LEGAL NEWSLINE

Attorney General Raoul charges Bureau County man with possession of child sexual abuse material

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of William Robert Rattazzi, 73, of Charleston, S.C., on one charge connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Charleston Police Department, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, all also members of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

The Iowa Supreme Court today announced its 2024-2025 adjudicative term calendar. The schedule includes special evening sessions in Des Moines, sessions at Drake and Iowa law schools, and three special sessions in various communities to hear oral arguments. The adjudicative term, when the supreme court hears oral arguments and writes the majority of its published opinions, spans from September 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined 18 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting Michigan in the case of Catholic Charities v. Whitmer. The lawsuit challenges Michigan's ban on licensed health care providers offering conversion therapy for minors, a practice aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a former State College psychologist was convicted this week for the rape and sexual assault of a young girl from 2005 to 2013.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has led a coalition of 24 attorneys general in seeking answers from the nation's top asset managers regarding their support for environmental shareholder proposals. The letter, sent Thursday to 25 asset managers, raises concerns about potential violations of fiduciary duties by these managers. The proposals in question were recommended by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and flagged by the environmental activist group Ceres.

The Windham Superior Court in Brattleboro will commence renovations on September 3, 2024. These renovations are anticipated to last approximately one year. Due to construction, hearings may be relocated to a different courtroom within the building or to Newfane. There may also be occasions where in-person sessions switch to remote formats. Parties will be notified promptly if such changes occur.

Attorney General Chris Carr announced today that Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard has entered a guilty plea for unlawfully acquiring funds from Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC) to cover personal expenses. These include unauthorized travel expenditures and the misuse of Local Victim Assistance Programs (LVAP) funds.

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the sentencing of Tyreese Lewis, the head of an organized conspiracy to defraud central Pennsylvania residents and financial institutions of approximately $2 million.

Attorney General Raoul highlights efforts to protect workers in annual Labor Day report

All Maine Judicial Branch courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts will be closed Monday, September 2, 2024, in observance of Labor Day.

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Warren man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to serve 40 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) after pleading guilty to attempting to kill his mother in 2021.

Attorney General Raoul charges Cumberland County man with production, possession of child sexual abuse material

The Post-Adjudication Reparative Program Working Group (PARPWG) will hold a meeting on Wednesday, September 4, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Members of the public are invited to join via Microsoft Teams.

LANSING – Rafael Rodriguez, 44, of Florida, pled guilty today to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony, in the 42nd Circuit Court in Midland County for rent thefts across the eastern half of the state, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. As part of the plea, Rodriguez has agreed to a restitution order of $36,235. Juan Miguel Rodriguez-Venegas, 55, of Florida, who pled guilty to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise for the same crime earlier this month, has also agreed to pay $36,235 in restitution.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a settlement with professional fundraiser Ride to The Chip, LLC (RTTC) and its founders Tyrone Creer and Alice Arenson. In an Assurance of Discontinuance, Attorney General Ellison alleges that RTTC improperly withheld a portion of the funds raised for its charitable partner, the Magnus Veterans Foundation (MVF). The Assurance also claims that RTTC misleadingly stated that 100% of the funds raised would go to charity while some were used for profit and failed to provide legally required disclosures about its for-profit status....

State Court Administrator Sally Holewa was awarded the Gerald W. VandeWalle Medal at the 2024 annual meeting of the State Bar Association of North Dakota. The recipient of the VandeWalle Medal is chosen by the State Bar Association’s Board of Governors and recognizes individuals for their significant dedication and contributions to the administration of justice or the improvement of the judicial system.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has expressed approval of recent decisions issued by the Michigan Supreme Court concerning Covid-19 emergency orders and a former Shelby Township clergyman’s conviction.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to uphold a 2021 district court decision that supports a Florida law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms. The law also prevents federally licensed firearms dealers from selling firearms to anyone younger than 21. This legal brief, filed in the case National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, cautions that overturning the Florida law could weaken state efforts to implement similar age...

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Timothy Ray Taylor, 26, of Greenville, S.C., on six charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office, also a member of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.