Sentencing/Post Conviction

Top La. Court Nixes Lawyer’s Argument That Judicial Bribery Scheme Doesn’t Call for Disbarment

A suspended Louisiana trial lawyer has been permanently disbarred for his role in a Mississippi judicial bribery scheme. Rejecting arguments by Paul S. Minor that attorney discipline should not take place until his criminal appeals are final and that disbarment is too harsh a punishment, given the mitigating circumstances, the…

Oct 19, 2012 10:00 PM CDT

After Appeals Court Nixes Reversed Conviction of Anna Nicole Smith’s Boyfriend-Lawyer, What Next?

Confusion reigned following news that a California appellate court has determined that a trial judge erroneously reversed the conviction of Anna Nicole Smith’s onetime boyfriend and lawyer, in a relatively minor criminal conspiracy case concerning prescription drugs supplied to the now-deceased celebrity and former Playboy bunny. Lawyers said they aren’t…

Oct 19, 2012 7:08 PM CDT

Texas Bar Files Disciplinary Case Against Ex-DA, Who Is Now a Judge, re Murder Prosecution

A former district attorney who is now a Texas judge is facing a state bar disciplinary case, accused of withholding evidence and making false statements during the 1987 trial of Michael Morton for the murder of his wife. Former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson, who was named prosecutor of…

Oct 19, 2012 6:02 PM CDT

Lawyer Blasted by Ky. Judge Who Called Case ‘Ridiculous,’ Client a ‘Carcass’ Now Seeks His Removal

A lawyer who was blasted by a senior Kentucky judge during a videotaped hearing that has generated much comment from observers has now filed a removal motion seeking a new jurist to oversee his client’s motion for a new trial in a capital murder case. “It is my opinion that…

Oct 16, 2012 9:58 PM CDT

Class Action Seeks Hearings for ‘Forgotten’ Chicago Police Torture Victims

In what is being billed as a first-of-its-kind filing in Cook County, two legal clinics supported by big-name members of the legal community are pursuing a criminal court class action seeking hearings for all imprisoned individuals with “credible claims” of having been tortured into confessing to murder by Chicago police.…

Oct 16, 2012 9:23 PM CDT

Lead Drew Peterson Defense Lawyer Stays on Case, Calls Competing Attorneys ‘Bottom Feeders’

A court hearing Friday in suburban Chicago seemingly provided at least a temporary answer to a question that has been hotly debated in news articles lately: Is lead defense lawyer Joel Brodsky still representing now-convicted murderer Drew Peterson? Or has Brodsky been axed, in favor of the outside lawyers who…

Oct 12, 2012 8:38 PM CDT

Chief US District Judge Says Mass. Crime Lab Problems Impact at Least 100 to 200 Federal Cases

It isn’t just thousands of state court cases that have been thrown into a state of uncertainty by problems at a Massachusetts facility that tests drug samples used to prosecute criminal cases. Federal courts in Massachusetts also relied on the state’s crime laboratory to provide accurate information about evidence used…

Oct 11, 2012 8:22 PM CDT

Outside Lawyer Files Motion for New Murder Trial for Drew Peterson; Lead Counsel Calls It ‘Insanity’

Updated: In the latest bizarre twist in a high-profile murder conviction against a former suburban Chicago police officer for the death of his third wife, a lawyer not previously involved in the case has filed a motion seeking a new trial for Drew Peterson. Attorney John Paul Carroll said in…

Oct 10, 2012 3:59 PM CDT

High Court Appears Skeptical of Indefinite Stays for Competency in Capital Appeals

In oral arguments on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared unlikely to uphold indefinite stays when inmates lack competency to aid their lawyers in capital appeals. Lawyers for death-row inmates Ernest Gonzales of Arizona and Sean Carter of Ohio argued that inmates must be mentally competent to assist their appellate…

Oct 10, 2012 12:59 PM CDT

See the Video: Angry Judge Blasts ‘Backseat Driver’ Appellate Counsel in High-Profile Murder Case

Updated: In an action-packed Sept. 28 hearing, a Kentucky senior judge blasts an appellate lawyer seeking a new trial for his client in a high-profile murder case. As the camera rolls, retired Jefferson Circuit Judge Martin McDonald repeatedly criticizes assistant public advocate David Barron and cuts him off as he…

Oct 9, 2012 7:37 PM CDT

Sandusky Is Sentenced to a Minimum 30 Years in Prison; Lawyer Says Client Was Also a ‘Gentleman’

Jerry Sandusky was sentenced today to 30 to 60 years in prison for molesting 10 children while working as an assistant football coach at Penn State. Barring a successful appeal, the 68-year-old Sandusky will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Allentown Morning Call,…

Oct 9, 2012 2:38 PM CDT

Initially on Probation for $166K Client Theft, Ohio Lawyer Gets Over 8 Years for Probation Violation

Agatha Martin Williams asked an Ohio judge on Thursday for another chance to try to straighten out her life. But she didn’t get it. “Doesn’t happen that way, particularly does not happen when you’re an attorney,” said Stark County Common Pleas Judge Charles E. Brown Jr. at a Thursday hearing.…

Oct 5, 2012 4:30 PM CDT

As Lawsuits Swirl, Judge Tells Lawyer to Take Down RipoffReport Comment re Ex-Client Law Student

Apparently angry about what he perceived as unfairly critical online comments on RipoffReport by an anonymous former client, a New York lawyer allegedly responded publicly to the posts last year, making reference to the ex-client’s criminal case history and calling him “emotionally disturbed.” The former client, a Brooklyn law student,…

Oct 5, 2012 3:30 PM CDT

Handcuffed Defendant Takes Plea, Decks Defense Counsel with a Single Punch, Gets 6 Months More Time

A handcuffed defendant suddenly took a swing at defense counsel in court after pleading guilty on Tuesday in a South Carolina criminal case, knocking the surprised attorney backward to the floor as a security camera caught the entire incident. Already sentenced to the 15-year maximum Tuesday as a result of…

Oct 4, 2012 6:26 PM CDT

NY Appeals Court: Top US Court’s Padilla Ruling Applies re ‘96 Plea Now Blamed on Counsel’s Advice

Sixteen years after Roman Baret’s guilty plea in 1996 to criminal sale of a controlled substance, a New York appeals court has held that the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2010 ruling in Padilla v. Kentucky applies retroactively. It requires defense lawyers to advise clients of any adverse immigration consequences of…

Oct 4, 2012 4:34 PM CDT