Verdict . News

•Aaron Bowlin convicted on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, sentenced to 20 years

Oct 23, 2025•4 min read

Kentucky Supreme Court

Kentucky Supreme Court Affirms Sexual Abuse Conviction of Aaron Bowlin

The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed Aaron Bowlin's conviction on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and his 20-year prison sentence. The court issued an unpublished memorandum opinion on October 23, 2025, finding no error in the Fulton County proceedings.

•Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed conviction in unpublished October 23, 2025 opinion

•Utah Supreme Court reversed district court decision to let jury decide statute of limitations question

Oct 23, 2025•4 min read

Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Reverses District Court on Statute of Limitations

The Utah Supreme Court reversed a district court's decision to reserve statute of limitations issues for a jury trial in a decades-old child sexual abuse case. The court held that judges, not juries, must determine statute of limitations questions in criminal cases by a preponderance of the evidence standard.

•Case involves 2022 charges for alleged child sexual abuse from 1988-1990

Supreme Court of New Jersey

Oct 23, 2025•4 min read

NJ Municipal Judge Seeks End to 9-Year DWI Case Disqualification

Municipal Court Judge Wilfredo Benitez has petitioned the New Jersey Supreme Court to lift his disqualification from hearing driving while intoxicated cases, which has been in effect since November 2016. The Court is considering his motion to reconsider an April 2025 denial of his reinstatement request.

•Judge has been disqualified from DWI cases since November 2016 due to his own arrest and misconduct

•Court censured judge in 2018 for trying to leverage judicial position during DWI arrest

•District court incorrectly concluded it lacked jurisdiction over Riley's sentence correction motion

Minnesota Supreme Court Reverses District Court Dismissal of Life Sentence Challenge

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that a district court incorrectly dismissed Adrian Dominic Riley's motion to correct his mandatory life sentences, finding the lower court had jurisdiction to hear the challenge under state procedural rules.

•Supreme Court applied Reynolds v. State precedent regarding limitations periods for sentence challenges

•Arizona Supreme Court unanimously reversed Court of Appeals decision in medical malpractice case against Abrazo West Campus

Arizona Supreme Court

Arizona Supreme Court Reverses Medical Malpractice Ruling

The Arizona Supreme Court reversed and remanded a medical malpractice case against Hospital Development of West Phoenix, Inc., d/b/a Abrazo West Campus, in a unanimous ruling that clarifies the burden of proof standards for emergency department care. The court vacated a previous Court of Appeals decision and sent the case back to Maricopa County Superior Court.

•Ruling clarifies burden of proof standards for emergency department care under competing Arizona statutes

•Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that corroboration of confidential informant tips must be considered in probable cause determinations but is not an independent requirement

Minnesota Supreme Court Strengthens Search Warrant Standards for Informants

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in *State of Minnesota v. Jennifer Lynn Nagle* that search warrants based on confidential informant tips must meet enhanced corroboration standards under the Fourth Amendment. The court reversed Nagle's conviction, finding the warrant lacked sufficient probable cause despite the informant's reliability.

•The court reversed Jennifer Lynn Nagle's conviction, finding the search warrant lacked sufficient probable cause despite informant reliability

•Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on transgender powerlifter JayCee Cooper's discrimination challenge

Minnesota Supreme Court Issues Decision in Trans Powerlifter Discrimination Case

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled in JayCee Cooper v. USA Powerlifting, a closely watched case involving a transgender athlete's challenge to powerlifting competition exclusion policies. The case attracted extensive amicus support from civil rights groups and female athletes' organizations in the ongoing national debate over transgender sports participation.

•Case attracted amicus briefs from ACLU, female athletes' groups, and state attorney general

•Teacher's knee injury during afterschool basketball practice covered by workers' compensation

Minnesota Supreme Court Affirms Workers' Comp for Teacher Injured in School Basketball

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed workers' compensation coverage for a Minneapolis middle school teacher who injured her knee while playing basketball with students during afterschool practice. The court ruled the injury occurred 'in the course of employment' despite happening during a recreational activity.

•Court ruled injury occurred 'in the course of employment' based on timing, location, and nature of activity

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Massachusetts High Court Rules Retention Bonuses Not 'Wages' Under State Law

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that retention bonus payments do not qualify as "wages" under the Massachusetts Wage Act, affirming a lower court's dismissal of an employee's wage claim. The decision clarifies that such bonuses are contingent compensation outside the scope of wage protection laws.

•Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled retention bonuses are not 'wages' under state Wage Act

•Court distinguished contingent compensation from regular wages subject to strict payment requirements