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Former “hero cop” Richard DeCoatsworth was charged Monday with rape and human trafficking, after he allegedly forced two women to perform sexual acts at gunpoint. DeCoatsworth was labeled a “hero” after he was shot in the face during a traffic stop. At the height of his fame, DeCoatsworth was seated next to First Lady Michele Obama at a presidential address in 2009, reports the Philadelphia Daily News. Despite all his medals and past heroism, DeCoatsworth could be facing serious prison time if convicted of these charges....

We previously discussed the FBI’s crime report on the states with the highest rates of violent crime. But what about property crime? According to the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States report – which compiles criminal data under the Uniform Crime Reporting program from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico – the nation experienced a decrease in property crimes in 2012. Here are the 10 states with the highest – and lowest – rates of property crime, according to the FBI’s data:...

Not every criminal case goes to trial. In fact, the vast majority are settled by prosecutors offering defendants a lighter sentence in exchange for pleading guilty and avoiding a trial altogether. The plea bargaining process has its pros and cons, with prosecutors at best seeking an appropriate resolution and punishment and at worst intimidating defendants with harsh penalties to bully them into taking a deal. Each criminal case is unique, but there are some general considerations to taking a plea deal that are common in most situations....

Today, Boston Scientific, a medical devices company, announced in a press release a major settlement with rival Johnson & Johnson over patent infringement claims on coronary stents. Boston Scientific has agreed to pay J&J $1.7 billion this year, with the initial payment of $1 billion made today and the balance to be paid by this time next year. Stents are the tiny mesh cylinders inserted in blood vessels to keep them propped open after blockages are cleared....

The trial of 16 Amish men charged in beard-cutting attacks began Monday with jury selection in Ohio. The men were arrested last fall after reports that they had forcibly cut the beards and hair of other men and women in the Amish community. The attacks were allegedly done because the victims challenged the religious authority of Sam Mullet, according to CBS News. The attacks were done by Amish people and against Amish people....

Over the weekend, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was identified as having tested positive for steroid use in 2003. Today, he admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003. While the highest paid player in baseball history may suffer permanent damage to his legacy, the leak of his positive test in 2003 may have been a crime. As the New York Times reported, in 2003, to determine whether it needed to institute a mandatory testing system, Major League Baseball (MLB) randomly tested its players for steroids....

As the old saying goes, “problems” roll downhill, and at the bottom of The Hill’s federal shutdown are consumers. Numerous governmental entities, products, and services that protect consumer interests have been shuttered. None have mentioned any date of reopening soon, as the federal government shutdown now reaches the longest in U.S. history. FTC Shuts Down Two of Its Sites, Online Complaint Form The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that several sites it operates will be out of service during the shutdown, including donotcall....

Justin Bieber is still under scrutiny for the alleged egging of a neighbor’s house. As part of their probe, investigators want to search his cell phone. The Biebs gave Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies the cold shoulder when they raided his home on a search warrant last week, and now the authorities may need yet another warrant to get to the pop star’s texts, reports TMZ. Do the cops have a right to crack into that Bieber phone?...

A group of Chinese high rollers is accusing the FBI of posing as Internet repairmen in order to secretly infiltrate and search their Las Vegas villa. As part of a motion to suppress evidence filed in federal criminal court on Tuesday, the men accused of running an illegal gambling operation out of their hotel assert that FBI agents illegally snuck in to investigate. The document warns that the next time your Internet or phone service goes out, it could actually be an elaborate plot by federal agents trying to gain access to your home....

That might be you in the pic, but do you have the right to post it? That’s the gist of a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by photographer Peter Cepeda against model Gigi Hadid. Cepeda is claiming he has exclusive rights to a photo Hadid posted on her Instagram and Twitter accounts last summer. The shot required “great technical skill and careful timing” according to Cepeda’s complaint, but he wasn’t credited with the pic and “numerous prominent, commercial, online publications copied and posted the Copyrighted Photograph, crediting Hadid or Instagram....

In the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history, British drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay the government $3 billion. The settlement covers about 10 years worth of federal civil and criminal investigations. Glaxo had been accused of improperly marketing a number of drugs, including Wellbutrin, Paxil, Advair and Avandia. Allegations of Medicaid fraud are also covered by the agreement. The fraud investigation is the only non-marketing allegation included in the settlement....

Airbag pressure problems have sparked another round of Honda recalls. This time, Honda Motor Co. is recalling 273,000 vehicles over the airbag issue, which could pose a danger to drivers. In some incidents, the driver’s airbag has deployed with such force in a crash that it shot pieces of metal into the driver, The New York Times reports. More than a dozen drivers have been hurt and two have been killed, a Honda spokeswoman told the Times....

According to a new lawsuit filed in California, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has been ignoring Freedom of Information Act requests regarding significant delays in processing citizenship applications. And according to the immigrant rights groups that filed the suit, the delay is part of an effort to deny “thousands of lawful permanent residents the opportunity to more fully participate in civic life and to vote in important upcoming elections....

Everyone has their own idea of what makes a party good. For some, a party requires music and dancing, some people demand party games, or party hats, and just as many think alcohol is the magic ingredient. But, when minors are going to be present at the party, there may be some legal concerns if alcohol is served. Generally, there is no law that forbids adults from drinking in front of minors at a party....

Snitches get stitches, as the popular refrain goes. But jailhouse snitches can get much more – money, food, housing considerations, reduced or dropped charges, and, as promised in one case, the opportunity to join the army and “legally kill some people.” Multiple reports have revealed a complex and comprehensive jailhouse snitch program in Orange County, California, shining a light on the use and legality of jailhouse snitches like never before....

Was Clayton Osbon, the JetBlue pilot, insane? This question has been on the minds of many since Osbon was arrested on March 27 after having an in-flight meltdown. He had to be restrained by passengers after he began making incoherent statements, talking about religion, running up and down the aisle, and banging on doors. Mental illness appears to be the culprit, which is why Osbon’s attorney has notified the court that he plans to pursue the insanity defense should the prosecution move forward....

A Toledo Municipal Court judge ruled that the Ohio city’s law concerning pit bulls is unconstitutional because it conflicts with the state’s law and is vague. Judge Michael Goulding was faced with many legal challenges by dog owner Hugh Smith after the city charged him with 13 alleged violations of Toledo’s breed-specific pit bull ordinance. For example, Smith said – and the court agreed – that his pooches are Cane Corsos, not pit bulls....

Postnuptial agreements, like prenuptial agreements, can set out how property will be divided upon divorce. They have been increasingly advocated as a way to calm a troubled marriage by reducing uncertainty. However, as a high dollar divorce in Connecticut currently illustrates, it is very important to make sure a postnuptial agreement will be enforceable. The Hartford Courant reports that the soon-to-be ex-wife of former United Technologies Corp. Chairman and CEO George David has asked a Connecticut court to invalidate the couple’s 2005 postnuptial agreement....

Mazda is recalling certain Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 compact cars from the 2008 and 2009 model year to fix a potential electrical problem with their windshield wipers. The windshield-wiper motor has prompted Mazda to recall about 409,000 models worldwide, including about 103,000 in the United States. Mazda told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the ground terminal of the wiper motor may be bent and, over time, the wiper motor may stop....

Daniele Inc., an Italian specialty meats company based in Rhode Island, has initiated a voluntary recall of its pepper salami because of a possible salmonella contamination. According to a press release by the company, the salami food recall was initiated because of 11 individuals who became sick after eating the salami. The press release indicates that there is not a confirmed direct link between the product and the sick consumers as of yet....