California Department of Justice

• This indictment was part of a larger effort by the Department of Justice to shut down a national network of people trafficking in human remains.
• Cedric Lodge, who had been the morgue manager until his firing in May, was accused of removing human remains that had been donated to the medical school.

State by state

• The most significant is the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, which requires funeral homes to provide certain disclosures to consumers.
• Instead, the vast majority of law respecting the dead is state law, which varies significantly.
• Most commonly, it is illegal to sell human remains that have been unlawfully removed from a place of burial.

Up for sale

• There are brick-and-mortar stores, like Kat’s Creepy Creations in Massachusetts, which sell skeletal remains.
• One of the defendants in the Harvard Medical School case advertised at least one skull on Instagram.
• It is difficult to determine how human remains end up in the retail stream because most body parts for sale have been de-identified.
• In seven states, remains may be disposed of via natural organic reduction, also called human composting.

Final gift

• If an individual or their family donates remains to science, typically a nonprofit organization or university takes possession of the remains.
• They do charge for processing and transporting human remains, and one such company, Science Care, generated $27 million in revenue in 2017.
• Body brokers are more controversial than university anatomical donation programs, but in both cases, remains are used for medical education or research.

Seeking justice

• First, there could be federal or state criminal charges in the small number of states that broadly outlaw the sale of human remains.
• Second, 30 states outlaw the mistreatment or mutilation of human remains.
• Respectful treatment of human remains, and of the loved ones they leave behind, appears to be a universal value.

• MCLEAN, Va., May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Steampunk announced today that Bronwyn Haley has joined the company as Vice President of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Sector within their Homeland, Commerce, and Justice (HC&J) Portfolio.
• Bronwyn brings to Steampunk decades of expertise in US DOJ operations, client relationships, and organizational risk management.
• "We are thrilled to add Bronwyn to our leadership team.
• She brings amazing Government depth and experience coupled with personal core values that align closely to Steampunk," said Steampunk CEO, Matt Warren.

• INDIANAPOLIS, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Police Association called today for the passage of the Pretrial Release Reporting Act, introduced by U.S.
• The Act requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a report to Congress within 180 days providing information on arrestees released on bail and pretrial release from state courts charged with violent felony crimes.
• This information would inform Congress and the American public on the frequency of violent offenders that are released on bail into their communities committing additional crimes.
• "We greatly appreciate and support Sen. Ron Johnson's leadership in introducing the Pretrial Release Reporting Act," said Sgt.

• Lead DOJ Theranos trial attorney Jeff Schenk joins Jones Day's Investigations & White Collar Defense practice in Silicon Valley office.
• Mr. Schenk spent the last 17 years working for the Department of Justice at the intersection of regulatory and criminal enforcement.
• Our corporate clients will also benefit from his substantial experience coordinating with federal and state regulatory agencies conducting parallel investigations.
• Mr. Schenk began his legal career as a summer associate in Jones Day's Shanghai Office in 2003.