An alternative legal interpretation, advanced by some defense counsel, is that the 120-day limit for interim U.S. attorney appointments begins with the Attorney General's initial appointment and therefore limits the total tenure of interim appointments to 120 days.
November 24, 2025
high
legal interpretation
Competing statutory interpretations about whether multiple interim appointments can extend the aggregate interim tenure beyond 120 days.
Surveillance camera video can be used by defense attorneys to contradict or challenge officers' accounts of events in criminal cases.
November 20, 2025
high
temporal
Recorded footage is routinely relied on in litigation to test the accuracy of witness and officer testimony.
Defense attorneys can file motions for a change of venue in criminal cases when pre-trial publicity is high and they believe an unbiased jury cannot be selected.
November 10, 2025
high
legal
Change-of-venue motions are a recognized pretrial procedure intended to address potential jury bias caused by publicity.
In U.S. federal criminal proceedings, a judge can order prosecutors to produce grand jury materials and evidence obtained through search warrants to defense attorneys for review.
November 06, 2025
high
procedural
Court authority to disclose otherwise secret investigative materials to defense counsel when the court deems review necessary for the defense or to address asserted irregularities.
A judge in the United States can reject a plea agreement negotiated by prosecutors and defense attorneys if the judge determines the proposed sentence does not adequately account for harms to victims, community trust, or the need for deterrence.
November 03, 2025
high
temporal
Describes judicial authority over plea agreements and sentencing considerations.
In U.S. capital cases, defense attorneys can file post-conviction petitions requesting DNA testing of evidence and can seek court-issued stays of execution pending judicial rulings on such testing.
October 14, 2025
high
procedural
Post-conviction legal remedies and procedural options related to evidence testing and execution stays.
Criminal defendants may request to wear civilian clothing and to appear without visible shackles or restraints during court appearances to reduce the risk of juror prejudice and to help protect their constitutional right to a fair trial.
October 10, 2025
high
legal_procedure
Defense motions in criminal cases commonly seek to minimize visible signs of pretrial incarceration or restraint to avoid influencing juror perceptions.
Defense attorneys can request closed-door hearings before a judge to address whether a defendant should be physically restrained (for example, shackled) during court proceedings.
October 10, 2025
high
legal_procedure
Courts may hold in-camera hearings to consider the necessity and visibility of restraints to balance security needs against fairness to the defendant.
Defense attorneys in U.S. federal cases commonly file pretrial motions to dismiss indictments, sometimes arguing grounds such as selective prosecution or vindictive prosecution.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
General defense strategy available in federal criminal proceedings.
Defense attorneys may present alternative video footage or analyses to challenge law enforcement conclusions in collision investigations.
October 07, 2025
high
procedural
Describes a common defense strategy in contested vehicle-crash investigations and prosecutions.
Grand juries are secret proceedings in which defendants and defense attorneys are generally not present to ask questions or defend themselves.
October 06, 2025
high
legal
Describes the typical format of grand jury proceedings in U.S. practice.