Criminal Law, Civil Rights

Criminal Background Checks Prone To Errors And Discrimination

by Intermountain Legal on 5/20/2013

A school bus driver with numerous DUI convictions. A nursing home attendant with several arrests for violent assault. An accountant who served time in jail for banking fraud. You are more likely to read a news story about a...more

Can the Government Search Your iPad or iPhone at the Border?

by Christopher Hopkins on 5/17/2013

Can the United States search your laptop, camera, iPhone/iPad, or other devices at the border? Read this article on the Fourth Amendment rights and exceptions....more

Racial Profiling in New York: Can It Be Stopped?

by Raiser & Kenniff, PC on 5/10/2013

In April 2012, the New York legislature passed Bill 2288, a law prohibiting police from using racial profiling. The legislation is intended to increase trust between community members and law enforcement officials by allowing...more

DOES AUTHORITY EXIST FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF BAIL LICENSING LAWS WITHOUT CERTIFICATION OF CRIMES BY THE...

by Bonnie Merrick on 5/6/2013

California attorney Joseph Cavallo was convicted of violating Title 10, CCR section 2071, "recommendation of attorney by bail licensee". The authority to prosecute violations of the bail licensing regulations lies with the...more

'Loss Prevention’ Isn’t About Saving Your Job

by Michele Bowman | Lawyers.com on 5/2/2013

Things can change fast at your job, but one thing hasn’t changed much over the years: employers’ use of “loss prevention” strategies to monitor, prevent, and punish internal theft and fraud. If your employer’s loss prevention...more

SKS Files Complaint With Milwaukee Fire And Police Commission For Death Of Derek Williams

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 4/30/2013

Derek Williams died in Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) custody in June 2011. Initially, the MPD determined that the police officers involved did nothing wrong. After the video was released showing Mr. Williams in the back...more

Milwaukee Fire And Police Commission Fails To Hold Police Officers Accountable For Misconduct

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 4/29/2013

The City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (“FPC”) is given extensive authority under Wisconsin law to review police officer misconduct. Despite being perhaps the most empowered civilian review board in the county, the...more

Legislators Say Failure To Render Aid Law Was Created For Cases Like The Death Of Derek Williams

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 4/22/2013

As reported yesterday on the Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. website, special prosecutor John Franke has reportedly decided not to charge three Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) officers involved in the death of Derek...more

Venezuela Post-Chavez- More of the Same INTERPOL Abuse?

by The Law Office of Michelle A. Estlund, P.A. on 4/22/2013

Now that Nicolas Maduro is the President of Venezuela, most hopes of political reform in Venezuela have been dashed, at least for the next six years...more

Immigrants Await Results of Suit Against U.S. and Jefferson County, Illinois

by Ronald Shapiro on 4/19/2013

It has now been more than two months since the National Immigrant Justice Center (“NIJC”) filed a lawsuit against officials of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and Jefferson County, Illinois relating to the...more

Prosecutor Claims Milwaukee Police Officers Engaged In A Pattern Of Illegal Conduct

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 4/15/2013

On Thursday, March 21, 2013, a motion hearing occurred regarding the four Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officers who face charges of conducting illegal strip searches and illegal body cavity searches. During the hearing,...more

Indiana Anti-Immigration Law Unconstitutional, Court Says

by Michele Bowman | Lawyers.com on 4/11/2013

A federal court on Mar. 28 struck down an Indiana law, inspired by Arizona’s infamous SB 1070, that reportedly allowed police to arrest immigrants without warrants. With that lawsuit, immigrant advocate groups have basically...more

Cops Must Pay $7M to Man Freed by DNA Evidence After 26 Years

by Sylvia Hsieh | Lawyers.com on 4/8/2013

Two retired cops must pay $7 million to a man they framed who served 26 years in prison for rape and murder until he was exonerated based on DNA evidence....more

VAWA Now Covers LBGTs and Native Americans

by Janet Raasch | Lawyers.com on 4/4/2013

Since passage of the original Violence Against Women Act in 1994, reported incidents of violence against women in the United States have decreased by an impressive two-thirds. Still, violence against women remains a...more

Red Notices and Russia - Why the raid on Amnesty International's offices matters

by The Law Office of Michelle A. Estlund, P.A. on 4/4/2013

The offices of Amnesty International in Russia were recently raided as part of an "audit," as reported in the New York Times by David Herszenhorn and Andrew Roth, here. Amnesty International is a leading non-governmental...more

U.S. Sentencing Commission Urged to Address Federal Prison Overcrowding

by Raiser & Kenniff, PC on 4/2/2013

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the population of the federal prison system has increased by nearly 700% from 1970 to 2005. Most of the increase in the population is due to the growth in the number of...more

Legal Alert: March Madness - Could Friendly Wagers Among Employees Put Your Organization At Risk?

by Joanna Rich, Salvador Simao | FordHarrison on 4/2/2013

March Madness, Super Bowl, and Fantasy Football pools have become ingrained in the American workplace and seem harmless to many; however, permitting such activities creates a wide range of risks for employers, from...more

Insights Into The Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Priorities For 2013

by BuckleySandler LLP on 4/1/2013

On March 20, 2013, Michael Bresnick, Executive Director of DOJ’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force gave a speech at the Exchequer Club of Washington, DC highlighting recent accomplishments of the Task Force and outlining...more

John Doe Investigation Into Death Of Brandon Johnson Begins Monday, March 4, 2013

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 3/18/2013

As previously reported on this blog, Brandon Johnson died on October 6, 2012 while a patient at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex for only three days. Although suffering from some psychiatric issues, he was...more

Ann Wilson Approved For Milwaukee Fire And Police Commission

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 3/18/2013

The City of Milwaukee Common Council has approved the appointment of Ann Wilson to the Fire and Police Commission (FPC). Initially, the council voted not to approve Ms. Wilson, who was appointed by Milwaukee Mayor Tom...more

Churchill Wisdom; On Advice

by Matthew Thompson on 3/18/2013

Listen to your Attorney. Listen to those professionals that you hire to tell you what to do!...more

Milwaukee Police Department Changes Policy Following Death Of Derek Williams

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 3/11/2013

Back in July 2011, Derek Williams died in Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) custody. An Inquest into the death led to an advisory jury verdict which determined that three MPD officers failed to render aid to Mr. Williams as...more

House Passes Violence Against Women Act

by William Flynn | Fowler White Boggs P.A. on 3/7/2013

As reported earlier this year, the 112th Congress failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA” or “Act”) by the end of its term. Fortunately, the Senate’s expanded version of the Act was passed by the House on...more

Could Innocent Employers Go to Jail? Sex, Gender Identity and Phoenix’s New Criminal Ordinance

by Sara J. Agne, Robert Feinberg | Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. on 3/4/2013

Opponents of newly approved amendments to the city of Phoenix’s Human Relations Ordinance (the Ordinance) had worried that the amendments could result in criminal penalties for employers and others who might bar transgender...more

Inquest Jury Recommends Criminal Charges In Death Of Derek Williams

by Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. on 3/4/2013

Back in July 2011, Derek Williams died in Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) custody. Initially, the MPD and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office determined that the MPD officers involved did nothing wrong. After...more

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Criminal Law › Civil Rights