News Roundup

Published for NC Criminal Law on April 25, 2025.

The top story this week is that country music star Jelly Roll has been recommended for a pardon by a Tennessee parole board. NBC has the story, as well as ABC and the AP. The singer, whose legal name is Jason B. Deford, 40, was convicted in 2008 of robbery and drug possession. He was released in 2016 and struggled to succeed as a musician before earning four Grammy Award nominations in February. Davidson County, TN, Sheriff Daron Hall asked Governor Bill Lee to pardon Jelly Roll last year, and the parole board’s vote on Tuesday was part of that mission. The matter is now pending before the governor. Read on for more criminal law news. Secretary, Secure Thyself. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen on Easter Sunday at a restaurant in Washington D.C., as reported by CNN, WP and NYT. An unknown white male wearing a medical mask stole her handbag while the secretary and her family were having dinner at the Capital Burger restaurant. The bag contained her driver’s license, keys, passport, DHS access badge, and about $3,000 in cash. An investigation is being conducted by the Secret Service, which is part of DHS and is tasked with protecting the secretary. Noem, the ex-governor of South Dakota, oversees a department that is responsible for the nation’s security. Partners in Crime. On Monday, Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, was convicted by a federal jury of bribery, among [...]