5th Circuit Court

Ex-New Orleans Police Officer Gets 25 Years for Slaying Unarmed Civilian in Katrina Aftermath

Expressing disgust at what he called an intentional killing of a man police apparently mistakenly believed to be a looter, federal judge today sentenced a former New Orleans officer to more than 25 years in prison for gunning down an unarmed 31-year-old civilian in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. A…

Mar 31, 2011 9:18 PM CDT

Ex-Judge Is Indicted in Federal Racketeering Case, Accused of Profiting from His Work as a Jurist

A former police officer and Texas judge has been federally indicted in a racketeering case, accused of illegally profiting from his work on the bench. The indictment says ex-404th District Judge Abel Limas was paid by four unidentified attorneys for favorable treatment. Meanwhile, he allegedly used a fifth unidentified individual…

Mar 31, 2011 8:52 PM CDT

Feds Ponder Possible Manslaughter and Perjury Charges in Gulf Oil Spill Case, Sources Tell AP

Department of Justice officials investigating the massive oil spill nearly a year ago in the Gulf of Mexico are considering possible perjury and manslaughter charges. However, unidentified sources also caution that the probe is not complete and that criminal charges, while possible, are far from certain, reports the Associated Press.…

Mar 29, 2011 9:30 PM CDT

Motion: Dismiss ‘Tainted’ Case Against Police Sgt Accused in Katrina Danziger Bridge Killings

A defense lawyer says a “tainted” case should be dismissed against a sergeant accused, along with five other current or former New Orleans police officers, in the killing of civilians on Danziger Bridge during Hurricane Katrina, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Federal prosecutors relied on testimony by Sgt. Kenneth Bowen,…

Mar 16, 2011 8:41 PM CDT

Recruiter Got Zip, Sued for $100M, Is Awarded $365K re 12-Lawyer Leap to Lewis Brisbois

After being paid nothing for a 10-lawyer leap to Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, a legal recruiter sued the Los Angeles law firm for $100 million. A federal magistrate judge in Houston has now awarded $365,150 to Houston-based CB Legal Search, reports the Houston Business Journal. The recruiter contended its…

Mar 1, 2011 9:59 PM CST

‘Lone Wolf’ Saudi, Studying in Texas, Is Charged in Alleged Explosives Plot

When a Saudi man studying chemical engineering in Texas allegedly ordered certain items that can be used to make explosives, workers at two different suppliers became suspicious. Both notified authorities on Feb. 1. Today the U.S. Department of Justice announced a criminal case against the college student, Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari,…

Feb 25, 2011 2:12 AM CST

Feds Raid Health Care Facilities, Arrest Over 100 Professionals in 9 Cities in Record Medicare Bust

Federal authorities have arrested 111 doctors, nurses and other professionals in nine cities in what is being billed as the biggest Medicare fraud bust ever. It allegedly involved fraudulent billing of the government for health care services that weren’t provided, according to ABC News and the Associated Press. The raids…

Feb 17, 2011 6:49 PM CST

5th Cir. Eases La. Attorney Ad Rules, OKs Endorsements, Some Slogans

Finding that a blanket ban on results-oriented attorney advertising violates the First Amendment, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today struck down a challenged Louisiana rule of professional conduct that prohibited testimonials and factual information about results achieved in prior representations. And a three-judge appellate panel also…

Jan 31, 2011 10:34 PM CST

Former Judge Is Federally Indicted in Hurricane Ike Fraud; Defense Cries Foul, Says He Is Innocent

A former Texas judge has been indicted, along with a Liberty County official and a contractor related to the judge, on charges alleging he used Hurricane Ike as an opportunity to profit from government contracts paid for with federal emergency funds. The grand jury indictment in Beaumont this week accuses…

Jan 28, 2011 5:57 PM CST

Jury Wallops Ex-Sheriff’s Deputies with $16M Award to Beaten Arrestee in ‘Kind of Pro Bono’ Case

Arrested on an outstanding traffic warrant in 2007, a Texas man was beaten by two now-former Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies while in custody at the jail. Yesterday, after six hours of deliberation, a federal jury awarded Christopher Roberts, 24, more than $16 million, almost all of it in punitive damages,…

Jan 13, 2011 8:39 PM CST

Federal Judge Recommends Criminal Charges for Lawyers Who Questioned His Impartiality

Updated: U.S. District Judge John McBryde of Fort Worth, Texas, has sanctioned three lawyers and recommended criminal charges against two of them for motions questioning his integrity in litigation over golf club patents. McBryde said the plaintiff in the litigation, John Gillig, had used comments the judge had “jokingly” made…

Jan 11, 2011 11:30 AM CST

5th Circuit to Rehear Case of Grade School Students’ Confiscated Jesus Pencils

Do grade school students who want to distribute religious-themed pencils and pens have a First Amendment right to do so? The issue will be reconsidered by the en banc 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in New Orleans, How Appealing reports. In a June decision, amended in November (PDF),…

Dec 23, 2010 4:52 PM CST

5th Circuit Nixes $21M Katrina Pact, Worried That Legal Fees and Other Costs Could ‘Cannibalize’ It

A federal district court judge erred by approving a $21 million settlement of Hurricane Katrina damage claims, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday, because attorney’s fees and administrative costs could “cannibalize” most or all of the money. Absent a showing that the more than 500,000 residents and businesses concerned will…

Dec 17, 2010 4:27 PM CST

US Sues BP and 8 Other Entities Over Gulf Oil Spill, Seeking Cleanup Costs and Penalties

As civil and criminal investigations continue to determine responsibility for the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that began April 20, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued BP Exploration and Production Inc. and eight other defendants. Its suit, filed in federal court in New Orleans, contends that…

Dec 15, 2010 11:16 PM CST

Ex-Judge Pleads Guilty to False Statement; Officials Accused of Personal Profit from Court Cases

Originally charged in a two-count federal indictment with destruction of records and making a false statement, a former Texas municipal court judge pleaded guilty yesterday to the latter count. Monica Lynn Corker now faces up to five years in prison when she is sentenced subsequently, on a date that has…

Nov 18, 2010 6:55 PM CST