Law

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak took to a Chicago rooftop on Thursday to attract the city's gay and lesbian community to spend their wedding dollars in Minnesota.

National

Minneapolis Courts Chicago's Same-Sex Couples

6:34pm September 07, 2013

by Cheryl Corley

Same-sex marriage is legal in Minnesota, but not in Illinois. That has Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak on a mission to attract gays and lesbians to spend their wedding dollars in his city.

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Justice Department Tackles Quality Of Defense For The Poor

11:37am September 03, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

An unprecedented recent court filing from the Justice Department could have dramatic implications for the representation of indigent defendants. The department argues that the fix for broken public defender systems could include a court-appointed monitor.

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In her 21 years as a prosecutor, Kelly Siegler successfully tried 68 murder cases.

'Cold Justice' Is Coming To A Small Town (And TV) Near You

6:18pm September 01, 2013

by NPR Staff

On TNT's new reality show, Cold Justice, a former prosecutor and a former crime scene investigator travel around rural America digging into unsolved, sometimes forgotten, murder cases.

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A group of technology and retail groups is beginning a national ad campaign targeting so-called patent trolls.

National

Taking The Battle Against Patent Trolls To The Public

7:01pm August 30, 2013

by Laura Sydell

Radio and print ads launched this week warn of damage wrought by so-called patent trolls. Business groups and software developers say patents are being used as legal weapons in a tactic that costs the economy tens of billions of dollars a year.

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Sports

Concussion Suits: NFL, Retirees Reach $765 Million Deal

9:51am August 30, 2013

by Tom Goldman

More than 4,500 retired players had been part of the lawsuits. They claimed the league hadn't properly protected them over the years. In the settlement, the NFL does not admit any liability.

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Florida Asked To Reimburse George Zimmerman For Court Costs

12:33pm August 28, 2013

by Greg Allen

Lawyers for George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the murder of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, are asking Florida to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars of his legal fees. Under Florida law, a defendant who's acquitted in a trial is not liable for any court costs.

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National

Liens By 'Sovereign Citizens' A Headache For State Officials

5:30pm August 27, 2013

Robert Siegel talks to Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale, who has led the charge against sovereign citizen fraudulent liens and is an advocate for helping victims of the liens. He managed to get state legislation passed against it.

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National

Embattled LA Sheriff Still Plans To Give Fifth Term A Shot

5:30pm August 27, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

Lee Baca, 71, is facing calls to step down and not seek another term. His department is at the center of a federal probe into widespread allegations of prisoner abuse.

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Cutting Public Defenders Can Cost Federal Government More

1:32pm August 26, 2013

by Ted Robbins

With the sequester, the Public Defender's Office in Tucson, Ariz., has lost a quarter of its staff. But everyone is entitled to legal representation, so judges are appointing expensive private attorneys in the public defenders' place.

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Troy Wallace with his wife, Lynda. Wallace is suing Suffolk County, N.Y., contending its new sex offender monitoring law violates his civil rights.

National

N.Y. County Outsources The Job Of Monitoring Sex Offenders

11:17am August 25, 2013

by Charles Lane

Suffolk County, on Long Island, is giving enforcement authority to a victims' advocacy group. Lawmakers call it a cost-effective way to keep citizens safe. But a local attorney who often represents sex offenders calls it a "vigilante exercise."

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