Featured Stories
S.D. A.G. Jackley Announces South Dakota Circuit Court Rules Murder Defendant Received Effective Defense Counsel
PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 3 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jackley Announces South Dakota Circuit Court Rules Murder Defendant Received Effective Defense Counsel
Oct. 2, 2026
PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces a South Dakota Circuit Court has ruled a woman sentenced to prison for murder received effective defense counsel.
Maricela Diaz and Alexander Salgado were accused of killing Jasmine Guevarra in 2009 in a rural area of Hanson County. Salgado was sentenced to life in prison after
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PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 3 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jackley Announces South Dakota Circuit Court Rules Murder Defendant Received Effective Defense Counsel
Oct. 2, 2026
PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces a South Dakota Circuit Court has ruled a woman sentenced to prison for murder received effective defense counsel.
Maricela Diaz and Alexander Salgado were accused of killing Jasmine Guevarra in 2009 in a rural area of Hanson County. Salgado was sentenced to life in prison afterpleading guilty to second-degree murder.
Diaz, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was tried in adult court. She was convicted by a Minnehaha County Jury of First Degree Murder, Felony Murder Arson, First Degree Arson, Felony Murder Aggravated Kidnapping, and Second Degree Aggravated Kidnapping. She received an 80-year prison sentence for First Degree Murder and a concurrent 50-year sentence for Second-Degree Aggravated Kidnapping.
South Dakota's Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction.
Diaz filed a Habeas Corpus petition in Hanson County Circuit Court stating that she did not receive effective defensive counsel. An evidentiary hearing on her request was held in that court this past February.
The court ruled that Diaz failed to show that her counsel's performance was deficient or deprived her of a fair trial.
"Diaz was not convicted due to any error of her trial counsel. She was convicted because the evidence of her role in this murder was conclusive," said Attorney General Jackley. "This ruling brings this case a step closer to final justice for Jasmine and her family."
The Attorney General's Office represented the State at the Circuit Court hearing.
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Original text here: https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=3167
S.D. A.G. Jackley Announces Full Federal Appeals Court Grants Hearing on State's Ballot-Question Petition Law
PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 3 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jackley Announces Full Federal Appeals Court Grants Hearing on State's Ballot-Question Petition Law
Oct. 2, 2026
PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will hear oral arguments in January 2027 on the state's appeal of a lower federal court ruling that prohibits the state from enforcing a new law that moved the election-year filing deadline for b allot-question petitions from May
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PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 3 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jackley Announces Full Federal Appeals Court Grants Hearing on State's Ballot-Question Petition Law
Oct. 2, 2026
PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will hear oral arguments in January 2027 on the state's appeal of a lower federal court ruling that prohibits the state from enforcing a new law that moved the election-year filing deadline for b allot-question petitions from Mayto February.
"I appreciate the full 11-member Appeals Court granting the State's request to hear arguments on South Dakota's election law," said Attorney General Jackley. "In South Dakota, the right of our citizens to govern ourselves through the Election Petition process is our right. The South Dakota Legislature and our Governor reached a fair solution to our petition process and the ballot-question petition deadline."
The 2025 South Dakota Legislature passed, and the Governor signed a bill moving the filing deadline for ballot-question petitions from May to February. Dakotans for Health had appealed that bill on the grounds that it reduced the circulation window for gathering petitions by three months.
A South Dakota federal court ruled for Dakotans for Health. That ruling was upheld by a 2-1 panel decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Attorney General Jackley then requested a hearing before the full Appeals Court.
The January oral arguments will be held in St. Louis, Mo.
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Original text here: https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=3166
Okla. A.G. Drummond Notifies Federal Court of Sara Polston's Removal From GPS Program
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Oct. 3 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release:
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Drummond notifies federal court of Sara Polston's removal from GPS program
OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 2, 2026) - Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office today notified a federal court that Sara Polston has been removed from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections' GPS surveillance program and reassigned to a correctional facility. The move stems from an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations that she voted illegally as a convicted felon.
Polston is serving an eight-year
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Oct. 3 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release:
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Drummond notifies federal court of Sara Polston's removal from GPS program
OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 2, 2026) - Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office today notified a federal court that Sara Polston has been removed from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections' GPS surveillance program and reassigned to a correctional facility. The move stems from an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations that she voted illegally as a convicted felon.
