The Justice Department announced it resolved a civil rights review of the South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) that will improve access to state courts for people with limited English proficiency (LEP). Continue reading “Justice Dept. Resolves Civil Rights Review of SD Unified Judicial System”
The South Dakota Supreme Court has expanded its professional conduct rules so that lawyers can more thoroughly advise clients regarding marijuana. Continue reading “Justices add a marijuana rule for lawyers”
Prosecutions and federal felony cases matters, many – if not most – arrests do not end up as a criminal conviction with formal sentencing after a full trial before a judge or jury, but instead are resolved out of the courtroom in what is called “plea bargaining.” This involves attorneys representing both the government and the accused entering into negotiations without formal hearings or judicial input. Continue reading “Plea bargaining and making deals in federal felony cases”
More than half a century since they were modernized, hate crime laws in the U.S. are inconsistent and provide incomplete methods for addressing bias-motivated violence, according to a new report by advocates for better protections. Continue reading “Hate crime laws lack uniformity across the US”
A prohibition on interstate use or cultivation of marijuana may no longer be necessary or proper to support the federal government’s piecemeal approach,” Thomas, one of the court’s most conservative justices, wrote in a statement.
Continue reading “Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says federal marijuana laws may be outdated”
Criminal Law – Greer’s legal team argued he had a right to challenge his conviction under a 2019 case, Rehaif v. United States. Continue reading “Supreme Court issues ruling clarifying criminal law procedure”
In a major foray into gun rights, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a lower court ruling that upheld New York’s restrictive gun-perm law. Continue reading “Supreme Court Takes Up First Major Gun Rights Case In More Than A Decade”
The U.S. Sentencing Commission on Monday said the number of federal criminal cases dropped by more than 15% in 2020 compared with the prior year, a sign of the COVID-19 pandemic’s outsized effect on federal criminal proceedings. Continue reading “Federal Criminal Cases Dropped In 2020”
The House on Friday passed a comprehensive reform bill ending federal prohibitions on marijuana in a historic vote that marks the next significant step forward in the growing movement to legalize cannabis in the U.S.
Continue reading “House Approves Federal Marijuana Decriminalization in Historic Vote”
Voters in five states in the general election approved have legalized marijuana usage. Husch Blackwell LLP attorneys say employers need to understand the new laws and workplace obligations and use caution when drug testing employees for marijuana in states that have legalized medical or off-duty use of the drug. Continue reading “As More States Legalize Marijuana, Employers Need These Guidelines”