Sentencing/Post Conviction

45 Years After Medgar Evers’ Murder, His Work Continues

Every year, on June 12, Robert Stepney thinks about Medgar Evers, a college roommate who was like a brother to him. Shot on that day in Jackson, Miss., in 1963, as he got out of his car in front of his home a little after midnight, Evers died in front…

Jun 12, 2008 6:46 PM CDT

Supreme Court Rules Judges Don’t Have to Warn of Tougher Sentences

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that judges don’t have to warn defendants when they are considering a sentence tougher than recommended in the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The court ruled in the case of Richard Irizarry, sentenced to 60 months in prison for threatening to kill his ex-wife and her…

Jun 12, 2008 5:49 PM CDT

Convicted Minn. Double Murderer Attacks Attorney

Apparently feeling he had nothing left to lose, a Minnesota man convicted in a double murder case yesterday turned on his lawyer as a sentencing hearing began shortly after the jury verdict was announced. As he was being led into a Hennepin County courtroom for sentencing, Revelle Loving tackled his…

Jun 11, 2008 5:03 PM CDT

YouTube the Crime, YouTube the Time: Fla. Judge Orders Online Apology

Two cental Florida pranksters who posted a YouTube video of their drink-tossing attack on a fast food drive-through counter worker have been ordered by the judge in their battery and criminal mischief case to film and post an apology for their misconduct. In addition to serving 100 hours of community…

Jun 10, 2008 4:41 PM CDT

Employee Stole $685K From Law Firm & Partner’s Mom

A former paralegal and bookkeeper for a small Connecticut law firm proved to be a one-woman theft machine after she developed a gambling problem in 1998. Karen Davis-Jennings, 44, was sentenced yesterday by a federal judge to 16 months in prison for stealing more than $685,000 from the firm and…

Jun 10, 2008 3:31 PM CDT

Lawyer Appeals 90-Day Sentence for Obscene Courtroom Gesture

A criminal defense lawyer from Austin, Texas, is arguing his 90-day sentence for making an obscene courtroom gesture is excessive. In papers filed with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, lawyer Adam Reposa says the hearing into his conduct was not conducted properly, Texas Lawyer reports. “This was not a…

Jun 9, 2008 1:17 PM CDT

Sobbing Bookkeeper Sentenced for Stealing $4.3M From Brother’s Law Firm

Bookkeeper Anthony Galasso was sentenced to 2½ to 7½ years in prison Friday for embezzling $4.3 million from his brother’s law firm. Galasso sobbed and said he didn’t know what he was doing when he took the money from the Long Island law firm, Galasso, Langione, Catterson & LoFrumento, the…

Jun 9, 2008 12:45 PM CDT

NYT Columnist Raps Lerach’s ‘Brazen’ Article Defending Kickbacks

A New York Times business columnist says an article by a former securities class action lawyer serving time for paying kickbacks is “a brazen, shameful piece of work.” “Some guys just don’t know when to shut up,” writes columnist Joe Nocera. “William S. Lerach is one of those guys.” Lerach…

Jun 9, 2008 12:26 PM CDT

Texas Judge Sued for Courtroom Paddlings

Texas Judge Gustavo Garza keeps two paddles in his courtroom and he gives parents the option of putting them to use on their truant children to avoid a $500 fine. Now the parents of a child who opted for the paddling are suing the judge in an effort to oust…

Jun 6, 2008 1:31 PM CDT

Lerach Seeks Alcohol Treatment in Prison

Securities class action lawyer William Lerach, sentenced to two years in prison for paying kickbacks to lead plaintiffs, has asked the judge in his case to recommend him for an alcohol treatment program during his incarceration. Lerach’s lawyer, John Keker, made the request in a motion filed with the Los…

Jun 6, 2008 11:29 AM CDT

Report Cites Errors By DA’s Office in ‘Sadly Predictable’ Murder of Estranged Wife

Miscommunication, judgment errors and policy violations by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office helped create a situation in which it was possible for an abusive husband to murder his estranged wife, an internal report concludes. It has caused dismay both in the office and among domestic violence experts nationally,…

Jun 5, 2008 11:38 PM CDT

Luxe Prison Life: Plasma TV, King-Size Bed & $172K in Cash

The space wasn’t big—after all, it was a prison cell. But Genilson Lino da Silva, unlike other prisoners, reportedly had it all to himself. Plus, the convicted gangster had somehow managed to furnish it in deluxe fashion. The cell contained a plasma television, king-size bed, a DVD player, two guns…

Jun 5, 2008 4:04 PM CDT

Law Firm Fights Fla. Teen’s 30-Year Sentence for Deadly Driving

William Thornton IV was reportedly driving without a valid license when he skidded through a stop sign on a poorly lit road in Citrus County, Fla., in 2004. Both occupants of the vehicle he hit, who weren’t wearing their seatbelts, were thrown from their SUV and died. But Thornton, who…

Jun 5, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

Probation Chopped to Four Minutes in Tree-Cutting Case

A woman from Lake Tahoe, Nev., who pleaded guilty to chopping down trees on national forest land will have to pay hefty restitution and do community service, but her probation period is already over. Patricia Vincent served only about four minutes on probation after U.S. Attorney Ron Rachow told a…

Jun 5, 2008 3:14 PM CDT

Ohio Juvenile Judge Offers Sentencing Option of Blood Donation

Blood transfusions may have helped save the life of a Cleveland juvenile court judge when at the age of 17 he became paralyzed from the neck down in a trampoline accident. Now Judge Peter Sikora is offering juvenile offenders the chance to help others in life-or-death situations by allowing older…

Jun 4, 2008 7:19 PM CDT