Polston is serving an eight-yearsentence for a 2023 drunk-driving crash that seriously injured a young woman. She was released early to the GPS ankle monitoring program after just 73 days behind bars. A Multi-County Grand Jury report released in May found her early release resulted from political favoritism by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
According to today's notice, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, the Department of Corrections reassigned Polston from the Electronic Monitoring Program to the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center on Oct. 1. Polston is accused of voting in both the June 16 and Aug. 25 statewide elections. State law bars people from voting while they're serving a felony sentence.
"Sara Polston has again shown Oklahomans that she believes she does not have to be held accountable for her actions," Drummond said. "She belongs in prison for causing an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol that resulted in great bodily injury to an innocent young woman. Now, she has used her highly controversial and inappropriate release to the Department of Corrections GPS surveillance program to again flout the law. The reality is that no one, including Sara Polston, is above the law."
Polston filed a federal lawsuit in August seeking to block her removal from the GPS program under Senate Bill 137, which goes into effect Nov. 1. Today's notice states her reassignment was based on the program's own rules, not the new law.
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Read the filing here: https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/oag/news-documents/2026/october/Polston%20-%20Notice%20Regarding%20Program%20Assignment.pdf
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Original text here: https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2026/october/drummond-notifies-federal-court-of-sara-polston-s-removal-from-gps-program.html
N.J. A.G. Davenport Joins Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards
TRENTON, New Jersey, Oct. 3 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release:
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AG Davenport Joins Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards
October 2, 2026
TRENTON - Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today joined a coalition of 26 states, counties, and cities in filing a lawsuit against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), challenging its final rule that weakens Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. Strong fuel economy regulations help consumers
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TRENTON, New Jersey, Oct. 3 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release:
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AG Davenport Joins Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards
October 2, 2026
TRENTON - Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today joined a coalition of 26 states, counties, and cities in filing a lawsuit against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), challenging its final rule that weakens Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. Strong fuel economy regulations help consumerssave money at the pump, and this federal rollback would cost drivers even more under today's high gas prices.
Historically, NHTSA's standards have reduced consumer costs by improving vehicle fuel efficiency, placed downward pressure on gas prices by reducing fuel consumption, protected the U.S. economy from global oil shocks, and reduced pollution from tailpipes and refineries. However, the final rule significantly weakens fuel economy standards, harming both consumers and the planet at the exact moment when global gasoline prices are soaring.
In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the coalition alleges that NHTSA's new rule is contrary to law and contravenes its mandate from Congress to set fuel-economy standards at their "maximum feasible" level. Far from achieving this "maximum feasible" requirement, NHTSA's backsliding standards for the next five years require less efficiency than what the U.S. fleet actually achieved in 2021.
"Every mile driven impacts our children's future," said Attorney General Davenport. "When we set high fuel efficiency standards, we cut the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change while saving families money at the pump--proof that protecting the environment and consumers go hand in hand."
In 1975, Congress enacted the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which requires NHTSA to establish "maximum feasible" fuel economy standards for new vehicles that reflect technological feasibility, economic practicability, the effect of other motor vehicle standards, and the need to conserve energy. When setting fuel economy standards, NHTSA first models the current fleet's performance and then considers what, if any, additional actions manufacturers could take to improve their fuel economy in future model years above that.
In past rulemakings, NHTSA started from a realistic baseline fleet that included the millions of electric vehicles that already existed on our nation's highways and roads, and based fuel-economy standards on how additional technological improvements to gas-fueled cars could make that fleet more efficient.
The final rule misinterprets NHTSA's statutory authority and improperly forces the agency to ignore the presence of millions of electric vehicles in the nation's existing fleet, leading to a flawed, dramatically distorted analysis of the "maximum feasible" fuel economy level that the auto industry can achieve. Essentially, NHTSA's novel reinterpretation of the law renders the federal fuel-economy program toothless and, if allowed to take effect, would exacerbate the affordability challenges consumers are already facing due to rising gas prices.
NHTSA's rule relies on defective analyses of vehicle affordability and sales, fleet turnover, fuel savings, and vehicle safety to make a profoundly harmful and destructive rule look net-beneficial to society. For example, NHTSA attempts to paper over nearly $220 billion in lost fuel savings--money that drivers would have saved at the pump under the previous fuel economy standards, which will instead benefit Big Oil. It also ignores the hundreds of billions of dollars in future damages from climate change-driven disasters--spurred by increased fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions--effectively setting these costs at zero, contrary to scientific evidence.
Defying a longstanding and repeatedly affirmed Congressional mandate, NHTSA asserts that the United States does not need to conserve energy after all, continuing the Trump Administration's pattern of benefiting the fossil fuel industry at the expense of American consumers. Finally, NHTSA's rule will end the CAFE credit trading program in 2028, which will significantly harm electric vehicle industries that employ Americans and support the economy.
