Merely misleading statements aren’t illegal under false statements law, Supreme Court says

Merely misleading statements aren’t illegal under false statements law, Supreme Court says

A federal law that makes it a crime to knowingly make false statements to influence the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. does not punish statements that are merely misleading, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The high court ruled for Patrick Daley Thompson, a lawyer and a former alderman who is the grandson of former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and the nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, SCOTUSblog reports. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the unanimous March 21 decision.

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Iowa couple’s arrest prompts lawsuit alleging ‘wild west justice’ in Henry County

Iowa couple’s arrest prompts lawsuit alleging ‘wild west justice’ in Henry County

A Henry County family is suing the sheriff for false arrest and malicious prosecution, alleging the county has waged a campaign of “wild west justice” against them.

Curtis and Lori Wagler are suing Sheriff Rich McNamee, Henry County Deputy Carlos Lopez, and the county in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. They allege Lopez’s conduct was “so clearly abusive and in violation of the law that he earned his way to being the sole member of the county’s Brady-Giglio list” – a reference to the list of law enforcement officers known by prosecutors to have been untruthful in the course of their police work.

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Crime or Mistake? Why Intent Matters in the Law

Crime or Mistake? Why Intent Matters in the Law

Imagine being convicted of a crime—not because you intended to break the law, but simply because what you did was unknowingly illegal. That’s the problem we’re facing as mens rea (Latin for “guilty mind”) is increasingly ignored or watered down in our federal laws.

Without clear mens rea standards, innocent people can be punished for accidental or technical violations of the law. Additionally, the absence of intent requirements gives prosecutors unbridled discretion, which can lead to politically motivated or unfair charges.

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Canadian Sentenced to 25 Years for Attacking Energy Infrastructure in Dakotas

Canadian Sentenced to 25 Years for Attacking Energy Infrastructure in Dakotas

A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for intentionally damaging energy infrastructure facilities in both North and South Dakota, thanks in part to assistance from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office among several other agencies.

United States District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor issued the sentence to Cameron Monte Smith, 50, on Monday, March 10, 2025. The sentence was announced jointly by Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota.

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South Dakota governor signs bill loosening one of nation’s harshest drug laws

South Dakota governor signs bill loosening one of nation’s harshest drug laws

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has signed a bill that will loosen his state’s felony ingestion statutes, which are among the nation’s strictest laws on drug use.

Senate Bill 83 reduces first- and second-offense ingestion of controlled substances from class five felonies to class one misdemeanors. Maximum penalties for the charges, which typically stem from urine test results, will fall from five years in prison and a $10,000 fine to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

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Bill would impose felony for Iowa law officers who defy state immigration law

Bill would impose felony for Iowa law officers who defy state immigration law

Iowa law enforcement officials could be subject to a Class D felony charge if they defy state law on immigration enforcement under a bill approved by a House subcommittee Wednesday.

House Study Bill 285 states that law enforcement officers, including elected sheriffs, who “knowingly and intentionally” fail to comply with the state’s laws regarding federal immigration law enforcement, would face a Class D felony charge. The charge is punishable by up to five years in jail and fines of between $1,025 and $10,245.

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South Dakota’s lone death row inmate argues for new appeals in federal court

South Dakota’s lone death row inmate argues for new appeals in federal court

The only man on death row in South Dakota wants a federal judge to give him another set of appeals because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upended its prior guidance on the authority of federal bureaucrats.

In 2000, Briley Piper, Elijah Page and Darrell Hoadley tortured and killed Chester Allan Poage near Spearfish.

Piper and Page received death sentences; Hoadley was sentenced to life in prison.

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Attorney General Jackley Releases 2024 Crime in South Dakota Report

Attorney General Jackley Releases 2024 Crime in South Dakota Report

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that the overall number of reported criminal offenses reported statewide in 2024 increased 1.21 percent compared to 2023.

The Crime in South Dakota 2024 Report indicated that the number of reported criminal offenses was 67,959 in 2024 compared to 67,145 in 2023.

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Lawmakers approve sweeping approach to internet porn age verification

Lawmakers approve sweeping approach to internet porn age verification

More than a dozen states have passed or are considering laws to require porn sites to ask adults who want to visit them for personal information to prove their age.

So far, each of them — including Texas, whose law had an audience with the U.S. Supreme Court last month — have applied the rule to sites on which a third or more of the content counts as pornography.

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