11th Circuit Court

Einstein’s Notes Sued for Publishing Prof’s Practice Questions, Lecture Notes

A lawsuit filed in a Florida federal court contends Einstein’s Notes committed copyright violations by publishing lecture notes and practice questions from a University of Florida professor. The suit (PDF) contends professor Michael Moulton took notes during his own lectures on wildlife issues in the new millennium, obtained a copyright…

Apr 7, 2008 1:04 PM CDT

Former Ala. Gov. Wins Release Pending Appeal

A federal appeals court has ordered that former Alabama Gov. Donald Siegelman be released on bond. He has already served nine months in prison since he was convicted of bribery. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Siegelman had raised “substantial questions” in his appeal and could be…

Mar 28, 2008 2:10 PM CDT

DOJ Considers Dropping Charges Against Defense Lawyer

The Justice Department is considering whether to drop charges against a prominent Miami defense lawyer accused of laundering money by accepting fees from drug dealers. A government motion (PDF) filed Monday says a new lead prosecutor is now handling the controversial case against Ben Kuehne and is undertaking a review…

Mar 28, 2008 11:51 AM CDT

Paul Hastings’ Apparent $4.25M Settlement of Ponzi Scheme Liability Suit Is Approved

A federal judge has approved an apparent $4.25 million settlement by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in a lawsuit by a bankruptcy receiver. The suit had targeted the law firm for its review of circulars for a billboard company accused of running a Ponzi scheme. The settlement was sealed, but…

Mar 28, 2008 11:03 AM CDT

Defense Cries Foul in Miami Attorney’s Money-Laundering Legal Fees Case

In a repeat of abuses that led Congress to enact a special legislative exemption for defense lawyers a decade ago, over-aggressive federal prosecutors are pursuing a respected Miami attorney for, essentially, representing a criminal client, his counsel contends. Attorney Ben Kuehne concluded in good faith that the $5.3 million he…

Mar 25, 2008 6:46 PM CDT

Pentagon Has 50 Interrogation Tapes of Two Enemy Combatants

Defense Department officials told the New York Times that a review has turned up 50 videotapes of interrogations at military facilities that show interrogations of two men held as enemy combatants. The suspects who were videotaped are Jose Padilla, recently convicted of plotting overseas attacks for al-Qaida, and Ali al-Marri,…

Mar 13, 2008 11:51 AM CDT

Starbucks Settles Worker Suit as 1,000s Seek Overtime Pay

An undisclosed settlement between Starbucks Corp. and 350 assistant managers who claim they were required to work unpaid overtime was approved yesterday by a federal judge in Houston. But the Seattle-based international coffee chain, which has a reputation of paying workers generous benefits, is still facing other federal suits by…

Mar 5, 2008 5:48 PM CST

Jail Isn’t End of SEC Saga for Convicted Lawyer in $1B ‘Ponzi Scheme’

After pleading guilty in a $1 billion federal securities fraud conspiracy case last year, Florida attorney Stephen Ziegler was sentenced to a five-year prison term and had his law license suspended. But that’s not the final answer, as far as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement efforts against him…

Mar 4, 2008 8:22 PM CST

Scruggs Gets Contempt Prosecution Tossed

After repeated press accounts about charges that Richard “Dickie” Scruggs conspired to bribe a judge, the plaintiffs lawyer finally has some good news. A federal judge on Friday tossed a criminal contempt charge against the lawyer for failing to return documents about State Farm’s Hurricane Katrina claims practices, the Associated…

Mar 3, 2008 12:57 PM CST

U.S. Trustees Seek Countrywide Sanctions, Allege Widespread Abuses

In a highly unusual action, U.S. trustees in three states are seeking sanctions against Countrywide Financial Corp., contending that the major mortgage lender has abused the bankruptcy process by making inaccurate filings and imposing unauthorized fees. The rare concerted filings today by U.S. trustees in Florida, Georgia and Ohio ask…

Mar 1, 2008 1:02 AM CST

Special Master Says Coughlin Stoia Paid for Stolen Coke Documents

A special master has concluded that the securities class action law firm Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins paid for stolen documents in a shareholders suit against Coca-Cola. Special Master Hunter Hughes III recommended that the firm be banned as class counsel because of the conduct, according to the Legal…

Feb 29, 2008 4:58 PM CST

Moldy Courthouses an Issue in Fla.

Mold reportedly may be a problem at a number of Florida courthouses. Among them: the David W. Dyer Federal Courthouse in downtown Miami. As a new courthouse sits across the street unused because of construction delays and cost overruns, workers complain that a documented mold problem may be making at…

Feb 25, 2008 6:08 PM CST

Appeals Court Overturns Sex Toy Ban, Setting Up Circuit Conflict

A federal appeals court decision overturning a Texas ban on the sale of sex toys wasn’t issued in time for retailers’ lucrative Valentine’s Day season. The decision will take effect when the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issues its mandate in March, the Houston Chronicle reports. In…

Feb 14, 2008 12:31 PM CST

After 2 Months, Man Mistakenly Arrested Is Freed

After being flown in from Texas and held in a Florida jail for two months, protesting all the while that he was not the man authorities thought he was, the wrong Jose Garcia has finally been freed. Although he shares the name—and birthday—of the Jose Garcia that Miami-Dade authorities were…

Feb 12, 2008 8:33 PM CST

‘Scrivener’ Closing Attorney Ruined By $19M Real Estate Fraud

Atlanta attorney R. Joseph Costanzo Jr. was a little fish in sea of bigtime mortgage fraud, according to his defense lawyer. But after two years of closing fraudulent real estate deals in the Atlanta area as part of a $19 million “flipping” scheme that reportedly involved at least 21 people,…

Feb 12, 2008 1:34 AM CST