Criminal Law

In my last post, I noted that I am doing more work in the area of extradition. The news generated a lot of great questions, many of which I hope Read more about Detention and Release in Extradition […]

If you served on a jury in a criminal case — particularly one involving violence, sexual assault, abuse, or the death of a child or adult — you may be…

Willie Sutton was famously asked why he robbed banks. His answer was illuminating: Because that’s where  the money is. And that lesson has been taken to heart by New York City’s new Democratic […]

Healthcare fraud enforcement in California—particularly involving Medicare, Medi-Cal, and hospice services—has intensified dramatically in recent years. Federal and state prosecutors are […]

In California, homicide offenses are divided into distinct categories based on the defendant’s mental state, intent, and the surrounding circumstances of the killing. Among the most serious […]

The wisdom of having the Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, do the Sunday morning talk shows was questionable to begin with. He’s not a media personality, like others favored by Trump, and […]

Our last open thread is about to hit 200 comments and close. Here is a new one all topics welcome. I’ll add some content here when I’m done with work for the day. In the meantime, it’s your turn.

A Greensboro, NC, police academy cadet has been charged with impersonating a police officer, per this story from local media. Maceo John Cannon, 20, allegedly confronted a woman about her Read more […]

This week I had to buy a new printer for my wife’s clinic as her old one bit the dust. I’m not particularly upset about the loss of this printer. If we’re being completely honest, her staff […]

In what can only charitably be called testimony, Secretary of War Defense Pete Hegseth responded to a question by Senator Tim Kaine as to the administration’s plans for today. Today is the 60th day […]

Technically, Justice Sam Alito’s 6-3 majority opinion doesn’t kill the Voting Rights Act, as he allowed that Section 2, prohibiting the dilution of minority voting rights by gerrymandering to […]

Some might think that I, as a criminal defense lawyer, would take comfort in the serial failures of the Department of Justice and its United States Attorneys’ offices across the country. The flight […]

In late March The Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS) instituted a new process for the appointment and payment of counsel for cases in which a juvenile between the ages Read more about […]

Not that Jeanine Pirro couldn’t screw up anything she touched, but she looked adamant and sober when she stated, “Make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the President of the […]

Democrats have introduced numerous war powers resolutions in Congress, to no avail. They knew, or should have known, that these bills were performative and had no chance of passing, but they did so […]

What H-E-B v. Peterson Means for Injured Texans If you slip and fall in a Texas grocery store, gas station, or restaurant, can you sue? The answer just got more…

Regardless of how many things one thinks Trump has done poorly, one thing he’s excelled at is taking advantage of his position for personal and familiar financial gain. Hey, everybody has their […]

Domestic assault by strangulation is one of the more serious and often misunderstood charges in Minnesota criminal law. It comes up more frequently than many people expect, yet there remains […]

A Fort Bragg solider stands accused of using confidential national security information to place lucrative bets on the ousting of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. According to this article, […]

Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas is a private island owned largely by the Norwegian Cruise Line family of companies. This is not as glamorous as it sounds. Let me explain. Back in the day in […]

As I mentioned last month, Timothy Heinle and I are nearing completion of an updated Superior Court Judges’ Benchbook chapter on Evidence Issues in Criminal Cases Involving Child Victims and Read […]

State v. Contreras-Sanchez Decision On April 15, 2026, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a significant decision in State v. Contreras-Sanchez, a case that squarely addresses modern digital privacy […]

This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during March 2026. Cases of potential interest to state practitioners are summarized […]

Finally, a new open thread, all topics welcome. It’s good to know you are never too old to work for DOJ, even in a position which requires the use of your brain, if you have the right […]

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its Monday orders list this morning with the results from last week’s conference. The high court sent one law enforcement civil case back to the court of appeals and […]

This post summaries the published opinions in criminal cases issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on April 15, 2026. Sufficient evidence supported denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss […]

Since the Texas Supreme Court decided Gregory v. Chohan in June 2023, civil plaintiffs’ lawyers across Texas have been keeping a close eye on how to best prove up noneconomic…

CJLF’s main website, www.cjlf.org, is in transition to a new site now live. The post CJLF Website in Transition appeared first on Crime & Consequences.

