Blog

  • BP: Can Civil Remedies Be More of a Sting

    We recently saw BP settling with a record $4 billion in criminal fines and penalty. See here. And as noted then – "The guilty plea entered by BP provides that the 'Department agrees that, if requested to do so, it will advise any appropriate suspension or debarment authority that, in the Department's view, the defendant

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  • Position Open: Assistant Director, Office of Defender Services, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

    Job Title – Assistant Director (Office of Defender Services).  Check out this position here.   (esp)

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  • In the News & Around the Blogosphere

    Aaron Smith, CNN Money,  Feds charge hedge funder with $276 million insider trading scheme Paul Melia & Tom Brady, Independent.ie, Cases 'too complex' as white-collar convictions plummet DOJ Press Release, Former Executives of Stanford Financial Group Entities Convicted for Roles in Fraud Scheme DOJ Press Release, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the American

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  • A Victory for Discretion

    Guest Blogger – Steven H. Levin (Levin & Curlett LLC) In 2004, the then-US Attorney for the District of Maryland famously wrote in a leaked email that he wanted three front-page indictments by November of that year. Though open to interpretation, the impression left by the poorly-drafted missive is that prosecutors should seek headlines rather

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  • BP Settlement & Individuals Charged

    According to a DOJ press release – BP agreed "to pay a record $4 billion in criminal fines and penalties."  BP had an Information filed against it for "seaman's manslaughter," and violations of the "clean water act, migratory bird treaty act, and obstruction of congress." The guilty plea entered by BP provides that the "Department

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  • Happy Veteran’s Day

    With many thanks to those who served our country. (esp)

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  • United Water Case: Not Guilty. All Defendants. All Counts.

    by: Solomon L. Wisenberg In a major environmental prosecution out of the Northern District of Indiana, a great white collar team proves once again that you CAN go to trial and beat the government. The indictment alleged a conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act and 26 substantive violations by United Water Services and two of

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  • Billion Dollar “Unauthorized Trade” Suggests Criminal Statute Prohibiting “Reckless Trading”

    by: Lawrence S. Goldman  As the New York Times reports (see here), once again a trader has apparently taken an enormous bet with his employer's money and lost, thereby costing his employer, a small Connecticut brokerage firm, millions of dollars and threatening its continued existence.  David Miller, described by the Times as a "journeyman" with a

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  • NACDL Launches Publicly Available Restoration of Rights Database

    Check out NACDL's new resource for its members "a collection of individual downloadable documents that profile the law and practice in each U.S. jurisdiction relating to relief from the collateral consequences of conviction." The website notes: "The 54 jurisdictional profiles include provisions on loss and restoration of civil rights and firearms privileges, legal mechanisms for

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  • Voter Fraud

    The right to vote is one of the most important rights that we as U.S. citizens have in our democracy. The civil rights division of DOJ has set up a voting rights violations reporting website to provide general information for protecting this right. On their website here it states that "[I]f you believe that you have been

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