LEGAL NEWSLINE

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming on August 13, 2024. In his address, Garland expressed gratitude to federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their collaborative efforts in combating violent crime.

Attorney General Griffin Clears Owners of Fort Smith Property Near Ebbing Air National Guard Base

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has led a coalition of attorneys general in challenging the Biden-Harris administration’s voter registration initiative. The coalition argues that Executive Order 14019, signed by President Biden in 2021, unlawfully directs federal agencies to engage in voter registration activities using funds allocated by Congress.

Today, with gratitude to the diligent efforts of Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections Secretary James M. LeBlanc and his staff, Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer circulated a “bench book” to every Louisiana state judge with jurisdiction in criminal cases as a resource in sentencing decisions. Chief Justice Weimer stated, “Because most incarcerated offenders will eventually be released, sentencing requirements during incarceration should be tailored—as much as possible—to reducing the likelihood of committing crimes after incarceration. The...

New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with the attorneys general of Connecticut and New Jersey, has secured $4.5 million from Enzo Biochem, Inc. (Enzo) for failing to adequately safeguard patient health information. Enzo, a biotechnology company providing diagnostic testing in laboratories across New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, was found by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to have poor data security practices. These deficiencies led to a ransomware attack compromising the personal and private information of approximately 2.4 million patients, including...

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the indictment and arrest of Frank Whittaker, 56, of Kingston, NY, and his daughter Christine Ellsworth, 38, of Accord, NY. They are accused of stealing over $280,000 from an elderly victim in Ulster County. The pair allegedly gained the trust of the then-92-year-old victim by providing lawn maintenance and household assistance before accessing her checkbook and finances. Whittaker was appointed as a Power of Attorney (POA) over the victim’s finances, enabling him and Ellsworth to misappropriate her life savings.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, along with attorneys general from 14 other states, submitted a comment letter to the Department of the Treasury, emphasizing the need for fair and unbiased regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the financial services sector. The letter urges the Department to focus solely on risks to financial reliability and consumer protection rather than politicizing AI regulation or blocking state laws.

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today that a suburban Cook County man was sentenced to prison for his role in the drug-induced homicide of a Carol Stream man who died after overdosing on fentanyl and heroin.

Krystal Davis, 37, of Detroit, was sentenced to two years' probation by Judge Bradley L. Cobb in the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County for operating as an unlicensed real estate agent and accountant. The announcement was made by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. In June, Davis pled no contest to one count of Accounting Violations-Unlicensed CPA and two counts of Occupational Code-Unlicensed Real Estate Agent.

A Florida man pleaded guilty today to evading nearly $2.4 million in taxes on income he earned from his business.

Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty today to all charges against him in the indictment returned by a federal grand jury in March 2024. The charges include conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official.

New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Edward Holmes, who died on February 24, 2024, after an encounter with members of the Buffalo Police Department (BPD) in Buffalo. Following a thorough investigation, which included a review of body-worn camera footage, interviews with involved officers, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ actions against Mr. Holmes were justified under...

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Cyber Crime Unit arrested a Slidell man on August 13, 2024.

America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against the New York District Attorney’s Office for allegedly withholding documents requested under the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). The records pertain to District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into former President Donald Trump.

Attorney General Tong joins multistate coalition to secure $4.5 million from biotech company for failing to protect health data

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against General Motors, alleging the company engaged in false, deceptive, and misleading business practices by unlawfully collecting and selling the private driving data of over 1.5 million Texans to insurance companies without their knowledge or consent.

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a South Kingstown man has been sentenced in Washington County Superior Court to serve 25 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) after pleading nolo contendere to multiple counts of child molestation against a victim under the age of 14 from 2015 to 2022.

The deadline for local governments and counties to register to receive funds from the $1.2 billion National Kroger Settlement is August 12.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced a petition calling on the Biden-Harris EPA to create a farming freedom rule to end misleading labels on glyphosate and stop California from dictating how Iowa farmers farm.

The Office of Special Prosecutions has completed its review of an officer-involved shooting from Nov. 1, 2023, involving Michael Grimes and Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Aaron Mobley, Trooper Scott McAfee, Trooper Trevor Norris, and North Slope Borough Police Department Officer John-Ashton Swope near Healy.