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Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE

Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE

March 14, 2025

Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE

By: James Trusty

Maryland legislature is considering passing a law ineptly called the Protecting the Admissibility of Creative Expression (“PACE Act”) which would limit the use of rap lyrics, among other forms of expression, in criminal and juvenile proceedings. While prosecution use of rap lyrics in criminal trials is a bit uncommon, the state house move here is in reaction to a 2020 murder case in which a defendant’s post-arrest rap about killing “snitches” with a “.40” may have weighed heavily in the jury’s conviction. In Montague v. State, 471 Md. 657 Md. 2020) the Maryland Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s ruling that Montague’s ruminations about murder and using a .40 caliber weapon—made from a jail phone after his arrest—was not an…

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My Brother’s Keeper

February 20, 2025

My Brother’s Keeper

By: Abbey Block

Am I my brother’s keeper? Or more specifically, can lawyers be sued for their clients’ bad behavior? A newly proposed bill out of Washington state says yes. The bill, HB 1891, provides the following legal framework, under which an attorney can be sued for injuries caused by his or her client who is released from detention pending trial: Any person injured by an individual who…

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DOJ Memo Sneaks In Seismic Changes

January 31, 2025

DOJ Memo Sneaks In Seismic Changes

By: James Trusty

Amidst the tidal wave of Executive Orders, presidential appointments, and policy announcements, it is easy to treat last week’s Interim Policy Memo from the Acting Deputy Attorney General[1] as just another ripple of nominal change that occurs when democrats replace republicans or republicans replace democrats. And, indeed, although there are portions of it that reflect the recurring philosophical tug-of-war over the tough on crime approach…

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The Taxman Cometh for US Holders of Foreign Bank Accounts

May 22, 2014

The Taxman Cometh for US Holders of Foreign Bank Accounts

By: Nicole Kardell

U.S. citizens and residents with unreported assets abroad may be feeling a steady increase of pressure these days. The July 1, 2014 effective date of the Foreign Assets Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is looming. The number of countries that have agreed to enforce FATCA is growing (almost daily). That means the banks in those countries will be required to report U.S. citizens’ assets to the…

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Atlantic City Needed to Go Online Years Ago

May 20, 2014

Atlantic City Needed to Go Online Years Ago

By: Jeff Ifrah

Three more casinos are set to close in Atlantic City. Unions, politicians and lobbyists are pointing fingers. One thing is for certain, newly introduced online gaming legislation is not to blame. If experts had been paying attention to the trends, they would have introduced regulated online gaming into New Jersey years ago… Want to know more?  Read the full post on Ifrah Law’s new iGaming…

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SEC Takes Proactive Approach to Cybersecurity

May 13, 2014

SEC Takes Proactive Approach to Cybersecurity

By: Steven Eichorn

Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) formally announced its cybersecurity initiative in a Risk Alert. The initiative followed up on OCIE’s announced prioritization of cybersecurity preparedness as part of its 2014 Examination Priorities. The initiative is also timely because the general public is becoming more conscious of cybersecurity risks and its dangers as they learn of…

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Zealous Counsel or Unethical Social Media Maven – How Far Can a Lawyer Go?

May 9, 2014

Zealous Counsel or Unethical Social Media Maven – How Far Can a Lawyer Go?

By: Michelle Cohen

Social media has opened a Pandora’s box of information about just about everyone today, including jurors, witnesses, opposing counsel, defendants and plaintiffs. As lawyers we want to leave no stone unturned in pursuing a client’s interest, but just how far can we go without jeopardizing our case? For instance, can counsel (or someone acting at counsel’s direction, such as a paralegal) review a publicly available…

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Ifrah Law Report: Johns Hopkins Symposium on Social Costs of Mass Incarceration

May 8, 2014

Ifrah Law Report: Johns Hopkins Symposium on Social Costs of Mass Incarceration

By: Jeffrey Hamlin

On April 28, 2014, Ifrah Law attorneys Jeff Hamlin and Casselle Smith attended a symposium on incarceration presented by The Johns Hopkins University and its Urban Health Institute. The day–long program focused on adverse impacts of mass incarceration and potential strategies for mitigating them and reversing trends toward continued prison growth. Throughout the day, panels comprised of medical professionals, sociologists, legal scholars, and ex–offenders took…

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Articles and Presentations by Our Firm Attorneys

Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE

Maryland Moving at a Misguided PACE
By: James Trusty

My Brother’s Keeper

My Brother’s Keeper
By: Abbey Block

DOJ Memo Sneaks In Seismic Changes

DOJ Memo Sneaks In Seismic Changes
By: James Trusty

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