Prosecutors are required to disclose to defense counsel evidence favorable to the accused that may affect the outcome of a criminal trial. A violation of this constitutional rule is called a Brady violation that mandates reversal of a criminal conviction. When such a violation is uncovered long after an accused “Supreme Court Protects New Orleans DA from Damages for Prosecutorial Misconduct”
California Courts Disagree on Lengthy Prison Terms for Juveniles
Last year, the United States Supreme Court held in a deeply divided opinion that a sentence of life imprisonment without parole (LWOP) for any juvenile offender who did not commit a homicide was unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The court, however, “California Courts Disagree on Lengthy Prison Terms for Juveniles”
Attorneys must Advise Criminal Defendants on Immigration Law
The United States Supreme Court just held that a criminal defense attorney must provide advice in this specialized area in those cases in which the law is “succinct and straightforward.” The Court noted that changes to immigration law have dramatically raised the stakes of a noncitizen’s criminal conviction. Immigration reforms “Attorneys must Advise Criminal Defendants on Immigration Law”