Blog
Law Office Files Suit on Behalf of Criminal District Court Employees
By Stephen J. Haedicke | January 30, 2023
Stephen Haedicke is representing six employees of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court who have filed suit over the Court’s failure to enroll them in the proper retirement plan. The Court’s errors have cost the employees thousands of dollars in lost retirement benefits. Read about the case here: https://www.nola.com/news/courts/lawsuit-alleges-criminal-district-court-cost-staffers-thousands-in-retirement-savings/article_b53a5eaa-9e7e-11ed-a6e9-6fe0e3166ef4.html
Bureau of Prisons Releases Final Rule Codifying Procedures Regarding the Earning and Application of Time Credits Under the First Step Act
By Stephen J. Haedicke | January 31, 2022
The Bureau of Prisons released its final rule codifying BOPs procedures regarding the earning and application of time credits under the First Step Act. (available here). The rule will apply retroactively, and thousands of people will begin transferring out of prisons immediately. DOJ announced“[i]mplementation will occur on a rolling basis, beginning with immediate releases for inmates whose Time Credits […]
Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) for Plaintiffs
By Stephen J. Haedicke | November 29, 2021
I was recently asked to present on a continuing legal education webinar panel for Strafford, a company that produces quality continuing legal education materials for attorneys. I enjoyed presenting with my co-panelists, Beth Boggs of Boggs, Avellino, Lach & Boggs, LLC, and Felicia Long of Hill Hill Carter Franco Cole & Black. For those who […]
US v. Gallegos, A Tale of Deceit and Consent: The Fifth Circuit Rules on 4th Amendment Challenge to Cell Phone Extraction and Search
By Stephen J. Haedicke | November 5, 2020
In the recent United States v. Gallegos, the Fifth Circuit considered a defendant’s Motion to Suppress evidence of child pornography that had been found during review of cell phone data extracted from the defendant’s cell phone. Overturning the District Court’s decision to suppress the evidence, the Fifth Circuit held that the defendant had consented to […]
Fifth Circuit Overturns Criminal Conviction Based on Prosecutor’s Misconduct
By Stephen J. Haedicke | September 14, 2020
Prosecutorial misconduct led the Fifth Circuit to overturn a criminal conviction in the recent decision of United States of America v. Thaddeus Beaulieu. The Beaulieu case involved a charge of criminal contempt arising from Beaulieu’s refusal to testify in court against individuals involved in car jackings and bank robberies. After Beaulieu asserted a Fifth Amendment […]
Fifth Circuit Considers Structuring Crimes and Limits on Criminal Forfeiture in Recent Case
By Stephen J. Haedicke | July 21, 2020
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided the case of United States v. Suarez, which involved charges of “structuring” currency transactions. Thirty-one U.S.C. § 5313(a) requires banks to file a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) whenever someone conducts a transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash. Illegal “structuring” occurs when someone conducts multiple transactions to […]