Along with political speech, many companies also claim they have religious liberty rights

Jun 1, 2013 8:30 AM CDT

Pro se homeowner wins rare federal stay of sale in foreclosure case

Representing herself in federal court without the help of a lawyer, a Colorado homeowner has won a rare ruling staying the auction sale of her home after she lost a state-court mortgage foreclosure case. U.S. District Judge William Martinez on Monday issued an order temporarily staying the sale of Lisa…

May 7, 2013 4:08 PM CDT

Former defense lawyer gets 5 years in Secret Service money-laundering sting

Once a prominent criminal defense attorney, Ronald E. Partee, 66, had little to say as he was sentenced Monday by a federal judge in Kansas City to five years in prison. He will serve the time at a prison camp in South Dakota, to minimize contact with his former clients.…

Apr 30, 2013 5:08 PM CDT

School’s use of ‘timeout room’ didn’t violate Constitution, 10th Circuit rules

An Oklahoma school district that placed a special education student in a “timeout room” to stop his unruly behavior did not violate his constitutional rights, a federal appeals court has ruled. In an opinion (PDF) issued on Tuesday, the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the civil rights…

Apr 24, 2013 4:09 PM CDT

Longtime defense lawyer takes plea in Secret Service money-laundering sting

A prominent Missouri criminal defense lawyer has taken a plea in a federal money-laundering conspiracy case that arose from a Secret Service sting, effectively ending his legal career. Ronald E. Partee admitted in federal court in Kansas on Wednesday that he agreed to help hide the source of what he…

Jan 30, 2013 9:02 PM CST

Victim’s widow sues psychiatrist re Batman movie theater massacre

Corrected: The widow of a man massacred last year, with nearly a dozen others, in a July 20 shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater showing the new Batman movie has sued the former treating psychiatrist of the suspected gunman, James Holmes. Dr. Lynne Fenton acted negligently by failing to…

Jan 15, 2013 10:01 PM CST

Fugitive Immigration Lawyer Arrested After 2 Years on the Run, Authorities Say

A Utah immigration lawyer who has been considered a fugitive since violating pretrial release conditions in a federal visa fraud case has been caught at the U.S. border, near a California-Mexico entry point. James Hector Alcala, 44, was criminally charged in 2009, along with his law firm and other defendants,…

Jan 9, 2013 10:00 PM CST

Plaintiffs in EEOC Suit Must Turn Over Cellphones and Facebook Account Passwords, Judge Rules

Saying that the plaintiffs in an employment discrimination case have not produced all material relevant to the defendant employer’s somewhat unclear discovery requests, a federal magistrate judge has ordered them to provide their cellphones and passwords to Facebook and other social media accounts. A special master will compile their text…

Nov 20, 2012 9:27 PM CST

Utah AG Takes Stand re Unpaid $5.6M Judgment, Expresses Relief at Not Being Jailed

The top law enforcement official in Utah expressed relief Friday that a state court judge didn’t jail him for contempt months after a deadline expired for paying a $5.6 million court-ordered bill for services provided by a Salt Lake City accountant, lawyers and others responsible for liquidating a communal land…

Nov 2, 2012 9:41 PM CDT

Lawyer Faces Federal Case, Accused of Handling Client Trust Money in Ponzi-Scheme-Like Manner

A Kansas lawyer has been charged in federal court in Topeka with stealing more than $463,000 from his client trust account, which he is accused of handling in a manner equivalent to a Ponzi scheme. Robert M. Telthorst, 52, faces charges of money laundering and wire fraud after prosecutors say…

Oct 15, 2012 5:30 PM CDT

First Suits Filed re Shooting Spree During Batman Movie Blame Colo. Theater for Lax Security

The first lawsuits have been filed over a July shooting spree during a midnight screening in Colorado of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Three victims filed a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Denver alleging a pattern of lax security by Century Aurora 16, the owner…

Sep 24, 2012 10:54 PM CDT

Senate Blocks 10th Circuit Nominee, Apparently Shutting Down Confirmation Process for Appeals Judges

A noncontroversial nominee to the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals won’t get a Senate vote after a failed effort to stop a Republican filibuster. The attempt to stop the filibuster of Robert Bacharach’s nomination was four votes short, reports the The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. According…

Jul 31, 2012 11:27 AM CDT

Illinois Seeks to Discipline Lawyer with History of Taking Frivolous Positions in Federal Tax Cases

An Illinois lawyer faces potential attorney disciplinary action in his home state following prior sanctions by federal appellate courts for taking frivolous positions in tax cases. Jerold W. Barringer, 54, has a history of taking frivolous positions in federal tax cases, including an argument that Internal Revenue Service doesn’t have…

Jun 27, 2012 8:34 PM CDT

Feds Say ‘Second Chair’ Lawyer Paid $5K Gave OK Murder Defense Though Lead ‘Counsel’ Was a Fake

One might think Gwen Bergman has a slam-dunk argument that she was not adequately represented by legal counsel during a federal murder-for-hire trial that resulted in a conviction and a seven-year stint in jail. The “lawyer” her family paid $70,000 to represent her, Howard O. Kieffer, never went to law…

May 9, 2012 5:56 PM CDT

Seattle Lawyer Meets Suspect in Afghan Civilian Shooting

A Seattle defense lawyer who has been retained to represent an Army staff sergeant suspected of killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan says he has now met with his client, who is being held in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His meeting with Robert Bales, 38, was emotional, says…

Mar 19, 2012 8:11 PM CDT