2012 Criminal Law Legal News Archives

November 2012

CEO of Estate Planning Firm Pleads Guilty to Stealing from Dying Patients

Wednesday, 21 November, 2012

The president and CEO of Rhode Island-based Estate Planning Resources firm, Attorney Joseph A. Caramadre, along with his employee, Raymour Radhakrishnan, are being charged in a district court for multiple counts of fraud. Caramadre and Radhakrishnan both pleaded guilty to scheming and stealing millions of dollars by using the identities … continue reading

Man Receives 2-Year Sentence for Perjury During Jury Selection

Friday, 16 November, 2012

A potential juror in Massachusetts has received a two year prison sentence for misleading the trial judge about his relationship with the parties to the crime. When 23-year old Jonathon G. Ngarambe was called for jury duty for a gang-rape case, he told the judge and prosecutor that he did … continue reading

Supreme Court Will Decide if Police Can Gather DNA Upon Arrest

Tuesday, 13 November, 2012

On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will ask them to decide whether or not it is Constitutional for police to collect DNA without a warrant from people who have been arrested for serious crimes.  Twenty-seven states allow for police to collect DNA from suspects who … continue reading

Mass. Voters Approve Measure to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Wednesday, 7 November, 2012

In a landslide approval, Massachusetts voters said yes to a ballot question legalizing medical marijuana in yesterday’s election. Residents with debilitating medical conditions and consent from their physicians can now legally purchase marijuana to treat their pain from chronic illnesses. Ballot question number 3 passed with 63% in favor and … continue reading

October 2012

Federal Court Overturns Sentence of California's Longest Serving Death Row Inmate

Tuesday, 30 October, 2012

The fate of California’s longest serving death row inmate was decided by a federal appeals court on Monday.  Douglas Ray Stankewitz had his death sentence set aside after the court found one of his attorneys did not investigate the circumstances leading to his commission of murder. Stankewitz was one of … continue reading

Paul Ceglia Arrested for Fraud in Facebook Stake Claim

Monday, 29 October, 2012

Two years ago, Paul Ceglia filed a lawsuit that surprised many, claiming partial ownership of social network giant, Facebook. Ceglia insisted he made an agreement with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg entitling him to a 50 percent share of the company. Zuckerberg denied this and counter-claimed that the New York man … continue reading

L.A. Pet Stores to Sell Rescued Animals Only

Saturday, 27 October, 2012

Animal shelters across the country are overrun with cats and dogs. Sadly, many of them are euthanized if they do not make it into homes and animal activists have been searching for a solution for as long as shelters have been around. Now a new controversial Los Angeles ordinance requiring … continue reading

Supreme Court to Decide Dog Sniffing Cases on Halloween

Saturday, 20 October, 2012

On Halloween, the Supreme Court will hear two “dog sniffing” cases about whether or not a police dog’s interest is enough to provide the police probable cause to obtain a warrant or to conduct a warrantless search. These dog sniff cases will test the limits of a citizen’s right to … continue reading

US Supreme Court to Decide DUI Law on Mandatory Blood Tests

Thursday, 18 October, 2012

The US Supreme Court decided earlier this month to review law that allows police officers to draw blood from a suspected drunk driver without a search warrant. Many states in the past few years have implemented mandatory blood test measures in attempt to curb high numbers of drunk driving accidents. … continue reading

Chicago Cracks Down on Abusers of Disabled Parking Permits

Tuesday, 9 October, 2012

The city of Chicago has begun to take an aggressive stand against drivers who take advantage of a disabled-parking placard that either isn’t theirs or is in use when the handicapped person is not with them in the vehicle.  New punishments for the offense range from fines of $500 - … continue reading

Death Penalty Cost Sways Debate

Monday, 8 October, 2012

The Death Penalty has always been one of the most controversial issues in American criminal law, with citizens divided over the merits and moral implications of putting criminal offenders to death.  For years, debates have raged from cocktail parties to the halls of congress about whether or not it is … continue reading

New Criminal Indictments Issued for Former Five Madoff Employees

Tuesday, 2 October, 2012

More criminal fraud indictments have been issued for five former employees of Bernie Madoff as legal fallout from the multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme continues.  The US Attorney Office in Manhattan released charges yesterday against former Madoff employees Daniel Bonventre, Annette Bongiorno, Joann Crupi, Jerome O’Hara and George Perez. The indictment … continue reading

September 2012

John Edwards Smith: Innocent Man Freed After 19 Years in Prison

Tuesday, 25 September, 2012

John Edward Smith has finally been released, after spending 19 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Smith, who was 19 years old at the time of the murder, told police that he had been at his grandmother’s house during the hours when the shooting took place. He was … continue reading

North Carolina Passes Law Criminalizing Cyberbullying of Teachers

Tuesday, 25 September, 2012

Think back to your grade school years: most of us recall a bully or two, a class clown, or that one student who would talk back to a stern teacher from time to time. But most would agree that persistent bullying of a teacher was a very rare occasion; and … continue reading

Trayvon Martin's DNA Not Found on George Zimmerman's Gun: What About Zimmerman's Self-Defense Claim?

Sunday, 23 September, 2012

Trayvon Martin’s DNA was not found on the grip of George Zimmerman’s gun, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) report released by the Duval County state attorney Wednesday, September 19, 2012. However, the significance of the presence or absence of Martin’s DNA on the grip of the … continue reading

Parents Face Criminal Charges and Civil Liability for Underage Drinking

Monday, 17 September, 2012

Teenagers sneaking alcohol and throwing house parties while their parents are out of town has become a quintessential staple of American culture.  Tom Cruise in Risky Business, Kid n’ Play in House Party, McLovin and his friends in Superbad, and the ambitious teenagers in Project X represent a sample of … continue reading

Morris Garner Charged with Murder in Buttocks Transplant Death

Wednesday, 12 September, 2012

Morris Garner, a Jackson, Miss. transgender man, was charged with the murder of Georgia resident, Karima Gordon, who died from an injection used during an illegal buttocks transplant.  Garner, who goes by the name Tracey Lynn Garner as a woman, faces charges of what is known as depraved-heart murder, which could … continue reading

Zimmerman Gets a New Judge

Thursday, 6 September, 2012

 George Zimmerman has been assigned a new trial court judge after successfully petitioning the Florida appeals court. Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed 17 year old Trayvon Martin in a scuffle that shocked the nation, convinced the appeals court that he had a “reasonable fear” that Judge … continue reading

Child Pornography Victims Seek Criminal Restitution from Convicted Viewers

Thursday, 6 September, 2012

Online child pornography is one of the darkest downsides of an internet that makes everything available to those who know where to look.  Victims of child abuse suffer not only the pain and humiliation at the hands of their abusers, but can be agonized by the knowledge that pictures of … continue reading

Tracking Your Cell Phone Without a Warrant

Thursday, 6 September, 2012

We’ve all seen in movies and TV shows a scene where a tech savvy character who doesn’t want to be found has enough wits to throw away their cell phone so they can avoid the government tracking devices.  Most of us know enough about cell phones to recognize that these … continue reading

August 2012

Federal Judge Rules Online Poker a Game of Skill

Thursday, 30 August, 2012

It’s the age old argument, the one you should never bring up at Thanksgiving gatherings along with politics and religion. Is poker a game of chance or a game of skill? Is it lady luck that decides who will win and who will lose, or is it the most hardened, … continue reading