Criminal Justice
WHO REALLY KILLED FIRST BRANDS Pt 5: Two Executives Have Confessed
First Brands collapsed owing $11 billion. Two executives confessed to the fraud. Did founder Patrick James direct it, or just own the company?
A Judge-Made Probation Deal in the Kessler Protest Killing
Loay Alnaji admitted killing Paul Kessler with a megaphone. A Ventura County judge signaled probation — no prison.
The Framing of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez Part 9; The Show Trial
Castel let the prosecution build the case it wanted. He kept out what hurt the government. The Hernández trial was a show trial in every measure.
Strengthening the Cooperation Bargain: A Call for Institutional Integrity
A major drug seizure, two federal districts, and a cooperator whose supporters say extraordinary assistance went unrecognized.
Accused in Secret, a Top Nuclear Official Loses His Career
The No. 2 at America's nuclear weapons agency was forced out in 17 days, never interviewed, never told the charge. Now he's suing.
Grand Jury Rejects Felony Case Against Ex-DA John Flynn’s Accuser
The grand jury would not indict Ryan Flynn. Now only a misdemeanor remains against the man who accused ex-DA John Flynn of child abuse.
The Bribe That Nobody Got: US v. Mayor Thao
The federal indictment against David Duong describes a curious bribery scheme with two alleged payments.
The Assassination That Wasn’t: How an FBI Agent Turned a Car Burglary Into a Hit Job to Raid Oakland’s Mayor
OAKLAND, Calif. — On June 9, 2024, someone smashed the window of Mario Juarez’s car with a brick. By June 14, FBI Special Agent Duncan Haunold told a federal magistrate judge it was an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Duong family — the recycling executives now facing decades in federal pri