Deposition

Weekly Briefs: Walter Dellinger dies at 80; lawyer’s ‘succubustic’ comment deemed protected speech

‘Giant in the law’ Walter Dellinger dies Former acting U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dellinger died Feb. 16 at age 80. Dellinger was a longtime professor at the Duke University School of Law and head of the Supreme Court and appellate practice at O’Melveny & Myers. O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin…

Feb 18, 2022 1:45 PM CST

Lawyer is suspended for deposition threat to expose intimate photos of woman in court record

An Indiana lawyer has been suspended for threatening to make a woman’s intimate photos part of the public record if she continued to seek a protective order against his client.

Feb 7, 2022 11:48 AM CST

Federal magistrate judge orders lawyers to ‘not impugn Chinese culture’ in future depositions

A federal magistrate judge in Georgia ordered lawyers for an injured longshoreman to “not impugn Chinese culture” in future depositions in his lawsuit against a Chinese shipping line.

Dec 23, 2021 8:59 AM CST

Lawyer is suspended after claiming he feared ‘untimely death’ if he appeared at police officers’ deposition

A Florida lawyer has been suspended for two years for unfounded accusations of racial bias, including his assertion that appearing at a deposition with police officers could lead to bodily injury or his “untimely death.”

Dec 13, 2021 3:31 PM CST

Lawyer is suspended for texting witness during phone deposition; how did opposing counsel find out?

A Florida lawyer has been suspended for 91 days for texting advice to a witness during a phone deposition and then failing to come clean when questioned by the opposing counsel and a judge.

Nov 22, 2021 10:44 AM CST

Judge orders lawyer jailed so he can be deposed behind bars

A judge in Fulton County, Georgia, has found a lawyer in civil contempt and ordered him jailed to allow for a deposition behind bars.

Nov 18, 2021 10:32 AM CST

Former ‘The Apprentice’ contestant drops defamation suit against Trump with no compensation

Former The Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos has dropped her lawsuit alleging that former President Donald Trump defamed her when he denied her allegations of unwanted groping and kissing.

Nov 15, 2021 10:55 AM CST

Lawyer is disbarred after accusations of ‘pervasive incivility’ and ‘reckless indifference to the law’

A lawyer has been disbarred in Maryland following the same disposition in Virginia for rejecting settlement offers without a client’s consent and demonstrating “pervasive incivility.”

Oct 27, 2021 9:33 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of feeding answers to his client in Zoom deposition faces possible sanction

A Boston lawyer has been ordered to show cause why he shouldn’t face further sanctions for allegedly taking advantage of a Zoom deposition to secretly whisper answers to his client.

Oct 11, 2021 3:40 PM CDT

Public defenders say modified ShotSpotter coordinates were used to implicate client; is it a widespread problem?

Updated: Gunshot detection technology known as ShotSpotter has been used as evidence in 190 court cases even as some critics raise questions about the technology.

Jul 27, 2021 11:24 AM CDT

Judge chides lawyers for ‘tit-for-tat squabbles’ and ‘shenanigans,’ sanctions one for shut-up command

A federal magistrate judge in Florida has criticized two lawyers for “needless and inappropriate bickering” during depositions and sanctioned one of them partly for telling the opposing counsel to “shut the f- - - up.”

Jun 15, 2021 2:42 PM CDT

Evidential essentials: How witnesses can make or break a case

It was a cold Canadian winter morning. But let me get back to that in a moment. The success of your case often gets down to three things: witnesses, witnesses and witnesses. Good advocacy helps, too, but that generally means marshaling good witnesses.

Apr 15, 2021 10:04 AM CDT

Marvel CEO seeks punitive damages for alleged theft of his DNA during a deposition

Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter is seeking punitive damages against Chubb insurance for allegedly facilitating a DNA theft during a deposition. Perlmutter alleges an in-house lawyer for a Chubb subsidiary subpoenaed Perlmutter and his wife, Laura, to a deposition with the aim of secretly collecting their DNA. The genetic material…

Mar 3, 2021 3:30 PM CST

How will the ‘Anthony Fauci effect’ influence jurors?

Lawyers and jury consultants are considering whether the COVID-19 pandemic will influence juror attitudes in what Law.com is dubbing the “Anthony Fauci effect.”

Feb 4, 2021 11:04 AM CST

Tales of double-crossing, big egos and cattle brands swirl around Gerry Spence lawsuits

Over the years, many attorneys shelled out thousands of dollars to spend three weeks in a converted Wyoming cattle ranch described as “spartan,” with no cellphone service, so they could listen and learn from the self-proclaimed “greatest trial lawyer in history.” From all over the country, lawyers came to the Trial Lawyers College to learn from Gerry Spence, the famed litigator who claims to have never lost a criminal case.

Jan 21, 2021 3:02 PM CST