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Illinois Supreme Court rejects mandatory arbitration in wrongful death lawsuit against Uber ↗
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Supreme Court spotlights fight against climate action in term opener ↗
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Clio acquires Learned Hand, an AI company for courts, judges ↗
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Rapper Rick Ross charged with battery after domestic violence accusation ↗
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Associated Press
Michigan parents charged with misdemeanors after 3-year-old son displayed loaded gun at daycare ↗
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Judge wrongly permitted AI-generated victim video, state appeals court says ↗
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Criminal justice coverage with the rhythm of a live case board.
Gavel Daily now gives readers a stronger sense of movement: where a matter starts, where the defense pressure builds, and what outcomes change for the next case.
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Fast updates on charges, enforcement patterns, and local criminal justice shifts.
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Theft & Fraud
Inside an Embezzlement Case, From the Employer's Audit to Restitution
Most embezzlement cases begin with an internal audit or HR meeting, not an arrest. Here is how the case moves from that first interview to charging, plea talks, sentencing and restitution, and the choices that shape the outcome at each stage.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
Juvenile Crimes
How Families Can Challenge a Gang Label Before It Follows a Teen to Court
Florida's new gang membership criteria take effect October 1, 2026. Online posts, being claimed by a gang, and two sightings with known members can now count toward the label. Here is how the label works in juvenile court and how families and defense lawyers can push back.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
Expungement
Is Your Old Shoplifting Record About to Be Sealed in Virginia?
Starting October 1, 2026, Virginia State Police begin sending courts monthly lists of old shoplifting, petit larceny, trespass, disorderly conduct and small-scale marijuana distribution convictions to be sealed. Three rules decide whether yours makes the list, and a free petition covers cases that don't.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
Domestic Violence
What Happens When the Victim Wants to Drop Domestic Violence Charges?
The accuser says they want to take it back, but the case keeps moving. Here's why the prosecutor, not the complaining witness, controls a domestic violence case, and which evidence can be used without their testimony.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
DUI/DWI
Third DUI in California: Felony or Misdemeanor Under the New Law?
Gov. Newsom signed AB 1546, which lets a third DUI within 10 years in California be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor. The new penalties are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. This guide covers who decides the charge level and what to do now if you have been arrested.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
DUI/DWI
Pleading Down a California DUI Will Soon Come With a Murder Warning
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Braun's Law requires California courts to give the Watson murder advisement when a DUI charge is pled down to a different or lesser offense. Here's what the judge will say, what the new law leaves out, and what it means for a plea offer.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
Juvenile Crimes
Can a 14-Year-Old Be Tried as an Adult in Texas?
A 14-year-old charged with murder after a shooting near Westfield High School is at the youngest age at which Texas law allows transfer to adult court. Here's how certification works, what the judge weighs, and what families can do before prosecutors decide.
·Gavel Daily Editorial
DUI/DWI
Why Your Blood Alcohol Could Have Been Lower While You Were Driving
A breath or blood test measures alcohol when the test is taken, not when you were driving. Here is how the rising blood alcohol defense works, what courts require before they accept timing estimates, and how some state laws limit the argument.
·Gavel Daily Editorial