In today's lawsuit, the coalition alleges that NHTSA's final rule is arbitrary and capricious and violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
In filing this lawsuit, Attorney General Davenport joins the attorneys general of California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the City of Chicago, the City and County of Denver, the City of New York, and the City and County of San Francisco.
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/ag-davenport-joins-lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-rollback-of-fuel-economy-standards/
Md. A.G. Brown Announces No Charges Will Be Filed in the July 1, 2026 Police-Involved In-Custody Death in Greenbelt
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 3 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brown Announces No Charges Will Be Filed in the July 1, 2026 Police-Involved In-Custody Death in Greenbelt
10/2/2026
BALTIMORE, MD - Today, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced his decision not to seek charges in the July 1, 2026 police-involved in-custody death that occurred in Greenbelt, Prince George's County, Maryland. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that the subject officer did not commit a crime under Maryland law.
On
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 3 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brown Announces No Charges Will Be Filed in the July 1, 2026 Police-Involved In-Custody Death in Greenbelt
10/2/2026
BALTIMORE, MD - Today, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced his decision not to seek charges in the July 1, 2026 police-involved in-custody death that occurred in Greenbelt, Prince George's County, Maryland. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that the subject officer did not commit a crime under Maryland law.
OnWednesday, July 1, 2026, at approximately 9:59 p.m., an officer with the United States Park Police (USPP) stopped at a red light on the off ramp of Exit 193 from Maryland Highway 295 (the Baltimore-Washington Parkway) at Southway. While waiting for the light to change, the officer observed a car exit the highway at a high rate of speed. The car crossed a grass median and continued across Southway into a heavily wooded area. The USPP officer reported the crash by radio to USPP and the Greenbelt Police Department (GPD), requested GPD assistance, and asked for emergency medical services (EMS) to respond. The USPP officer then entered the wooded area to locate the vehicle.
The vehicle was found in the wooded area. USPP officers located an infant in the back seat of the car. The driver was identified as Michael MacDougall. Because of his appearance and behavior, officers believed that MacDougall was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Officers could not obtain information from MacDougall because he was unable to provide coherent responses. One USPP officer retrieved the infant while another ordered MacDougall to get out of the car. MacDougall complied and was placed in handcuffs.
Officers escorted MacDougall out of the woods to the sidewalk, where he was seated and later placed on his side. GPD Officer Tyler Fahey arrived after MacDougall was removed from the car. While waiting for EMS, GPD Officer Fahey assisted USPP officers in keeping MacDougall on his side in a recovery position. MacDougall continued to move and kick on the ground, and officers determined that leg restraints were necessary for his and their safety. Officer Fahey retrieved the restraints from his cruiser, returned to the scene, and applied them.
Officers discussed whether to sit MacDougall up and determined it was better to have him on his side in recovery position while they waited for EMS to arrive. At approximately 10:07 p.m., MacDougall became unresponsive. Officers administered medical aid, removed the handcuffs, and signaled for EMS personnel, who had arrived on scene. MacDougall was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. No officers were injured during the incident.
The Medical Examiner's findings were an important part of the IID's analysis. As detailed in the declination report, the Medical Examiner determined that MacDougall's death was an "Accident" and resulted from "Combined effects of Methadone and Amphetamine." The Medical Examiner further determined that "the restraint applied by law enforcement was not contributory towards his death."
The Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) began investigating this police-involved in-custody death on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and concluded its investigation on September 24, 2026. Under Maryland law, the IID has the authority to investigate Maryland police officers involved in incidents that result in the death of an individual or in injuries likely to result in the death of an individual. The IID's investigation in this matter addressed only the conduct of the GPD officer.
After completing its investigation and evaluating all the available evidence, the Office of the Attorney General has determined that the GPD officer did not commit a crime under Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute the GPD officer in this case.
A copy of the IID's detailed investigative findings and analysis of relevant legal issues can be found in its declination report.
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Original text here: https://oag.maryland.gov/News/pages/Attorney-General-Brown-Announces-No-Charges-Will-Be-Filed-in-the-July-1,-2026-Police-Involved-In-Custody-Death-in-Greenbelt.aspx
Md. A.G. Brown Announces No Charges Will Be Filed in July 5, 2026 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in City of Baltimore
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 3 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brown Announces No Charges Will Be Filed in the July 5, 2026 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in the City of Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MD (October 2, 2026) - Today, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced his decision not to seek charges in the July 5, 2026 fatal police-involved shooting that occurred in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that the subject officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law.
