Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'justice department'

Former Attorney General Griffin Bell Dies

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:49:00 EST

Griffin Bell, attorney general in the Carter administration, has died at age 90. He had suffered from pancreatic cancer. Bell arrived at the Justice Department in 1977 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, and his impact is still felt.

U.S. Gives Papers On Nazis To Holocaust Museum

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:05:00 EST

The Justice Department has donated thousands of documents to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The more than 50,000 pages chronicle trials of Nazis found living in the United States over the past three decades.

U.S. Returns Bosnians From Guantanamo

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

The United States has repatriated three Guantanamo prisoners to Bosnia. They are three of the five detainees that a federal judge had ordered the government to release. He said the government had only an unreliable tip that the men were planning to engage in terrorism with al-Qaida and he urged the Justice Department not to appeal his ruling.

Warrantless Wiretaps Whistleblower Revealed

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:35:00 EST

Thomas H. Tamm had one of the most sensitive jobs at the Justice Department, handling wiretaps of suspected terrorists and spies. When his boss allowed "the program" was "probably illegal," Tamm agonized, then decided to blow the whistle.

Justice Dept. Times Cases For Obama's Arrival

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Some lawyers in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division say they are delaying certain cases, hoping that the Obama administration will give them more attention than the Bush administration did. Some prosecutors are also reviving old investigations left untouched for years.

A Friend's Perspective On Eric Holder

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to nominate Eric Holder as attorney general. Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton Administration, would be the first African American to hold the top position at the Justice Department. A close family friend of Holder shares her thoughts on the Washington lawyer.

Eric Holder Could Be Obama's Top Justice Pick

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

President-elect Barack Obama's top choice for U.S. attorney general seems to be Eric Holder. Holder was the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Bill Clinton. The Obama team says no final decision has been made. NPR News Analyst Juan Williams talks with Renee Montagne about what is known about Obama's Cabinet choices.

Sources: Holder Tapped For Attorney General

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:02:00 EST

President-elect Barack Obama has decided to nominate Eric Holder as attorney general, according to a source close to the Obama-Biden transition team. If confirmed, Holder would be the country's first African-American to lead the Justice Department.

Holder Is Obama's Pick For Attorney General

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:45:34 EST

Washington attorney Eric Holder has been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to be the next attorney general. Holder, a former U.S. attorney who served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Clinton, would be the nation's first black attorney general.

Glenn Fine Praised As Model Inspector General

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:54:00 EST

He has investigated waste, fraud and abuse — and a Justice Department scandal over political partisanship in hiring practices. That kind of investigation can make someone a bull's-eye for political arrows, but it hasn't happened with Fine.

Justice Leader's Job: Renew A Battered Agency

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:11:00 EST

The Justice Department is emerging from what many have called its most tumultuous period in decades. A new attorney general will have to restore the department's credibility and work to counter perceptions that law enforcement decisions have become politicized.

'In Justice': David Iglesias On U.S. Attorney Firings

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

An internal Justice Department investigation has concluded that the controversial U.S. attorney firings of 2006 were of a partisan political nature. One of the seven fired attorneys, Iglesias discusses his book, In Justice, an insider's account of the affair.

Prosecutor To Probe Firing Of U.S. Attorneys

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed a prosecutor to pursue possible criminal charges against Republicans who were involved in the firings of U.S. attorneys. The move was recommended by a Justice Department report on the firings.

Fired U.S. Attorneys' Probe Ends, Another Begins

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EDT

The Justice Department's watchdog has published its final report on the firings of nine U.S. Attorneys. Those firings led to one of the most tumultuous chapters in the department's history. Eventually, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was forced to resign along with more than a dozen other top officials. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed a prosecutor to pursue possible criminal charges against them.

Justice Probe: Partisan Politics Had Role In Firings

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:31:00 EDT

A long-awaited report from the Justice Department released Monday concludes that political partisan considerations played a part in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 but stops short of recommending criminal charges against top officials.

Civil Rights Conviction Overturned

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A federal appeals court Tuesday overturned the kidnapping conviction of James Ford Seale in connection with the deaths of two black teenagers in Mississippi in 1964. The Justice Department brought an indictment against Seale based on evidence uncovered by a Mississippi newspaper and a documentary film team. He was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to three life terms.

Justice Seeks To Quell Voter Access Fears

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:45:00 EDT

The Justice Department is meeting with activists to discuss its plan for dealing with civil rights issues at polling places this November. In the past, civil rights groups have criticized the department's handling of voting rights issues.

Report: Ex-AG Gonzales Mishandled Classified Documents

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The Justice Department's Inspector General says former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales mishandled classified documents. The report says Gonzales took home the documents related to the domestic-surveillance program, and did not secure them in a safe there.

Justice Department's New Rules On Corporate Crime

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Justice Department on Thursday announced new guidelines for investigating corporate crime cases. The changes follow criticism that prosecutors went too far in pressuring companies to cooperate with criminal probes, and restricted individual defendants' rights.

Attorney Details Anthrax Evidence Pointing To Ivins

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:24:00 EDT

The Justice Department has made some evidence public in the case of scientist Bruce Ivins, the government's suspect in the 2001 anthrax mailings that killed five people. A U.S. attorney said he is confident that the evidence would have been enough to make the case in court. Ivins committed suicide last week.

U.S. Stores Hacked; 40 Million Card Numbers Stolen

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against 11 suspects in what officials are calling the largest hacking and identity theft case the department has ever prosecuted. The government alleges that the ring hacked the computer systems of major retailers including TJX, OfficeMax, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority, among others, in order to steal credit and debit card numbers. Curt Nickisch reports from member station WBUR.

Picture Emerges Of Troubled Anthrax Suspect

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:04:00 EDT

As top officials at the Justice Department and FBI prepare to brief victims' family members Friday on the case against suspected anthrax killer Bruce Ivins, new information is emerging about a long-troubled man unraveling under the weight of the investigation.

Week In Review: Race In The Race

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Scott Simon reviews the week's news with NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr. Highlights include: The McCain campaign accuses Sen. Barack Obama of playing the race card, and a Justice Department official admits to using a political litmus test to screen applicants.

Report: Scientist Tied To Anthrax Case Kills Himself

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:49:00 EDT

A senior U.S. government scientist who helped investigate a series of deadly anthrax attacks in 2001 died this week of an apparent suicide amid reports that the Justice Department probe had shifted to him, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

What Will Happen To Justice Department Hires...

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:07:00 EDT

A recent report found that the Justice Department illegally hired conservative lawyers who were sometimes unqualified, and now some wonder how to fix the situation. One plan would remove civil service protections from those hired through the flawed process.