LEGAL NEWSLINE

Attorney General Mayes files amicus brief supporting Hualapai Tribe in water protection case

An important area for school safety planning that is often overlooked is school accessibility for students with disabilities. Accessibility barriers in public schools remain pervasive even decades after the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which bars disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Some of these barriers pose significant problems for ensuring school safety for students with disabilities. For example, students who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters must...

The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced the allocation of over $600 million in grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders nationwide. This funding aims to support various initiatives, including hiring new officers, enhancing school safety, expanding mental health and wellness services for law enforcement, and combating drug distribution and trafficking.

A 39-year-old Hocking County woman was sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison for raping two children, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.

Attorney General William Tong released a statement concerning Meta’s introduction of new Instagram Teen Accounts. The accounts, aimed at users aged 13-17, will feature enhanced privacy measures, messaging restrictions, more restrictive content settings, a sleep mode, and break reminders. Teens will have the ability to select topics of interest while parents can view these choices. However, Meta will continue enabling "infinite scroll" and serving content through its algorithm.

When signing the Voting Rights Act in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson called on leaders to register voters and to use the courts if necessary to defend the right.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul issued a joint statement today in response to Instagram's announcement of changes for underage account holders, including adjustments to privacy settings and overnight notifications. The modifications follow New York’s legislation empowering the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to implement rules aimed at protecting children online and addressing addictive social media feeds.

MADISON, Wis. – Today, Attorney General Josh Kaul commenced a series of visits with recipients of the EMS Leave Behind Program, funded by state opioid settlement funds secured by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ). The program enables EMS professionals to distribute overdose prevention tools and resources at the scene of care or after hospital transport to patients and their social networks.

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the arrest of a Monroe County man found with several pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine, illegal firearms, and 24 improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Richard Filbey, 62, of Ontonagon, pled guilty yesterday to one count of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult of $100,000 or More and one count of Tax Fraud. The charges stem from his actions while serving as power of attorney for an elderly woman. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that Filbey has agreed to pay more than $280,000 in restitution as part of the plea deal.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks on September 17, 2024, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). He began by acknowledging an ongoing FBI investigation into an apparent assassination attempt against a former official in Florida, emphasizing the Justice Department's commitment to thoroughly investigating the matter.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has mandated the use of the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System (MNDES) for submitting all electronic exhibits, including documents, photographs, audio files, and video files.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its report on the death of Joel Capellan, who died on October 16, 2022, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Manhattan. The investigation included a review of body-worn camera footage and security camera footage from nearby buildings, interviews with involved officers and witnesses, 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 were...

Certain members of the media, political organizations, candidates, and pro-abortion groups have attempted to create confusion regarding Louisiana's abortion laws for their own financial or political agendas. These organizations profit from the misinformation they spread.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a comment letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to uphold a federal legal block on California's Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. This regulation seeks to impose an electric-truck mandate on fleet owners, operators, and manufacturers, including those who operate in California for as little as one day per year. A coalition of 24 states argues that the EPA should not permit California to exceed its statutory and regulatory authority by implementing a mandate that could disrupt national logistics and...

The Justice Department announced today its withdrawal from the 1995 Bank Merger Guidelines, emphasizing that the 2023 Merger Guidelines remain its sole and authoritative statement across all industries.

LANSING — Yesterday, Colleen Kelly O’Connor, 58, of East Lansing, was sentenced to two years of probation with the first six months in jail by Judge Cori E. Barkman of the 29th Circuit Court in Clinton County for her role in the death of an 82-year-old woman in December 2022, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. O’Connor was convicted in June by a Clinton County jury of one count of Vulnerable Adult Abuse — Second Degree. The victim, who was under O’Connor’s care at Vista Springs Imperial Park at Timber Ridge, an assisted living facility in Clinton County, died of...

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced today the sentencing of the final four individuals out of a total of twelve defendants involved in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme. The scheme, which included identity theft and money laundering, resulted in an estimated loss of $15 million over several years. Charges from the April 2021 indictment included conspiracy, mortgage fraud, grand theft, identity theft, forgery, filing false or forged documents, and money laundering.

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has initiated an investigation into the death of Vilmond Jean-Baptiste, who died on September 13, 2024, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Brooklyn.

On September 17, 2024, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco delivered remarks on the 30th anniversary of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) in the Great Hall. In her speech, Monaco highlighted the significant contributions and achievements of the COPS Office since its inception in 1994.