H.R.7156, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on February 29, 2024.
CBO Summary:
H.R. 7156 would expand the authority of the Secret Service to investigate financial crimes. Specifically, the bill would authorize the Secret Service to investigate the operations of unlicensed money transmitting businesses—entities that provide money transfer services or payment instruments—and the structuring of financial transactions to evade reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
During the week ending March 22, 2024) we have received listings of 2 U.S. Supreme Court Cases. 30 Government and Administrative Law Summaries, 24 Constitutional Law summaries, 76 Criminal Law Summaries, 3 White Collar Summaries and 2 Internet Law case summaries. We plan is to continue posting opinion summaries, under corresponding areas of law, weekly whenever possible in order to keep blog readers updated. To gain access to these case summaries, click on the corresponding links below:
Opinion Summaries Posted for Week Ending March 22. 2024:
A presentation by Chapin White, CBO’s Director of Health Analysis, at the David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium, Weill Cornell Medicine.
SUMMARY:
This presentation provides a brief look at Congressional Budget Office’s work related to federal spending on health care and the recent slowdown in the growth of such spending. It also discusses the types of new research that could be useful in explaining that slowdown and in answering other health-related questions for the Congress. It contains important information for all who are interested in monitoring research related to this subject.
During the week ending March 15, 2024) we have received listings of 3 U.S. Supreme Court Cases. 24 Government and Administrative Law Summaries, 22 Constitutional Law summaries, 49 Criminal Law Summaries, 4 Intellectual Property case summaries, 3 Medical Malpractice Cases, and 2 Internet Law case summaries. We plan is to continue posting opinion summaries, under corresponding areas of law, weekly whenever possible in order to keep blog readers updated. To gain access to these case summaries, click on the corresponding links below:
Opinion Summaries Posted for Week Ending March 15. 2024:
Eyewitness accounts, once considered a gold standard, have faced increasing scrutiny due to their susceptibility to memory errors and biases. Forensic evidence, while highly valuable, comes with its own set of limitations, such as the time-consuming nature of analysis and the potential for contamination.
Enter the age of technology, which has drastically altered the way law enforcement approaches suspect identification. Innovations in data collection, processing, and analysis have paved the way for faster and more accurate identification techniques. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has proven particularly transformative, revolutionizing the field of criminal investigations.
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released Formal Opinion 509 on Feb. 28, 2024. According to the announcement, Formal Opinion 509 provides guidance on how disqualification rules apply to both current and former government lawyers under the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. “It specifically addresses issues raised when these lawyers know confidential government information about a third person.”
The model rules define confidential government information as “information that has been obtained under governmental authority and which, at the time this rule is applied, the government is prohibited by law from disclosing to the public or has a legal privilege not to disclose and which is not otherwise available to the public.”
For additional discussion of Formal Opinion 509, see the recent article in the ABA Journal, Government lawyers’ use of ‘confidential information’ in private practice clarified in new ABA ethics opinion, by David L Hudson Jr.
During the week ending March 8, 2024) we have received listings of 1 U.S. Supreme Court Case. 34 Government and Administrative Law Summaries, 25 Constitutional Law summaries, 58 Criminal Law Summaries, 1 White Collar Crime case, 3 Intellectual Property case summaries, 2 Medical Malpractice Cases, and 1 Internet Law case summary. We plan is to continue posting opinion summaries, under corresponding areas of law, weekly whenever possible in order to keep blog readers updated. To gain access to these case summaries, click on the corresponding links below:
Opinion Summaries Posted for Week Ending March 8. 2024:
The death penalty remains a highly contested issue in the United States, with arguments raging on both sides. However, beyond the ethical and legal debates lies a lesser-known aspect: the phenomenon of failed executions. These attempts, often characterized by prolonged suffering and technical difficulties, raise serious concerns about the very concept of a humane and constitutional capital punishment system.
Historically, the U.S. has employed various methods for execution, each with its own share of botched attempts. The electric chair, implemented in the late 19th century, witnessed numerous cases where the condemned endured extended periods of agony due to malfunctions or improper application. Lethal injection, the current primary method, has also been plagued by issues. From 2000 to 2020, an estimated 7% of all lethal injection executions were classified as botched, often involving prolonged struggles to establish an intravenous line, raising concerns about unnecessary suffering inflicted upon the condemned. It is estimated that 3% of U.S. executions in the period from 1890 to 2010 were botched.
The case of Thomas Eugene Creech in Idaho in 2023 exemplifies the harrowing realities of failed executions. Despite repeated attempts by medical personnel, a suitable vein could not be located for lethal injection, forcing the execution to be halted. This incident, like many others, highlights the inherent fallibility of the execution process where unforeseen complications can transform the intended punishment into an act of torture. In his article in Verdict discussing this case, Austin Sarat, a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College, argues that “systemic issues and denial by state officials perpetuate the cruelty and inefficiency of lethal injections, urging an acknowledgment of its failures and a cessation of its use for capital punishment”.
The following is information compiled by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) regarding H.R.7322, Standing Up to the Executive Branch for Act 2024, as ordered reported by the House Committee of the Judiciary on February 15. 2024. It includes a brief summary of the bill, and links to estimated cost of implementation and the full text of the legislation:
SUMMARY:
H.R. 7322 would grant standing to state governments to bring action against the federal government in a federal district court for the purpose of seeking injunctive relief from immigration enforcement decisions that have harmed the state or its residents.
During the week ending March 1, 2024) we have received listings of 28 Government and Administrative Law Summaries, 20 Constitutional Law summaries, 56 Criminal Law Summaries, 1 White Collar Crime case, 2 Intellectual Property case summaries, 1 Copyright summary, 1 Medical Malpractice Case, and 2 Internet Law case summaries. We plan is to continue posting opinion summaries, under corresponding areas of law, weekly whenever possible in order to keep blog readers updated. To gain access to these case summaries, click on the corresponding links below:
Opinion Summaries Posted for Week Ending March 1. 2024:
Criminal Law Library Blog