Tuesday night, Pam Bondi was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Attorney General of the United States. Bondi previously served as Attorney General of Florida. The Senate voted 54 – 46, with all Republicans plus John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voting in favor of confirmation, and all other Democrats voting against. NPR reports here that Bondi immediately issued 14 memoranda that, among other things, lift the federal moratorium on executions; establish a task force on antisemitism and justice for the victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel; and form a working group regarding the weaponization of federal agencies for political ends. Keep reading for more news.
NC prisons see a rise in inmate suicides. The Charlotte Observer reports here that three North Carolina prison inmates committed suicide last month, tying a record high for a single month, and that there were 13 inmate suicides last year, tying a record high for a single year. An advocate quoted in the article describes the situation as “a terrible red flag.” The article notes that many causes may contribute to inmate suicides, including the use of solitary confinement: “About 6% of North Carolina’s 31,400 prison inmates are in solitary confinement . . . Yet about half of all suicides take place in those cells.” Another striking statistic in the story was that 37% of correctional officer positions are unfilled. At one of the prisons where a suicide took place last month, the vacancy rate is 61%.
Eighth Circuit determines that the Second Amendment protects some marijuana users’ gun rights. A panel of the Eighth Circuit ruled this week that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which makes it a federal crime for a person who uses illegal drugs to possess a gun, is constitutional only when applied to those whose drug consumption makes them act like a person who is mentally ill and dangerous, or to those who pose a credible threat to the safety of others as a result of their drug use. The defendant in the case before the court used marijuana three or four times per week, but there seems to have been little evidence about how it impacted his behavior. The court therefore remanded the matter to the trial court for further consideration. The case is United States v. Cooper, __ F. 4th __, 2025 WL 397116 (8th Cir. Feb. 5, 2025). It adds to a growing, and inconsistent, body of law on this point that eventually may require Supreme Court review.
Post-conviction hearing wraps up in case involving the murder of Chris Paul’s grandfather. In 2002, Nathaniel Jones was fatally beaten during a robbery of his home in Winston-Salem. His grandson, NBA star Chris Paul, was just 17 at the time. Five boys aged 14 or 15 were suspected of the murder and several of them confessed to being involved. They were prosecuted and convicted and their convictions were affirmed on appeal. See State v. Banner, 178 N.C. App. 562 (2006) (unpublished); State v. Tolliver, 181 N.C. App. 436 (2007) (unpublished). Two remain in prison. Three completed their sentences and were released. An important witness – a friend of the boys named Jessicah Black – has since recanted, claiming that police lied to her during questioning and pressured her into falsely incriminating the defendants. The defendants filed claims with the Innocence Inquiry Commission, which led to a hearing before a three-judge panel in 2022. The panel denied relief, but according to this story in The Assembly, the defendants have since secured a new post-conviction hearing – presumably in connection with a motion for appropriate relief – that has just recently concluded. The presiding judge took the matter under advisement and a ruling is expected soon.
Speaking of basketball players and their families . . . one of Michael Jordan’s children, Marcus Jordan, was arrested this week in Florida for impaired driving, possession of cocaine, and resisting arrest. According to this story in the USA Today, Jordan seems to have left a gentleman’s club, made a wrong turn, and got his Lamborghini SUV stuck on a set of railroad tracks. I hate it when that happens! Officers responded to the scene and noticed several indicators of impairment. Jordan was arrested, posted bond, and called the arrest a “joke.” One odd detail reported in the story is that Jordan “was previously romantically linked to Larsa Pippen, the ex-wife of Scottie Pippen.”
Gaza and international criminal law. There are many lenses through which to view the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the resultant devastation of Gaza, and the various proposals for what should happen next. International criminal law is (only) one such lens, and this week, lawyers familiar with that body of law weighed in on President Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians in Gaza could be relocated so that the United States could redevelop the area as the “Riviera of the Middle East.” This New York Times story cites experts concluding that the President’s plan would “unquestionably be a severe violation of international law.” Specifically, “[f]orced deportation or transfer of a civilian population is a violation of international humanitarian law, a war crime and a crime against humanity,” under the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court. (The United States hasn’t ratified the Rome Statute and isn’t a member of the Court, but Gaza has and is, and the Court contends that it has jurisdiction over any alleged crimes committed within a member’s territory, even if the alleged perpetrators are nationals of a non-member state.) Proponents of the plan suggest that residents of Gaza could depart voluntarily.
Charlotte Lego enthusiast, or member of a criminal syndicate? Finally, WBTV has this story about a Charlotte man named Ryan Cahill. A search warrant application implicates him in “a large-scale interstate theft operation involving stolen Lego products.” Essentially, the application contends that he served as a “fence” for people who stole boxes of Legos from Barnes and Noble and other stores. It alleges that Cahill sold over $225,000 (!) worth of Legos online and that during a sting operation, he paid for Lego sets that were still affixed with anti-theft spider wrapping. Cahill’s attorney says that Cahill is an “avid LEGO enthusiast who has been falsely accused.”
Have a good weekend, and beware the spider-wrapped Lego sets.