Being wrongfully accused of a crime is one of the most distressing and frightening experiences a person can face. Whether it is due to mistaken identity, false allegations, or misleading evidence, […]

Iryna’s Law Studies. The North Carolina Collaboratory recently issued its Preliminary Report on the Intersection of Mental Health and the Justice Systems for both Adults and Juveniles in North […]

A few years ago, T-shirts and coffee mugs with the phrase “Please do not confuse your Google search with my law degree,” were making the rounds. What simpler times those Read more about […]

The statutory right to use deadly force in self-defense is not available to one who was committing a felony. G.S. 14-51.4(1). In State v. McLymore, 380 N.C. 185 (2022), the Read more about Time’s […]

What Are Domestic Violence Charges in Texas? In Texas, “domestic violence” is not a standalone charge. It is a label applied to assault and related offenses when the alleged victim…

In Texas, being engaged in criminal activity does not automatically eliminate your right to claim self-defense. It costs you a legal presumption, not the defense itself. A landmark 2026 decision…

The rumors are true. Donald Trump has fired Pam Bondi. Todd Blanche, one of his personal lawyers from his criminal trial in New York and a former federal prosecutor, currently serving as Deputy AG, […]

Donald Trump sounds out of breath. Iran’s navy is dead. Never in the history of warfare has a country suffered such a devastating loss. He starts with a lie and will just keep going. We are […]

The Los Angeles District Attorney has this press release on the case of previously convicted double murderer who has now been convicted of a third murder. If the laws in effect at the time of the […]

Mental Health Diversion and Collaborative Courts in Orange County: What Defendants Need to Know In recent years, the Superior Court of California, County of Orange has significantly expanded the […]

The U.S. Supreme Court decided one case today, Olivier v. City of Brandon. The court pruned back a bit on a precedent set in 1994 to stop convicted criminals from using civil suits to evade the […]

Our last open thread is full. Here’s a new one, all topics welcome. The “war” in Iran continues. Israel is picking off Iranian leaders, one by one. Iran continues its drone attacks, and the […]

When someone is accused of illegally structuring bank deposits, the legal process can feel confusing and intimidating. Many people are surprised to learn that what seemed like a routine banking […]

Discovering that there is a warrant for your arrest can be a stressful and overwhelming experience. Whether you learned about it through a background check, a law enforcement notice, or another […]

What Does “Structuring” Bank Deposits Mean? Clients frequently ask me questions about handling large amounts of money.  Let’s start with the basics. The word “structuring” sounds […]

When prosecutors cannot make their case through live, in-court testimony, they often turn to hearsay — especially alleged victim statements made to police, medical providers, or third parties. In […]

If a police officer asks to search your car during a traffic stop, you may wonder whether they are legally allowed to do it without a warrant. In Texas, police can search a vehicle without a warrant […]

It’s hard to believe only four weeks ago the U.S., at the whim of Donald Trump, invaded Venezuela to snatch its leader Nicolas Maduro. The New York Times (free link) reports he thinks his strategy […]

The photo above is of the burning Fairmont Hotel in Dubai, which Tehran hit with drones this past weekend in retaliation for the strikes on Iran. The Wall St. Journal, (free link) which posted a […]

The House Oversight Committee has released the videos of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s depositions on Jeffrey Epstein. You can watch Bill here and Hillary here. Hillary was feisty and her opening […]

Notorious California sexual predator David Funston (see this post) was released on parole yesterday under the state’s misguided “elderly” parole law and promptly taken into custody on new […]

When a defendant in a criminal case chooses to testify, and there is an overnight break in the middle of the testimony, can the trial judge forbid the lawyer to talk to the client about the […]