Ledford & Associates

10/16/2026

Extension of Sunset on trial court costs taken up by Senate panel.

The bill would amend Section 1k of Chapter IX (Judgement and Sentence) of the Code of Criminal Procedure to extend, from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2028, the authority of trial courts to impose actual costs of court operations and facility maintenance on a defendant that is found or pleads guilty.

Under the Code, if a defendant enters a plea of guilty or no contest, or if the court determines after a hearing or trial that the defendant is guilty, the court must impose the minimum State costs as set by statute.

10/15/2026

Eight states sued OpenAI on Wednesday, alleging the artificial intelligence company has been misleading users about the safety of ChatGPT.
Wednesday’s lawsuits — which were filed by state attorneys general in their respective state courts — come amid a push from the top lawyers of blue and red states to challenge the growing AI industry.

State attorneys general allege the company’s lack of safeguards encouraged self-harm among users in lawsuits filed in state courts.

10/14/2026

A man charged with rigging college basketball games as part of an elaborate point-fixing scheme that raked in millions was sentenced to six years in federal prison, prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced on Tuesday.

It was the first penalty handed down as part of an investigation that revealed a sprawling network of professional gamblers and college basketball players who, prosecutors say, profited off fixed games.

(AP) — A man charged with rigging college basketball games as part of an elaborate point-fixing scheme that raked in millions was sentenced to six years in federal prison, prosecutors in Pennsylvan…

10/13/2026

The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday that it’s imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.
The fines on America’s second-biggest bank amount to the third-largest in the department’s history.

The U.S. Treasury Department is imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. (Photo: AP)

10/09/2026

After Christa Pike survived Tennessee's failed attempt to execute her, the unsettled question of whether the state will try again could push Tennessee into uncharted legal territory, experts say.

Pike, 50, suffered burns and blisters to her arms and her prognosis remains uncertain after ex*****oners tried to give her two lethal doses of pentobarbital, her legal team said Wednesday. She was sentenced to death for the 1995 beating and stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer.

After Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived an ex*****on attempt it's unclear whether the state will try again.

10/06/2026

During Monday’s meeting, leaders discussed potential age limits, helmet requirements, and even the possibility of removing a row of parking spaces on Main Street to create a bike lane.

But city leaders did not make a decision on the ordinance Monday night. Mayor Mike DeVore said the discussion will remain on the city’s agenda so community members have more opportunities to weigh in.

The City Council, Lowell Area Recreation Authority, and Park Board met Monday night to discuss city’s newly drafted e-bike ordinance.

09/30/2026

An employee of a Hong Kong engineering firm received a message that appeared to come from the company’s chief financial officer requesting several financial transfers. The employee was suspicious but was reassured in a video conference with the CFO and colleagues.

Every participant, except the employee, was an AI-generated deepfake, and the company lost $25 million.

Opinion: As AI tools improve and spread, deepfake fraud becomes more foreseeable, Segal McCambridge attorneys say.

09/29/2026

Apple Inc. found itself on the losing end of the largest patent infringement verdict in US history last week, a landmark event that at least one IP observer said reflects mounting public frustration with Big Tech that could usher in similar mammoth awards.

The case presents itself as one of David and Goliath: Taction Technology Inc., a small company founded by a self-described audiophile and “technogeek” that lists a San Diego UPS store as its corporate address, challenged a tech giant that boasted more than $416 billion in revenue in 2025. Taction alleged that vibration-based technology incorporated in models of iPhones and Apple Watches infringed its patents.

Apple Inc. found itself on the losing end of the largest patent infringement verdict in US history last week, a landmark event that at least one IP observer said reflects mounting public frustration with Big Tech that could usher in similar mammoth awards.

09/28/2026

The new protection was added to Michigan's existing Truth in Renting Act. Under that act, if a rental agreement breaks this rule, a tenant can notify their landlord in writing. The landlord generally has 20 days to fix the issue. If they don't, the tenant can take the matter to court.

A new Michigan law now requires landlords to provide at least one way for tenants to pay rent without additional fees.

09/25/2026

The Justice Department has a long history of investigating and prosecuting hackers who break into a private company’s network.

But what happens when the hackers aren’t human?

That’s the question at the center of a public policy debate roiling Silicon Valley and Washington following disclosures by leading tech companies that their artificial intelligence models went rogue and hacked into other organizations. The attacks have generated calls even from within the industry for greater oversight and regulation, spurred congressional inquiries and raised questions about whether a years-old legal framework designed to punish criminal hackers is sufficient in an era of autonomous actors capable of engineering their own havoc.

The Justice Department has a long history of investigating and prosecuting hackers who break into a private company’s network.