Sean O'Driscoll
Senior Crime and Courts Reporter
Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. He has covered human rights and extremism extensively. Sean joined Newsweek in 2023 and previously worked for The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC, Vice and others from the Middle East. He specialized in human rights issues in the Arabian Gulf and conducted a three-month investigation into labor rights abuses for The New York Times. He was previously based in New York for 10 years. He is a graduate of Dublin City University and is a qualified New York attorney and Irish solicitor.
You can get in touch with Sean by emailing s.odriscoll@newsweek.com. Languages: English and French.
Supreme Court's Donald Trump move leaves legal expert "deeply concerned"
Conservative justices may be delaying Trump's January 6 case until after the 2024 presidential election.
Why Stormy Daniels cross-examination could be "wild and unpredictable"
Donald Trump's lawyers will try to take Stormy Daniels away from the carefully prepared prosecution questions, a lawyer said.
Why the Harvey Weinstein conviction had to be overturned
The trial allowed evidence about Weinstein's rudeness to restaurant staff, something an appeal court has said is irrelevant.
Brett Kavanaugh's "jarring" Supreme Court remarks stun legal experts
Kavanaugh said Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon was one of the "better" presidential decisions in history.
Supreme Court justice challenges Donald Trump lawyer—"What was that about?"
Trump lawyer D. John Sauer and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sparred over the history of presidential immunity.
Donald Trump not being indicted in Arizona raises questions
Eighteen Trump supporters were indicted for alleged election interference in Arizona, but not "unindicted co-conspirator 1."
Supreme Court may create new immunity test for Donald Trump case
Justices' decision could delay Trump's election fraud case by months, possibly beyond the November vote.
Donald Trump Jr. text detailed in Arizona indictment
Trump Jr. was allegedly forming a plant to use alternative electors before votes were even counted in the 2020 election.
Donald Trump trial will lose him evangelicals—former Biden adviser
The daily revelations of Trump's alleged affairs will start to weigh on his Christian base, a former Biden advisor has said
Donald Trump prosecution appears fatally flawed—legal experts
Boston University legal professor Jed Handelsman Shugerman has said Alvin Bragg made a "historic mistake" in taking the case.
Donald Trump 'angling' for incarceration, prosecutors warn judge
Prosecutors claim that Trump is deliberately looking for jail time for violating a gag order
Why Melania Trump could prove biggest problem to her husband's defense
"The odds that Melania was going to go through the Trump bank records are [from] none to none," trial attorney Eric Anderson told Newsweek.
The two jury members who may help Donald Trump
Donald Trump's legal team have made the legality of Stormy Daniels' non-disclosure agreement a key part of their defense
Vivek Ramaswamy may, like Donald Trump, soon be in a courtroom
According to a lawsuit, Ramaswamy or his campaign team used pre-recorded calls to contact potential voters without obtaining their consent first.
Donald Trump attacks judge hours before gag order hearing
Trump alleges that the judge in his hush money case, Juan Merchan, has massive conflicts of interest and that the case is being directed by the White House.
Donald Trump's defense puts Alvin Bragg on the back foot
The former president's team insists to the jury that Stormy Daniels payments were legal and the DA cannot prove otherwise
Trump moves to stop secret docs being discussed during Stormy Daniels trial
Trump's lawyers say they have no secure room in New York to discuss top-secret government documents at the center of the case.
Donald Trump's next legal move may be 'death knell': ex-fed prosecutor
Trump's lawyer should throw herself in front of the witness stand rather than let him testify, a former prosecutor has said.
Trump faces 'dynamite evidence' from potential witness: ex-special counsel
Publisher David Pecker will give evidence about meetings with Trump to allegedly cover up sex scandals
Why Donald Trump trial's first witness could destroy his defense
Former National Enquirer boss David Pecker could give devastating evidence about a secret deal with Trump.
Donald Trump ally handed rare court win in Texas
A Dallas court rejected attempts to sanction former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell for her role in the 2020 election.
Donald Trump faces new legal headache over "hidden debt"
Trump may have been secretly paying a third party through a $50 million loan, an ethics group has said.
Donald Trump's attacks on witnesses come back to haunt him: Attorney
A judge agreed that the former president's lawyers should not be given a witness list.
Juror calls Donald Trump 'very selfish and self serving'
Trump's lawyers unsuccessfully tried to have the woman removed from the jury for his hush money trial after her comments made during the jury selection process.
Bryan Kohberger's defense receives huge boost
A cell phone expert will claim that Kohberger was nowhere near a house where four college students were murdered in Idaho.
Donald Trump team looking for "uneducated" jurors—attorney
Trump's team will be looking for jurors who feel persecuted, a leading attorney has said.
How a "stealth juror" could sink Trump hush money case
A secret pro-Trump juror could cause major problems for prosecutors in Trump's hush money trial, legal experts believe
Who is Sy Ray? Bryan Kohberger turns to retired officer to prove alibi
Kohberger's defense team wants an expert to show he was nowhere near Moscow, Idaho, on the night four college students were murdered.
Letitia James under pressure to show why she rejected Trump bond
Trump wants James to pay legal costs after he had to resubmit his $175 bond application
Donald Trump jury move by prosecutors surprises legal experts
Corporate lawyers make up two of the seven jurors so far selected in Trump's Stormy Daniels case in New York
