In a significant ruling for juvenile justice, the New Jersey Supreme Court clarified the application of Megan’s Law to juvenile offenders. The court ruled that the requirement to remain offense-free for 15 years before applying to terminate the registration obligation does not apply to juveniles adjudicated delinquent in family court. This decision came from the…
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that the Czech Republic discriminated against a juvenile defendant by not affording him the same pre-trial detention review period granted to adults. This judgment in the case of Spišák v. the Czech Republic underscores the differential treatment experienced by juveniles during pre-trial detention. The applicant,…
The Tennessee Supreme Court has disbarred Perry Stout, a former Johnson County Sessions Judge, following his guilty plea to marijuana trafficking charges. The decision, announced by the court’s Board of Professional Responsibility, effectively bans Stout permanently from practicing law within the state. This action is in line with Tennessee’s 2020 rule eliminating the possibility for…
The Dutch public prosecution service has announced it will prosecute a 16-year-old boy on charges of attempted serious assault for an incident involving politician Thierry Baudet last year. The teenager, who was 15 at the time, allegedly hit Baudet, the leader of Forum voor Democratie, with a beer bottle at a café in Groningen. Baudet…
In a bid to revamp the juvenile justice system, legal professionals across the nation are drawing attention to Arizona’s life-without-parole sentencing scheme for youths. The Supreme Court is currently being asked to review the controversial scheme. The call for review goes back twelve years to the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Miller v….
A global coalition of human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, along with regional and national groups from around the world, has expressed serious concerns over the imminent executions of a number of young men in Saudi Arabia. These men were reportedly convicted for crimes committed in…
Australian authorities have charged five juveniles relating to the alleged Wakeley church attack on April 15. Following the arrests of sever juveniles, by both New South Wales (NSW) police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), charges were eventually brought against five of them. A number of searches took place across various suburbs of Sydney and…
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has overturned sanctions against Brentwood attorney Connie Reguli, who sought public records related to her case. The trial court had previously denied her request, an action which appellate judge Jeffrey Usman deemed incorrect. Reguli’s appeal was successful, with the sanctions order being vacated earlier this week. Reguli, a former family…
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently unveiled its plan to broaden background check requirements for gun dealers. This effort is aimed at sealing gaps for gun shows and online sales while concurrently enlarging the definition for firearm dealers — all which are now required to be licensed. The rules addressing these changes are…
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, recently shed light on the staggering scale of human rights abuses currently being inflicted in Haiti. At the 55th Session of the Human Rights Council, Türk explained that these abuses are previously unparalleled in the country’s modern history. Deeply concerned over escalating kidnappings and sexual violence,…
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has decided in the case of M.H. and S.B. v. Hungary that the country’s authorities transgressed Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, by arbitrarily detaining two minors who had crossed the Hungarian border in 2016. The young individuals had been kept in detention for three…
On Wednesday, the Senate in Kentucky passed a bill that could potentially send young offenders directly to adult court, should they be accused of certain violent felonies. Garnering 25 votes for, and 9 votes against, Senate Bill 20 specifies conditions under which defendants aged 15 or above will stand trial as adults, a circumstance that…
In a significant ruling by a state appeals court, New Jersey is compelled to pay $10 million in punitive damages for denying workplace accommodations to an employee suffering from multiple sclerosis. The complete details of the case are available. The case is a notable instance in the realm of public employment, where punitive damages are…
The highest court in Massachusetts ruled last Thursday that individuals under the age of 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole. Notably, Massachusetts is the first state to adopt this legal stance. This 4-3 decision effectively raises the minimum age for the sentence from 18 to 21. The rationale cited for this decision was…
The mother of a 10-year-old boy arrested for public urination is refusing to sign a probation agreement, according to reports. The incident, which raises crucial questions about juvenile justice, juvenile rights, and law enforcement’s handling of minor offenses, has caught the attention of both legal experts and rights activists. The arrest of a child this…
In the 2023 issue of Pro Bono Innovators, Lowenstein Sandler was honored by Bloomberg Law for its contributive efforts towards forming the Historic Fund, a venture capital fund established with the goal of increasing endowments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Further recognition was given due to the firm’s work in reducing excessive penitentiary…
The Ohio Supreme Court has indefinitely suspended the law license of a former judge from the Cincinnati area. The suspension comes nine years after Tracie M. Hunter was found guilty of a felony, illegally assisting her brother, who was on the verge of being dismissed from a juvenile detention center. Hunter, while serving as a…
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a new legislative decree last Thursday, extending amnesty for certain crimes committed prior to the decree, subject to specific conditions. This action was immediately followed up by the release of 350 prisoners in Damascus, as announced by Judge Muhammad Eid Baloza. The decree grants full amnesty to individuals suffering from…
Maryland’s Board of Public Works has unanimously approved a settlement of $235,000 to conclude a lawsuit against the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner following the fatal police encounter that led to the death of Anton Black five years ago. The settlement will distribute $100,000 to Black’s family and estate, alongside an additional $135,000 to…
Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey recently announced the nomination of four attorneys to serve in the state’s courts. Three attorneys, Adam L. Sisitsky, Tracy E. Duncan, and Michael Pineault, have been nominated to serve as associate justices of the Superior Court, while a fourth, Audrey Carr Murillo, has been nominated to serve at the Juvenile…
A pair of highly-esteemed legal professionals, encompassing both the realms of practice and academia, have been officially nominated by Gov. Maura Healey to fill critical judicial vacancies in Massachusetts. Treading the path from litigation and education to the mantle of judgeship, these individuals are set to bring their diverse experience and profound expertise to the…
On September 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Tofidence®, a biosimilar produced by Biogen, for Genentech’s Actemra®. As reported, this marks a significant step for Biogen in the biosimilar sector. Actemra®, originally developed and marketed by Genentech, is a widely used medication designed to treat a variety of severe medical conditions….
In legal news that has sparked interest among professionals in both the pharmaceutical and legal sectors, Biogen recently made a significant announcement. On September 29, 2013, the biotechnology company confirmed it has received the FDA’s approval for TOFIDENCE, a tocilizumab biosimilar referencing ACTEMRA. This development was reported by the legal information provider, JDSupra. JDSupra detailed…
Last week, a 6-3 majority opinion by the Washington Supreme Court offered new clarity on the state’s ‘Three Strikes’ law. The decision addressed how ‘juvenile strikes’ are considered in cases of persistent offenders, asserting that counting an adult conviction for a crime committed as a juvenile is not ‘cruel’ or ‘unusual punishment’. The sentence would…
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in children’s products have become a major point of concern for state regulators across the United States. This increased scrutiny has led to the enactment of some of the most rigorous PFAS restrictions in consumer products. As of now, eight states have rolled out regulations pertaining to PFAS substances in…