Handcuffed Defendant Takes Plea, Decks Defense Counsel with a Single Punch, Gets 6 Months More Time

A handcuffed defendant suddenly took a swing at defense counsel in court after pleading guilty on Tuesday in a South Carolina criminal case, knocking the surprised attorney backward to the floor as a security camera caught the entire incident. Already sentenced to the 15-year maximum Tuesday as a result of…

Oct 4, 2012 6:26 PM CDT

Disbarred Ex-Judge Who Survived 1994 Deposition Shooting Now Faces Money-Laundering Case

After surviving a 1994 shooting during a civil case deposition in which his client and another lawyer were shot to death by the pro se opposing party, a South Florida attorney subsequently told a local newspaper that every day is a blessing. Maurice J. Hall, 63, is now facing a…

Sep 26, 2012 3:25 PM CDT

Man Charged re Judge Grudge Phone Threats, But Pistol-Packing Jurist Is Ready for Action, If Needed

A Florida man who police say left multiple profanity-laden voicemails in July threatening to pistol-whip and kill a state court judge against whom he’d admittedly held a 12-year grudge has been tracked down, arrested and charged in a stalking and harassment case. A uniformed, armed sheriff’s officer protected 15th Judicial…

Sep 5, 2012 5:33 PM CDT

NY Judicial Conduct Commission Seeks Input re Judicial License Plates and Potential Ticket Issues

Having special license plates for New York judges makes it easier to enforce courthouse parking restrictions. But it also makes it easier for judges to avoid parking tickets and moving violations, without having to say a word themselves seeking special favors, points out the New York Daily News. The New…

Sep 4, 2012 5:08 PM CDT

NY Judge Rapped for Approving His Own Concealed Carry Permit, Accidental Gun Discharge in Chambers

A New York judge who has been threatened several times during his nearly 20 years on the bench decided he wanted to get a concealed-carry permit and take a loaded firearm into the Tioga County courthouse at which he worked. However, although there was no rule against having a gun…

Aug 27, 2012 5:50 PM CDT

Denied Protective Order re Claimed Spouse Abuse, Man Charged with Threatening to Shoot Wife, Judge

A man who was denied a protective order on Wednesday by a Maine judge is accused of threatening to shoot both his wife and the judge as he left the courthouse. Shawn Breton, 37, is charged with two terrorizing counts concerning the Augusta District Court incident, reports the Bangor Daily…

Aug 24, 2012 10:27 AM CDT

Handcuffed Murder Defendant Will Get New Lawyer After Reportedly Attacking Counsel in Court

It seemed like a routine pretrial hearing in the case of Cornell Smith until the handcuffed murder defendant suddenly, and for no apparent reason, attacked his own counsel in a Boston court on Tuesday, witnesses say. Attorney Jeff Karp said he doesn’t intend to press charges but withdrew as Smith’s…

Aug 22, 2012 9:04 PM CDT

Work Starts on New $213M Fla. Courthouse; ‘Good Riddance’ to ‘Sick Building,’ Says Chief Judge

There was little or no nostalgia for Broward County’s soon-to-be-former 52-year-old courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as work began on a new $213 million building that will be constructed on the parking lot footprint for the current facility. Clad in attire ranging from hard hats to business suits and high…

Aug 21, 2012 10:37 PM CDT

Immediate Suspension Sought for Ex-Prosecutor Accused of Using ‘Spy Pen’ to Film Women at Courthouse

A longtime Connecticut prosecutor recently fired from his $129,000-a-year job due in part to allegations that he secretly filmed women’s legs in and around the courthouse at which he then worked now has a new problem to deal with. Contending that David M. Holzbach “cannot be trusted to avoid voyeurism…

Aug 15, 2012 4:12 PM CDT

Prosecutor Loses $129K Job, Is Accused of Creating Hostile Work Environment via ‘Spy Pen’ Photos

A longtime Connecticut prosecutor accused of creating a hostile work environment for female colleagues and court workers by secretly videotaping their legs with a “spy pen” in and around court and at his office was fired Friday from his $129,000-a-year job. Senior Assistant Danbury State’s Attorney David Holzbach, 52, had…

Aug 9, 2012 8:44 PM CDT

US Marshal Shares Steps Lawyers and Judges Can Take to Improve Personal Security

You might have an unlisted phone number, eschew social media and never post photos online, but those steps alone don’t guarantee safety if a disgruntled litigant wants to find and hurt you or your family, a U.S. Marshal told a group of judges and lawyers Saturday. Speaking on an annual…

Aug 5, 2012 12:43 PM CDT

Unrestrained at Counsel’s Request, Murder Defendant Punches His Lawyer in Competency Hearing Ruckus

A visibly agitated Virginia man facing a capital triple homicide case was unrestrained Wednesday at a competency hearing, as defense counsel requested. That resulted in a ruckus in the historic Madison County Courthouse as Rashad Riddick, 25, repeatedly punched his court-appointed lawyer, Joseph Flood, in the face before security tackled…

Aug 2, 2012 10:18 AM CDT

August 14, 1889: Justice Stephen Field Attacked

Aug 1, 2012 5:01 AM CDT

Lawyer Took Cyanide After Arson Verdict, Then Collapsed and Died, Medical Examiner Says

A 53-year-old lawyer whose finances apparently took a nosedive in recent years committed suicide in an Arizona court last month by swallowing a cyanide pill, immediately after a Maricopa County jury convicted him of burning down his own upscale home in the Phoenix area. Michael James Marin collapsed within minutes…

Jul 27, 2012 8:21 PM CDT

Convicted Car Burglar Gets 3-Year Max for Breaking Into Judge’s Car Near Courthouse

A convicted car burglar who last month broke into the vehicle of the California judge who had just given him a sentencing break got the maximum term this time around. However, even with a three-year sentence he got from visiting Santa Clara County Judge Leslie Nichols, the defendant, 32-year-old Phillip…

Jul 16, 2012 7:52 PM CDT