An attorney in Arizona defended a man against criminal charges.  That man went to jail. At some point during this process, she also marries this man.  While the man, her husband, is in jail, the lawyer helps him continue to carry out his gang activity while he is in prison.  The attorney is now charged with 47 counts of criminal activity and will spend time in jail herself.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_gets_3_years

A Rikers Island Correction Officer was arrested by the FBI yesterday and charged with civil rights violations.  A mentally ill inmate was sick and needed medical attention.  Other workers at the prison told the CO that the inmate needed help and the CO ignored it.   Hours later, the inmate was found dead.  The inmate was being held on a minor trespassing charge and not something very serious. CO is charged with one count of deprivation of rights, which carries a max penalty of 10 years in jail.  


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/nyregion/correction-officer-charged-with-indifference-in-death-of-rikers-island-inmate.html?smid=pl-share&_r=0

This crazy story comes out of Miami, FL.  A retired police chief who spent his life sending people to jail may go to jail himself.  The judge ordered the retired chief to provide information on an anonymous tip in a drug matter.  Retired chief refused and actually ate the piece of paper containing the information.  He did it to protect the tipster's identity.  His feeling is that if this person is made into a witness, people will not continue to provide anonymous tips to the police.  Do you think he did the right thing?

Here is a link to the full story:
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/03/17/crime-stoppers-director-doesnt-regret-eating-paper-to-protect-tipster/

Our Appellate Court recently heard State v. Dunbar, where two Jersey City police officers responded to a call about a shooting. When the police arrived, a large crowd started to disburse and run. They saw Dunbar duck into an alley way and when the police asked him to stop, Dunbar threw a weapon to the ground.  The Appeals court determined that the police had reasonable and articulable suspicion to warrant asking Dunbar to stop and then search him because of the circumstances involved where Dunbar was seen running from the scene, acting nervous, throwing a weapon to the ground and running after being told to stop.  As a result of this ruling, evidence found on Dunbar can be used against him.

Just in time for the Academy Awards tonight, the top 10 legal movies of all time are released.  Interestingly enough, a number of these deal with criminal cases:

1. To Kill A Mocking Bird
2. A Few Good Men
3. 12 Angry Men
4. The Verdict
5. Judgement at Nuremberg
6. Anatomy of a Murder
7. Erin Brockovich
8. Philadelphia
9. Witness for the Prosecution
10. My Cousin Vinny

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/02/the-best-legal-movies-of-all-time/

Here is something you should NEVER DO IN COURT.  A 19 year old defendant in North Carolina dropped his pants before a Judge when responding to his underage drinking charge.  You may be upset that you were arrested and charged, but this is not going to help anything.  The man got 10 days in jail for his antics.

http://www.wxii12.com/news/local-news/piedmont/man-drops-pants-in-front-of-alamance-county-judge-sentenced-to-jail/24732382