http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/clients_wish_for_deat...
Client's wish for death penalty doesn't justify defense lawyer's withdrawal, Fla. supreme court says
The Florida Supreme Court has refused a defense lawyer’s request to withdraw from the appeals of a client who wants to argue in favor of his death sentence.
The Florida Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 opinion (PDF) last Thursday, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Lawyer... [...]
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/cut_lawyer_use_of_got...
Cut use of 'gotcha card' by requiring pretrial searches of jurors' backgrounds, judges suggest
If a juror lies when asked about his or her background, that can be grounds for a mistrial. And, given the proliferation of social media, it's a lot easier than it used to be to find out when a juror has withheld information.
But deciding whether to grant a mistrial is a... [...]
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/justin_bieber_faces_n...
Justin Bieber charged with vandalism, takes plea, will pay $80K to fix to egg damage to nearby home
After months of investigation, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office criminally charged teen pop singer Justin Bieber with vandalism Wednesday over a January incident in which up to $20,000 worth of damage was reportedly caused by eggs thrown at a neighboring... [...]
http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional/flor...
Florida Supreme Court revamps rules for death penalty appeals
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday approved a series of changes aimed at improving the death-penalty appeals process, including revising requirements for attorneys handling cases.
Justices last year formed a subcommittee to look at the appeals system, a move that came as the Legislature targeted delays in... [...]
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_who_hit_public_...
Judge who hit public defender returns to bench, less than a month later Not quite a month after loudly challenging a public defender and inviting him outside the courtroom for a fight-and reportedly striking him-Brevard County Judge John C. Murphy apologized and returned to the bench Monday, Florida Today reports. Video of the Florida courtroom outburst went viral, and sounds... [...]
