Holly Barker

6 days ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Megan Crepeau |Holly Barker

Former Commonwealth Edison insiders accused of bribing ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) are asking a Chicago federal court to undo convictions for falsifying the company’s records in light of a US Supreme Court decision that drew a distinction between “false” and “misleading” statements. The US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois already vacated the bribery convictions of the “ComEd Four” based on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Snyder v. United States.

1 week ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Holly Barker

A Kentucky dentist who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after one of his patients died using morphine he had prescribed to her won an appeal to vacate his convictions on Wednesday. There was sufficient evidence to convict Jay Sadrinia of knowingly prescribing a controlled substance without a legitimate medical purpose resulting in a patient’s death.

1 week ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Holly Barker

Prosecutors didn’t breach their plea agreement with a woman convicted of embezzlement and tax fraud when they opposed additional credit for acceptance responsibility after she went on a spending spree, the Third Circuit said. Within days of pleading guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing a false tax return, Constance Stobert bought a new $37,000 car. And in the months leading up to her sentencing, the Pennsylvania woman spent over $1,000 on Amazon, DoorDash, and booze.

1 week ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Holly Barker

A Texas pharmacy owner lost his appeal to undo his convictions after the Fifth Circuit ruled that he carried the burden of establishing that the allegedly illegal kickbacks fell within a safe harbor. Richard Hall argued that the jury instructions improperly placed the burden of persuasion of establishing the bona fide employee defense on him. But the appeals court said the lower court got it right.

1 week ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Holly Barker

Two law professors are suing President Trump, the US Department of State, and others over a Feb. 6 executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The complaint, filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, says the executive order violates due process and the free speech clause of the First Amendment.