Perry Mason Moment in LA Trial: Surprise Video Exonerates Defendant

A drug possession trial in Los Angeles ended abruptly after dramatic courtroom developments. When a surprise videotape of the defendant’s arrest was played in court Friday by the defense, it contradicted the testimony of two arresting police officers, who are now the focus of a new investigation. On Monday, after…

Jul 1, 2008 4:45 PM CDT

Rockin’ Out the E-Law

A few federal judges are becoming stars as they create new e-discovery rules.

Jul 1, 2008 1:05 PM CDT

These Cases Rock

Jul 1, 2008 1:05 PM CDT

Want the Gov’t to Read Legal Docs? Travel Abroad With a Laptop

It may come as a surprise to a number of lawyers, but the government can legally read what’s on a foreign traveler’s laptop. So, like other individuals frequenting the international airways, attorneys would be well-advised to leave their personal computers at home unless they’re clean of any documents they might…

Jun 30, 2008 8:08 PM CDT

Lawyer’s Fake Letter Complaining About Boss Puts Her in Hot Water

Attorney Maureen Duggan wasn’t happy with her boss at a state agency in Connecticut. But she was afraid that openly complaining about him could put her job at risk. So she drafted a letter in 2004 that was written to appear as if the sender were a parking lot attendant…

Jun 30, 2008 7:09 PM CDT

Made a Mistake? Talk to Counsel, But Don’t Get It in Writing

Lawyers inevitably make mistakes in practice, and when they do, many—correctly—seek advice from another lawyer about resolving the situation. But that advice, if given by another lawyer within the erring lawyer’s own firm, might not be privileged, reports the New York Law Journal, in an article reprinted in New York…

Jun 27, 2008 8:38 PM CDT

Fla. Man Spent 2 Months in Jail for Drinking Herbal Tea

A Florida man facing a burglary charge is once again free on bond, after his lawyer persuaded a judge that he had seemingly violated the terms of his bond unintentionally, by drinking a cocaine-containing herbal tea. Meanwhile, however, suspect Jerome Klein spent two months in jail in Broward County after…

Jun 27, 2008 5:23 PM CDT

Who’s the Victim? Spurned Wife or Hubby Trashed on YouTube?

Did Tricia Walsh Smith have a right to say what she thought about her soon-to-be-ex-husband? That is the question a New York court must decide, in a divorce trial between the 49-year-old British actress and her husband, Philip Smith, 74, a publicity-shy theater owner, reports Reuters. Tricia Smith didn’t hold…

Jun 26, 2008 10:38 PM CDT

Ex-Client Says Kaye Scholer Discovery Errors Cost Millions

Updated: A former client of Kaye Scholer has sued the New York law firm for legal malpractice, contending that discovery errors forced it to enter into a $107 million antitrust settlement last month. It is seeking as damages the difference between $107 million and the nuisance settlement it says it…

Jun 26, 2008 8:13 PM CDT

Attorney for Sect Teen Refuses to Testify in Texas Grand Jury Hearing

A Texas grand jury apparently investigating alleged sexual abuse of girls by a polygamous religious sect reportedly tried to call an attorney for one 16-year-old, Natalie Malonis, to testify yesterday. But Malonis refused, citing attorney-client privilege, which led to an interruption in the San Angelo grand jury hearing as Judge…

Jun 26, 2008 6:06 PM CDT

Appeals Court: Lawyer Sanctions Shouldn’t Induce Fear of ‘Uncharismatic’ Clients

An appeals court in Washington state has overturned sanctions that had been imposed against a lawyer on the ground he helped his client file an ungrounded lawsuit against a physician. Ruling in a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by a patient, the appeals court said a lawyer who conducts a reasonable…

Jun 25, 2008 1:48 PM CDT

Lawyer to Use Google Search Stats to Defend Obscenity Case

A lawyer for a pornographic website operator plans to use statistics from Google to establish community standards in Florida. Lawyer Lawrence Walters plans to introduce evidence that Pensacola residents are more likely to search Google for terms like “orgy” than for “apple pie” or “watermelon,” the New York Times reports.…

Jun 24, 2008 1:53 PM CDT

32 Ex-US Attorneys Ask Senate to Bolster Corporate Attorney-Client Privilege

Adding, for the first time, insider Justice Department protests to a growing weight of concern about the McNulty memo, a bipartisan group of 32 former U.S. attorneys has sent a letter asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote for a bill that would shore up attorney-client protections for corporations. At…

Jun 23, 2008 8:40 PM CDT

ACLU Sues Over Mass. DNA Sample, Worries About Secret Database

The ACLU of Massachusetts has filed suit to force authorities there to discard a DNA sample voluntarily provided in a high-profile rape-murder. Although those who voluntarily provided samples allegedly were told that the DNA would be discarded if it wasn’t a match with the suspect’s, state police apparently have kept…

Jun 21, 2008 12:27 AM CDT

Will Prosecutors Get Help From ‘Toast’ E-Mail by Bear Stearns Manager?

Updated: Indictments of two Bear Stearns hedge fund managers were announced today, and an e-mail warning of looming problems may play a role, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fund manager Matthew Tannin, a law school graduate, and his superior, Ralph Cioffi, were indicted (PDF provided by Wall Street Journal Law…

Jun 19, 2008 1:05 PM CDT