By Sara Kropf The government just told the "Broadview Six" defendants that it won't fight their request for attorney's fees under the Hyde Amendment. Perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise, since the alternative was to hand over discovery about what happened behind the...
By Sara Kropf Grand juries are secret. That secrecy is to the detriment of defendants who should be allowed to challenge the fairness of the indictment process. A recent case demonstrates just how dangerous it is to allow an unprincipled Justice Department to operate...
By Sara Kropf Working for the Department of Justice used to be a safe bet. You’d get great experience serving the country. Veteran prosecutors would train and closely supervise newer prosecutors to bring (mostly) meritorious cases. Prosecutors were expected to follow...
We’re proud to share that Sara Kropf has been inducted into the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL), an invitation-only national organization of leading criminal defense trial attorneys.
By Sara Kropf A lawyer’s credibility with the judge is one key to courtroom success. Far too often though, I observe federal judges treat DOJ lawyers as credible (until proven not credible) and treat defense counsel as not credible (until proven credible). Judges...
By Sara Kropf I take lots of notes during trial. I’m not lucky enough to have a perfect memory. Some people have the gift of recalling what happened each day in trial. I envy them. But I need notes. To be a good trial lawyer, you need credibility with the judge and...
By Sara Kropf As the year draws to a close, KMS extends our warmest wishes for a peaceful and restorative holiday season. We recognize that 2025 has brought its share of challenges and uncertainty for many, and KMS remains committed to providing steadfast advocacy...
By Sara Kropf A week ago, I wrote about the request by the defense team in the Jim Comey case for the grand jury materials. That post is below. But in the last few days some truly bats*$t crazy things have been happening and I could not leave my readers to wonder...
Why didn’t James Comey push for a speedy trial? What’s really at stake when white collar defendants invoke—or waive—their Speedy Trial Act rights?
By Sara Kropf On September 25, 2025, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges stem from his September 30, 2020 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee...