Court-issued gag orders can accompany subpoenas for phone records to delay or prohibit notifying the subpoena target for a specified period.
November 21, 2025
high
procedural
Gag orders are judicial tools that can limit disclosure about the existence of a subpoena or investigation.
Offering money to a juror to influence a verdict constitutes jury tampering, can result in criminal charges, and can lead a court to dismiss the jury and take remedial steps such as selecting an anonymous jury.
November 17, 2025
high
procedural
General legal consequences and judicial remedies associated with attempts to bribe or corrupt jurors in criminal trials.
Criminal defendants in the U.S. may be released from custody after posting a court-ordered bond.
October 30, 2025
high
legal_procedure
Common pretrial release mechanism where a defendant is released upon payment or posting of bond set by the court.
A temporary restraining order is a court order that can temporarily halt layoff notices and prevent new firings pending further legal proceedings.
October 17, 2025
high
temporal
Judicial remedy used to pause government or employer actions while a case proceeds.
If the sole prosecutor who signed an indictment was later found not to have been properly appointed, a court can dismiss the indictment on the grounds of improper appointment.
October 17, 2025
high
legal_principle
Appointment defects of the individual prosecutor who signed charging documents can be a basis for challenging indictments.
A court may enter a default judgment against a party for repeated failure to comply with court orders or to produce required evidence.
October 15, 2025
high
procedural
Default judgments are a civil procedure remedy used when a party repeatedly fails to follow court directives or discovery obligations.
When a court enters a default judgment establishing liability, the court may convene a jury to determine the amount of damages to award.
October 15, 2025
high
procedural
Liability can be resolved by default while a separate proceeding or jury determines monetary damages.
Courts can require a recognizance bond if a defendant who was released on their own recognizance fails to appear for required proceedings.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
Condition and enforcement measure related to own-recognizance releases.
An arraignment typically involves a court reading the charges to the defendant, the judge asking the defendant to enter a plea, and the judge outlining the next procedural steps in the case.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
General description of common criminal-court arraignment procedure in U.S. courts.
A court can declare indictments invalid if the person who presented the charges to a grand jury was not lawfully appointed to serve as a U.S. Attorney.
September 22, 2025
high
legal
Legal principle about the authority required to present charges to a grand jury.
A court may conclude that retrospective ratification by the Attorney General does not necessarily cure defects arising from an unlawful appointment of an interim U.S. Attorney.
September 22, 2025
high
legal
Judicial reasoning limiting the effect of after-the-fact validation of an official's authority.
A court may issue a default ruling against a party in civil litigation when that party repeatedly fails to comply with court orders or to produce required evidence.
high
legal_procedure
Default rulings are a sanction in civil cases for serious discovery or compliance failures.
When a default ruling is entered in civil litigation, a jury may be convened to determine the amount of damages owed by the defaulting party.
high
legal_procedure
A default ruling can resolve liability, leaving the quantification of damages to a jury.