Here, Progressive Law Practice looks back on 2018 and reviews some of the legal field’s biggest stories ahead of New Year’s Day.

Verdicts That Caught the World's Attention

• 'Psychic' Sent to Prison for Ducking IRS: Sally Ann Johnson, who claims to be psychic, was sentenced to two years and two months in prison after being charged with tax evasion, according to an article from the Associated Press. Johnson was said to have charged a Massachusetts woman $3.5 million for “spiritual cleansings” and exorcisms, and was ordered to repay the woman and $725,000 to the IRS.
• Pharrell, Thicke Still Liable for Copyright Infringement Upon Appeal: After a jury found recording artists Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. guilty of copyright infringement, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided, upon appeal, to leave the decision largely intact, according to an article from Pitchfork. Thicke and Pharrell were found to have ripped off too much of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” in their hit "Blurred Lines." However, T.I. was let off the hook.
• Judge Denies Trump, Cohen Request to Have First Crack at Seized Records: Manhattan Federal Court Judge Kimba Wood denied a request from President Trump and his attorney Michael Cohen to block investigators from perusing records seized during the infamous raid of Cohen's home and office before they had a chance to look them over, according to an article from The New York Daily News.

• Judge Rules Trump Blocking Twitter Users Unconstitutional: U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of New York said it is a violation of the First Amendment for President Trump to block people on Twitter, according to an article from NBC News.
• Texas Senator Guilty on 11 Fraud Counts, Will Step Down: Texas Democratic Sen. Carlos Uresti was found guilty of 11 fraud-related counts, according to an article from The Statesman.
• Georgia Defense Attorney Sentenced to Jail After Client Found Guilty: Defense attorney Anastasios Manettas was sentenced to prison after a jury found his client guilty of drug charges, according to an article from WSB-TV 2.
• Judge Rejects ‘My Twin Did It’ Alibi: Circuit Judge Richard Hersch rejected fugitive Raul Prado’s claims that he is actually a man named Jean Prado and is a law-abiding citizen, according to an article from The Miami Herald. The man, who is said to have escaped from a Georgia prison, was arrested by Miami-Dade cops before giving “incredible and at times inherently inconsistent” testimony that officials should actually be looking for his twin brother.

President Trump, Immigration at Heart of Wild 2018

• Trump allegedly referred to Haiti and other African countries as “shithole” nations, prompting the following joint statement from Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler: “The President’s bigoted fearmongering is not acceptable and his remarks completely warrant total condemnation and censure from Congress. American immigration policy cannot and should not be guided in any way, shape or form by racism.”
• The Sentencing Project, Human Rights Watch and the American Bar Association called for lawmakers to pass the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017 (S.1917) as a means to improve the federal criminal justice system and create more equitable incarcerations. 
• American Bar Association President Hilarie Bass visited the Rio Grand Valley in Texas to advocate for due process protections for those being held. Bass was accompanied by Kimi Jackson, director of the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project.

Technology Brings New Challenges, Opportunities

• Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ripple enjoyed a recent surge in value and attention, but pundits, legal experts and regulators have continued to debate the risks and rewards associated with trading the digital money.
• KeyQuote: “Investors should go beyond the headlines and hype to understand the risks associated with investments in cryptocurrencies, as well as cryptocurrency futures contracts and other financial products where these virtual currencies are linked in some way to the underlying investment,” said Joseph P. Borg, NASAA President and Director of the Alabama Securities Commission.
• A state-of-the-industry report from Exterro Inc. predicted the e-discovery market will grow to $18.9 billion by 2022. That represents a 15% compound annual growth rate starting in 2017, where the market was $9.24 billion.