Sentencing Law

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.27.16

* Dig if you will the picture, of you and I engaged in a... probate battle? Uh-oh! In documents filed in a Carver County, Minnesota, probate court, Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, claims that the music icon -- whose estate is said to have been valued at about $300 million -- died without a will. [USA Today] * "[L]ook, if he's not our nominee, I think he would be a great replacement for Scalia." Despite the fact that Senator Ted Cruz previously insisted that he wasn't interested in being nominated to replace the late Antonin Scalia as a SCOTUS justice, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) thinks Cruz is the man for the job. [The Hill] * Dentons says $2 million was "erroneously allocated" to McKenna Long & Aldridge partners during a merger with Luce Forward, and now the Biglaw behemoth really wants the money back. Partner's aren't pleased, griping that "this is a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of merging with Dentons." [National Law Journal via Big Law Business] * Today is sentencing day for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The accused child abuser faces up to five years in prison for attempting to cover up his hush-money payoffs, but prosecutors have asked that he serve no more than six months. We wonder how his Biglaw supporters will feel if he receives a stiff sentence. [Chicago Sun-Times] * Indiana Tech Law School will soon hold a commencement ceremony for its inaugural graduating class of 21 students. These soon-to-be law school graduates say that one of the main reasons they chose to attend the school was its low cost of tuition. Not having a lot of debt is a great thing when your job prospects are uncertain. Congrats! [21Alive]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.20.16

* Puff, puff, pass the vote! In honor of today's nationwide holiday for cannabis aficionados, these are all of the states that have legalized marijuana, be it for either recreational or medical use. This year, at least 10 more states may legalize weed by ballot referendum for recreational use, and pot could be rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Agency depending on the outcome of the upcoming election. [Refinery 29] * Members of student activist group Reclaim Harvard Law have demanded that the prestigious law school eliminate tuition completely. They propose that the school dip into its endowment to cover tuition, or cut costs like faculty salaries to make debt-free legal education a reality. This won't happen, but it's a nice thought. [Harvard Crimson] * The ABA is investigating Brigham Young Law's policy of expelling ex-Mormon students. Per ABA guidelines, law schools can't discriminate on the basis of religion, and yet the BYU honor code requires students to get annual endorsements from LDS Church members -- endorsements for which former Mormons aren't eligible. [WSJ Law Blog] * Pharma bro Martin Shkreli was dropped from a lawsuit related to his purchase of the only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's latest album, "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." It's likely plaintiff Jason Koza, who claims his art was used for the album without his approval, dumped Shkreli due to a purchase-agreement indemnity clause. [New York Post] * Because a judge reduced his manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide at the last minute, former NYPD Officer Peter Liang will not serve jail time for the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley. Liang once faced up to 15 years in prison, but instead he was sentenced to five years of probation and 800 hours of community service. [CNN]

Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

By Staci Zaretsky
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By Barbri
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.14.16

* "You're not getting out of jail today." Affluenza teen Ethan Couch has been sentenced as an affluenza adult to serve four consecutive 180-day terms for each person who was killed in a fatal drunken-driving car crash he caused in 2013. The judge may reconsider Couch's sentence in two weeks. [NBC News] * Who will be the next chair of Baker & McKenzie? Four prominent partners have put their names forward to compete for the title. This would be much more entertaining if it were a Biglaw ladder match where we could watch Paul Rawlinson, Gary Senior, Claudia Prado, and Eric Lasry fight for the shiniest brass ring of them all. [Big Law Business] * If only law schools had more clinical opportunities for future corporate drones: Law schools have offered students more chances to perform public interest work, but this law professor worries schools are "inculcat[ing] law students with a responsibility of social justice that reflects the morality of the faculty and administration." [WSJ Law Blog] * "It doesn't cry out as a triable case." Andrew Caspersen, the high-flying Harvard Law grad charged with a $95 million fraud scheme, likely won't face trial. His lawyer says that he thinks his client's criminal case will be resolved within the next 60 days. He thinks the case will end in a settlement with the SEC. [DealBook / New York Times] * Sources say that Donald Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski will not be prosecuted for battery after an incident with former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields following a press conference in March. Apparently the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office has a "higher standard to go forward with a prosecution." [POLITICO]

Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.29.16

* Legal showdown averted (for now): the feds were able to access the data on the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone without any help from Apple. [Washington Post] * A Harvard Law School grad stands accused of a $95 million fraud scheme -- yikes. We'll have more on this later. [ABA Journal] * Does a sentencing delay violate the Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial? Some on SCOTUS seem skeptical. [How Appealing] * Georgia Governor Nathan Deal announces his intention to veto the Free Exercise Protection Act, which critics claimed would have protected discrimination as a form of religious liberty. [New York Times] * Hillary Clinton takes Republicans to task for their handling of the current Supreme Court vacancy. [Wisconsin State Journal via How Appealing] * Some thoughts from Professor Noah Feldman on the recent Seventh Circuit ruling about the use of form contracts on the internet (which nobody reads). [Bloomberg View] * Save money (on taxes), live better: a federal judge strikes down a tax levied by Puerto Rico on mega-retailer Wal-Mart. [Reuters] * The Bracewell law firm, now sans Giuliani, elects Gregory Bopp as its new managing partner. [Texas Lawyer]

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.25.16

* "I have standing to sue. Can you imagine if I did it? Should I do it just for fun?" Republican front-runner Donald Trump is floating a possible lawsuit against Ted Cruz over the senator's eligibility to run for POTUS -- because litigation is so much fun! [The Hill] * Everyone likes to think Justice Antonin Scalia is a crazy curmudgeon, but one of his former SCOTUS clerks knows there's a softer side to the man people love to hate. In reality, he's "an incredibly warm and generous man" with a "wonderful sense of humor." [Columbus Business First] * A federal judge who's had a change of heart about a lengthy sentence he gave to an admitted murderer says he and his colleagues need a way to give "second-look reviews" to adjust sentences for deserving prisoners. Would this work? [New York Times] * If the ruling in this case catches on, New York attorneys may soon be able to serve people via Facebook. Of course, if your lawsuit winds up in a defendant's "Filtered Messages," he'll never see it, but it's still a pretty cool concept. [WSJ Law Blog] * Charleston Law launched a new admissions program that will allow students to begin classes in the spring and graduate in two and a half years instead of three. Perhaps the goal here is to graduate students before the school closes for good? [ABA Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky