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Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE
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March 14, 2025
Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE
By: James Trusty
Maryland legislature is considering passing a law ineptly called the Protecting the Admissibility of Creative Expression (“PACE Act”) which would limit the use of rap lyrics, among other forms of expression, in criminal and juvenile proceedings. While prosecution use of rap lyrics in criminal trials is a bit uncommon, the state house move here is in reaction to a 2020 murder case in which a defendant’s post-arrest rap about killing “snitches” with a “.40” may have weighed heavily in the jury’s conviction. In Montague v. State, 471 Md. 657 Md. 2020) the Maryland Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s ruling that Montague’s ruminations about murder and using a .40 caliber weapon—made from a jail phone after his arrest—was not an…
My Brother’s Keeper
February 20, 2025
My Brother’s Keeper
By: Abbey Block
Am I my brother’s keeper? Or more specifically, can lawyers be sued for their clients’ bad behavior? A newly proposed bill out of Washington state says yes. The bill, HB 1891, provides the following legal framework, under which an attorney can be sued for injuries caused by his or her client who is released from detention pending trial: Any person injured by an individual who…
DOJ Memo Sneaks In Seismic Changes
January 31, 2025
DOJ Memo Sneaks In Seismic Changes
By: James Trusty
Amidst the tidal wave of Executive Orders, presidential appointments, and policy announcements, it is easy to treat last week’s Interim Policy Memo from the Acting Deputy Attorney General[1] as just another ripple of nominal change that occurs when democrats replace republicans or republicans replace democrats. And, indeed, although there are portions of it that reflect the recurring philosophical tug-of-war over the tough on crime approach…
Live Report From iGNA 2014 – Is iGaming The Problem or The Solution?
March 19, 2014
Live Report From iGNA 2014 – Is iGaming The Problem or The Solution?
By: Ifrah Law
This afternoon at the iGaming North America 2014 conference an interesting panel, “Visionaries’ Perspective—Is i-Gaming the Problem or the Solution?” explored two vastly divergent viewpoints on online gaming in the United States. The panel was moderated by Steve Lipscomb, the Founder of the World Poker Tour, and featured, Mitch Garber, the CEO Caesars Acquisition Co. and Caesars Interactive Entertainment, and Andy Abboud, Vice President of…
Supreme Court Expands Whistleblower Protection
March 17, 2014
Supreme Court Expands Whistleblower Protection
By: Jeffrey Hamlin
The U.S. Supreme Court recently held that Sarbanes–Oxley extends whistleblower protection, not just to employees of public companies, but to employees of private contractors and subcontractors that serve public companies. In a 6-3 decision, the Court rejected the First Circuit’s narrow construction of the statute in favor of the Labor Department’s more expansive interpretation. Now more than ever, affected contractors and subcontractors need to ensure…
As the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act Takes Hold, U.S. Sees Expatriates at All-Time High
March 12, 2014
As the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act Takes Hold, U.S. Sees Expatriates at All-Time High
By: Nicole Kardell
Are you living the American dream … abroad? If so, you may be considering joining forces with Superman[1] and changing your nationality. You face some unique burdens if you earn a cent while soaking up the sun in Saint Tropez or make a rupee while navigating the marketplace in Mumbai. The most obvious, from a financial perspective, is double taxation. America is one of the…
$76 Million Distributed in Full Tilt Poker Restitution
March 1, 2014
$76 Million Distributed in Full Tilt Poker Restitution
By: Ifrah Law
We have previously reported on the arrangements being made by the Garden City Group for remittance of money to the former customers of Full Tilt Poker. Since that time, there has been a lengthy process for the submission of claims to the group for administration. It appears that players’ waiting has not been all for naught. The Garden City Group reports that, on February 28,…
Omnicare Decision Limits the Reach of False Claims Act
February 28, 2014
Omnicare Decision Limits the Reach of False Claims Act
By: Ifrah Law
A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit limiting the reach of the False Claims Act demonstrates how relators who pursue cases in which the government declines to intervene can end up making law that is unfavorable to the government’s enforcement of that statute. United States ex rel. Rostholder v. Omnicare, Inc., et al., No. 12-2431, a qui tam case alleging…
