» Federal Law
What Agencies Are Responsible for Investigating Federal Crimes?
May 1st, 2023
The overwhelming majority of crimes in the United States are investigated and prosecuted by state agencies. But crimes that cross state lines or involve violations of federal laws are investigated by the Department of Justice and its federal investig…
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Categories: Federal Law
How Does the Jurisdiction of State and Federal Court Differ?
April 3rd, 2023
When the United States was founded in 1776, tension existed between the federal and state governments regarding power, the ability to tax, and control of the courts and legal systems. This tension continues today and is evident in the separate jurisd…
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Categories: Federal Law
SEC Approves New Insider Trading Rules
April 3rd, 2023
In December 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted unanimously to adopt amendments to rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The changes are intended to address concerns about insider trading abuse by executives bas…
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Categories: Federal Law
Pfizer’s Supreme Court Appeal Over Anti-Kickback Lawsuit
April 3rd, 2023
In October 2022, Pfizer filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court seeking to overturn a decision regarding the anti-kickback lawsuit which prohibited Pfizer from providing financial assistance to Medicare beneficiaries to obtain Vyndaqel…
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SEC Crypto Regulations
December 1st, 2022
As cryptocurrencies and other digital assets increase in popularity, questions will continue to arise as to which federal agency will be primarily responsible for regulating them. Because of the popularity of crypto and digital assets, the federal go…
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Categories: Federal Law
Spoliation of Evidence: Ephemeral Messaging
November 15th, 2022
Popular ephemeral messaging apps like Snapchat, Confide, Wickr, and Threema are changing the way we communicate. Unlike traditional text and messaging applications, these apps provide encryption, screenshot protection, data storage, and automatic con…
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Categories: Federal Law
False Statements Must Be Material In Order To Constitute A Crime
November 7th, 2022
A Maryland man sentenced to 32 months in prison had his conviction overturned because his false statements in a federal court case did not influence the judge’s decision. The appellate court found that, while the defendant’s conduct wasted public…
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Categories: Federal Law
Supreme Court Sides With Doctors Prescribing Opioids
September 26th, 2022
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in favor of two doctors accused of overprescribing opioids, raising the standard of proof the government must meet to secure a conviction in “pill mill” cases. The case defines the standa…
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Rise in Warrantless Searches at the FBI
September 13th, 2022
In late April of 2022, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its Annual Statistical Transparency Report Regarding the Intelligence Community’s Use of National Security Surveillance Authorities – Calendar Year 2021. T…
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Categories: Federal Law
3rd Circuit Ruling on Trade Secret Theft Case
August 22nd, 2022
Government Must Prove Intent to Cause Actual Loss In an August 2, 2022, decision by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, the court found that two defendants who admitted to stealing intellectual property and trade secrets from London-based pharmaceutica…
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