Legal News

Authority On Wrongful Convictions Says U.S. Judicial System Is Weighted Against Claims Of Innocence

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 5:00am

LINCOLN — A national authority on wrongful convictions said he was immediately puzzled by the case of Earnest Jackson, an Omaha man found guilty of first-degree murder as an accomplice to two other men who were acquitted of the crime.

It’s exceedingly rare, said Northeastern University law professor Daniel Medwed, that an accomplice could be found guilty when the suspected main actors are not.

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Judges’ Salary Increase Clears First Round

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 4:00am

Senators amended and advanced a bill from general file April 11 that would increase salaries for Nebraska judges as part of the state’s two-year budgeting process.

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Judge Blocks Rules Intended To Protect Nation's Waterways

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 1:00am

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a federal rule in 24 states that is intended to protect thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways throughout the nation.

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Property Tax Portion Of Nebraska’s Tax-Relief Package Advances 41-0

Published by Nikki Palmer on Thu, 04/06/2023 - 5:00am

LINCOLN — The property tax portion of the Nebraska Legislature’s push for a tax relief package took a major step Monday toward passage.

Senators passed Legislative Bill 243 on the first round of debate, 41-1.

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Home Sellers Can Sue As Class Action Against NAR & Brokerages, Federal Judge Says

Published by Nikki Palmer on Thu, 04/06/2023 - 2:00am

In late March, a federal judge in in Northern Illinois said home sellers accusing the National Association of Realtors (and a group of real estate brokerages) of conspiring to inflate commission rates can move forward as a class action lawsuit. According to a report from Reuters, U.S.

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Book Thief In Plot That Duped Famous Authors Avoids Prison

Published by Nikki Palmer on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 4:00am

NEW YORK (AP) — It was the stuff of novels: For years, a con artist plagued the publishing industry, impersonating editors and agents to pull off hundreds of literary heists. But the manuscripts obtained from high-profile authors were never resold or leaked, rendering the thefts all the more perplexing.

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Supreme Court Grapples With Use Of Confession In Joint Trial

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 03/31/2023 - 4:00am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday grappled with whether a man serving a life sentence for his role on an international "kill team" should get a new trial.

The justices heard 90 minutes of lively arguments about a situation that sometimes arises in criminal trials with more than one defendant, when one person's confession might also implicate someone else on trial.

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New Interfaith Coalition Names Top ‘Justice’ Concerns, Plans To Pressure Lincoln Area Officials For Solutions

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 03/31/2023 - 3:00am

LINCOLN — About 20 religious groups from across Lancaster County have formed a new interfaith coalition and plan to push public officials for help on two subjects: criminal justice reform and mental health care.

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'Speak Out Act' Signed Into Law

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 5:00am

The Speak Out Act was signed into law on December 7, 2022. The intended purpose of the Act is to empower and encourage survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment to come forward. The Act arises out of the #MeToo movement and is evidence that the movement is gaining renewed momentum since the pandemic.

In the Act, Congress made the following findings:

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Biggest Racial Gap In Prison Is Among Violent Offenders – Focusing On Intervention Instead Of Incarceration Could Change The Numbers

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 4:00am

Racial disparities in state imprisonment rates dropped significantly during the first two decades of the 21st century.

That’s one of the main findings from a report published by one of us in late 2022, along with Georgia State University colleague William Sabol, for the Council on Criminal Justice, nonpartisan think tank.