Why do we say that a graduating lawyer has “passed the bar”? To control rowdiness, a wooden bar was built across early courtrooms to separate the judge, lawyers, and other principle players…
Feds: Deaths from Heroin Overdose up 45 percent; Border Seizure of Heroin Up 320 Percent in Last Five Years
WASHINGTON D.C. – Deaths from heroin overdose are on the rise at an alarming rate, said the nation’s chief prosecutor. Between 2006 and 2010, deaths as a result of heroin overdose increased…
There is Always Legal Housekeeping to be Done Before the Start of a Trial
There is always legal housekeeping to do before the start of a criminal trial. Prosecutors and defense lawyers file pretrial motions with the court. These motions can include motions to suppress evidence,…
California Woman Who Stole Tens of Thousands of Dollars From Nuns Sent to Prison
CALIFORNIA – An Irvine woman who defrauded a group of Roman Catholic nuns out of $285,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to three years and a month in prison, according…
Two Former Law Enforcement Officers Plead Guilty to Trying to Sell Heroin to Inmates
PUERTO RICO – Two former law enforcement officers who attempted to sell smuggled heroin to inmates were given prison sentences on Thursday, according to federal prosecutors. Joel Torres-Velazquez, 49, of Guánica, Puerto…
ID Theft Ring Leader Sentenced to 10 Years, Thieves Stole More than 600 Identities
VIRGINIA — The leader of an identity theft ring that stole more than 600 identities from federal employees and others was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 12 years in prison,…
Mexican Texans Served in the Civil War, 2,500 Joined the Confederate Army
Secession and the Civil War deeply divided the Mexican Americans of Texas (Tejanos). Accusations of subversion and disloyalty before the war resulted in a reluctance by many of them to become involved…
Three Plead Guilty to Growing Pot, Seriously Damaging Ecosystem of a California Conservation Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Three Eureka, Calif. men plead guilty on Wednesday to growing marijuana in a national conservation area, and in doing so, caused serious damage to the environment, according to federal…
Coal Companies Pay Record Clean Water Act Fine, Agree to $200 Million in Improvements
VIRGINIA — One of the nation’s largest coal companies agreed to spend about $200 million to install and operate a waste water treatment systems and upgrade its operation to reduce discharges from coal…
The Pilgrims Left Europe Because They Feared Their Children Would Become Too Dutch
The myth: The Pilgrims escaped the religious intolerance of Europe to establish freedom in the New World. The truth: Frustrated with the Church of England the future Pilgrims left England for Amsterdam,…
Jail Supervisor Indicted for Preparing False Tax Refunds That Claimed Bogus Deductions
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — A jail supervisor, who recruited people from his jail to pay his wife to prepare and file tax returns that falsely claimed business losses, childcare and job expenses, charitable donations…
U.S. Recovers More than $458 Million Stolen from Nigeria by Former Dictator and Others
WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. froze more than $458 million that was hidden in bank accounts around the world by former and now-deceased Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha, according to a civil forfeiture complaint…