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 3 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brown Announces No Charges Will Be Filed in the July 5, 2026 Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in the City of Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MD (October 2, 2026) - Today, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced his decision not to seek charges in the July 5, 2026 fatal police-involved shooting that occurred in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that the subject officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law.
On Sunday, July 5, 2026, at approximately 1:23 a.m., a Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) helicopter received a license plate reader alert for a black minivan that had been reported stolen during an armed carjacking on July 4, 2026, in Baltimore County. The minivan was located at the intersection of Riggs Avenue and Fulton Avenue in the city of Baltimore, where a BPD patrol officer attempted to block it with his patrol vehicle. The driver, later identified as Maurice Daniels, maneuvered around the patrol vehicle and fled the location. BPD officers, including Officers Charles Blackman, Al-Shakier Drake, Antonio Groomes, Darrius Hicklin, and David Weldon, and Sergeant Kevin Rivera, pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop in the 3300 block of Clifton Avenue in Baltimore City.
Multiple officers approached the minivan and ordered Daniels to exit the vehicle, but he did not comply. One officer, equipped with a window breaking tool, holstered his weapon and prepared to break the driver's side window. At the same time, Officer Groomes approached the vehicle and reached for the driver's side door handle in an attempt to open the door. Before Officer Groomes made contact with the door handle, he shouted, "Hands, hands, hands." Daniels raised both hands in response. As Officer Groomes was issuing commands, Daniels began lowering his right hand. Officer Groomes yelled, "Gun, gun, gun." The officer with the window breaking tool shattered the window, and the subject officers discharged their weapons, striking Daniels. A black BB pistol was recovered from Daniels' right hand. Daniels was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. No officers were injured during the incident.
The Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) began investigating the fatal police-involved shooting on Sunday, July 5, 2026, and concluded its investigation on September 24, 2026. After completing its investigation and evaluating all the available evidence, the Office of the Attorney General has determined that the subject officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute the subject officers in this case.
A copy of the IID's detailed investigative findings and analysis of relevant legal issues can be found in its declination report.
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Original text here: https://oag.maryland.gov/News/pages/Attorney-General-Brown-Announces-No-Charges-Will-Be-Filed-in-the-July-5,-2026-Fatal-Police-Involved-Shooting-in-the-City-of.aspx
Ala. A.G. Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Murder Conviction in Mobile County
MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Oct. 3 -- Alabama Attorney General Steve T. Marshall issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Murder Conviction in Mobile County
October 2, 2026
(Montgomery, Ala) - Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the intentional murder, attempted murder, and shooting into an occupied dwelling convictions of Tadarian Tamarcus Dale, 26, of Whistler. Dale was convicted in the Mobile County Circuit Court on March 21, 2025.
The evidence at trial showed that on
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MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Oct. 3 -- Alabama Attorney General Steve T. Marshall issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Murder Conviction in Mobile County
October 2, 2026
(Montgomery, Ala) - Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the intentional murder, attempted murder, and shooting into an occupied dwelling convictions of Tadarian Tamarcus Dale, 26, of Whistler. Dale was convicted in the Mobile County Circuit Court on March 21, 2025.
The evidence at trial showed that onAugust 3, 2020, Mobile police responded to the call of a shooting at the Avalon Plaza Apartments and found the victim, Jamir Hannah, dead from gunshot wounds. Police also discovered another victim, Brianna Pharr, who was taken to a local hospital and survived her injuries. Police investigators soon developed Dale as a suspect and learned that he had been friends with the victim and had been engaged in a property dispute prior to the shooting. Pharr, the surviving victim, identified Dale as the person who fired the fatal shots. Surveillance videos as well as the result of police search warrants also led police to Dale. Moreover, Dale lied to investigators as to his whereabouts on the night of the murder and this was confirmed by an analysis of his cell phone records.
Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood successfully prosecuted this case and obtained guilty verdicts. Dale was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction, twenty years' imprisonment for his attempted murder conviction, and ten years' imprisonment for his discharging a firearm conviction. Dale sought to have his convictions reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General's Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Dale's convictions. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, September 18, 2026.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General John J. Davis for his successful work on this case and thanks District Attorney Keith Blackwood and his staff for their valuable assistance in obtaining the convictions.
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Original text here: https://www.alabamaag.gov/attorney-general-marshall-announces-court-of-criminal-appeals-upholds-murder-conviction-in-mobile-county-2/
