecutor Could Face Criminal Investigation

North Carolina’s attorney general says the original prosecutor in the Duke University sexual assault case could face a criminal investigation. “We believe that these cases were the result of a tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations,” says state Attorney General Roy Cooper, quoted in a…

Apr 12, 2007 3:24 PM CDT

Showdown in Judge’s Trial is Quite a Show

A showdown between two flamboyant attorneys has attracted many spectators to the Brooklyn, N.Y., corruption trial of a state judge. The judge, Gerald P. Garson, is accused of accepting gifts to influence divorce cases. Lead defense lawyer Michael S. Washor is trying to portray the prosecutor as overzealous, the New…

Apr 12, 2007 1:38 PM CDT

Hollinger Lawyer Testifies Payments Not OK’d

A lawyer for Hollinger International testified yesterday that an internal investigation showed the board did not approve most noncompete payments to company chairman Conrad Black, on trial in Chicago for misappropriating company money. Darren E. Sukonick said in video testimony that his Toronto law firm began the investigation after Hollinger’s…

Apr 12, 2007 1:23 PM CDT

Little Corruption Found in Vote-Fraud Crackdown

Records from the U.S. Justice Department’s five-year crackdown on vote fraud show most problems are isolated activities rather than organized corruption, the New York Times reports. As of last year, about 120 people had been charged and 86 convicted in vote fraud cases. Many of the offenses occur because of…

Apr 12, 2007 12:32 PM CDT

Claim: Media Overreached in Duke Rape Case

The local prosecutor criticized for too-hastily filing charges against former Duke University lacrosse players accused of raping a woman at a party was not the only one who rushed to judgment, the Baltimore Sun says. Many media outlets, too, didn’t let the facts or a need to investigate interfere with…

Apr 12, 2007 2:10 AM CDT

40-Year Prosecutor Still Swinging as Era Ends

After 40 years in office, the longest-serving prosecutor in Virginia is getting ready to hang up his gloves. An anachronism whose Fairfax County office lacks voicemail, a website and a media spokesperson, Robert F. Horan Jr. is nonetheless one of the most active chief prosecutors in the country and routinely…

Apr 12, 2007 12:58 AM CDT

Rape Charges Against Duke Players Dismissed

Prosecutors have dismissed all remaining charges against three Duke University lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a team party, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office announced this afternoon. It took over the case after the local district attorney in Durham, N.C. was accused of ethics violations. Attorney…

Apr 11, 2007 8:19 PM CDT

Thwarting Bank Robberies with Niceness?

Seattle area bank employees are unnerving potential robbers by being exceptionally nice, the Seattle Times reports. One FBI agent calls the new approach “customer service on steroids.” The tactic may be the reason for a significant drop in bank robberies. The newspaper cites an example of a bank employee who…

Apr 11, 2007 6:37 PM CDT

Snoop Dogg Charged with Gun, Drug Offenses

Rapper Snoop Dogg has been charged with felony gun and drug offenses, the Los Angeles Times reports. The charges stem from Snoop Dogg’s October arrest at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. Police stopped the performer for leaving his car too long in a passenger loading area and found a…

Apr 11, 2007 6:21 PM CDT

Judge in Pot Case Takes Leave

A Florida judge who was arrested for smoking pot in a park is taking an indefinite leave of absence. Broward County Judge Lawrence Korda told his supervisor yesterday that he would take voluntary leave, the Miami Herald reports. His decision came just one day after he began a new assignment…

Apr 11, 2007 4:42 PM CDT

Poll Majority: Gonzales Should Resign

A poll by the Los Angeles Times shows that most Americans believe Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign.

Apr 11, 2007 2:17 PM CDT

Duke Players Expect Announcement of Dropped Charges

Three former college lacrosse players accused in the Duke sexual assault case say they expect an announcement today that they will be cleared of the charges. The New York Times quotes defense lawyer Joseph B. Cheshire as saying he is “very comfortable” about the announcement that will be made at…

Apr 11, 2007 1:13 PM CDT

New Evidence in Astronaut, Spector Cases

British currency, unspecified pills and bondage photos on a computer disk were among the items found in a search of astronaut Lisa Nowak’s car after she was arrested in Florida for allegedly attempting to kidnap a romantic rival, according to documents released today by prosecutors, the AP reports. Meanwhile, a…

Apr 11, 2007 1:32 AM CDT

Gonzales Appoints New Chief of Staff

Kevin O’Connor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, was appointed today as chief of staff for embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He replaces Chuck Rosenberg, who served on an interim basis. Rosenberg replaced Kyle Sampson, who abruptly resigned in mid-March due to the growing controversy over the firing…

Apr 10, 2007 10:54 PM CDT

Gonzales Subpoenaed

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been subpoenaed by a House panel seeking documents concerning the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys, the Associated Press has reported. For more on the ongoing document dispute between the AG and Congress, see our blog stories earlier today and April 5. For more on the…

Apr 10, 2007 7:44 PM CDT