Elaine Silvestrini

Elaine Silvestrini is a career journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering legal issues. She has written for the Tampa Tribune in Florida and the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey, in addition to legal websites.

Jail costs go up as crime goes down

Even as crime rates decreased and the numbers of people in jail went down, the costs of jails maintained by local governments increased, going over $25 billion in the latest

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 9 Feb 2021

Lawyers told not to respond to negative online reviews

Lawyers whose clients write negative online reviews have few options to defend themselves, even when the unhappy clients lie. Responding online to a negative review is likely to get a

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 8 Feb 2021

Close-up of a businesswoman holding a phone in front of a laptop with social media icons.

Russian hack affecting federal courts

The massive Russian hack of government systems is having an effect on federal courts, where some are worried that steps taken in response may compromise public access to court proceedings,

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 3 Feb 2021

Computer screen displaying a Russia-themed hacking interface with lines of code and cyberattack graphics.

Coronavirus relief funds targeted by criminals

While people across the country struggled to pay their bills and lined up at food banks to feed their families, authorities say, some crooks struck it rich and took advantage

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 1 Feb 2021

3D illustration of private investigator files labeled with the words ‘investigation’ and ‘fraud.

Draft registration called last legal form of sex discrimination

Requiring men, but not women, to register for the military draft is unconstitutional sex discrimination, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is asking the U.S. Supreme Court

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 27 Jan 2021

Exterior view of an armed forces recruiting center.

Whistleblowers date back to the American Revolution

Protections for whistleblowers in the United States date back to 1777 and the Continental Congress.

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 21 Jan 2021

Whistleblower law book on a desk next to a gavel.

Domestic terrorism prosecutions reach all-time high

The insurrection attempt by a mob on the nation’s capitol may be part of a larger trend of increasing incidents of right-wing domestic terrorism. “I think it’s not

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 19 Jan 2021

View of the U.S. Capitol seen through a recently installed security barrier.

Confederate statues falling since George Floyd killing

In the months that followed the police killing of George Floyd, 111 Confederate symbols and monuments were taken down and removed across the country, according to the Southern Poverty Law

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 13 Jan 2021

Statue of Robert E. Lee being removed in Virginia.

Republican attorneys general group sponsored pre-riot Trump rally

CORRECTION: This article has been updated. An earlier version incorrectly listed one of the donors to the Rule of Law Defense Fund. The chairman of an organization that sponsored President

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 11 Jan 2021

Rioters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.

New law restores college grants to prison inmates

Prison inmates are once again eligible for Pell Grants to pay for their college education while they serve their sentences, thanks to a provision tucked into the 5,000 pages

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 6 Jan 2021

Dramatic sunset with the silhouette of a chain link fence topped with razor wire.

Marijuana approvals spread like a weed

Nearly 50 years after President Nixon declared a war on drugs, citizens and lawmakers around the U.S. have opted for at least a partial retreat. In November — 24 years

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 5 Jan 2021

‘Open’ sign displayed outside a marijuana dispensary.

Consumer bankruptcies at historic lows amid pandemic recession

Millions of Americans are unemployed, and thousands of businesses are struggling amid a crushing recession brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet bankruptcy filings remain at historic lows. The number

By Elaine Silvestrini

/ 28 Dec 2020

Exterior view of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court building.