Judiciary

Few UK Law Blogs, But 9 Make London Times ‘Best’ List

Whether a lawyer should have a law blog is a cutting-edge question in the United Kingdom, where not many do. “Notable bloggers in the U.K. legal profession as a whole are few and far between,” reports the London Times, and and many of the country’s solicitors and barristers don’t see…

Aug 20, 2008 11:38 PM CDT

Judges Still a Divisive Issue for Pakistan’s New Leaders

Even as a suicide bombing that killed perhaps 25 people served as a tragic reminder of the need for decisive leadership in Pakistan, those in charge of the country’s ruling coalition continued to wrangle today over whether some 60 appellate judges removed from office last year by now-former President Pervez…

Aug 19, 2008 11:12 PM CDT

As Clock Ticks, Defendant Seeks Evidence of Judge’s Alleged Affair

Having escaped the death penalty at almost the last minute in June, Charles Dean Hood has a good chance of actually meeting his maker on his next scheduled execution date in September. However, lawyers for the convicted murderer, who insists he is innocent, are trying an unusual tactic to attempt…

Aug 19, 2008 10:51 PM CDT

Top N.J. Judge Can Be Personally Sued in School Bullying Case

A judge on the New Jersey Supreme Court can be sued personally for allegedly using his position to interfere in investigations of a Haddonfield High School classmate’s claimed bullying of his son in 2006. Mercer County Judge Linda Feinberg has ruled that the civil rights suit can proceed against state…

Aug 19, 2008 9:27 PM CDT

Why Are So Many South Carolina Magistrates Being Sanctioned?

Seven South Carolina magistrates have been sanctioned or suspended by the state supreme court since January, raising questions about why so many have landed in trouble. Among their misdeeds have been using racial slurs, asking a clerk to videotape a sexual encounter, and referring to crack addiction as a “black…

Aug 19, 2008 3:38 PM CDT

Courthouses and Law Schools Close for Tropical Storm Fay

Several Florida courthouses and law schools announced they would be closed Monday and Tuesday because of Tropical Storm Fay. Federal courthouses in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties were closed along with several state courts, the National Law Journal reports. Among the law schools that announced closings were the University of…

Aug 19, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

As Musharraf Exits, Pakistan Lawyers Seek Trial and Restoration of Judges

As Pakistan’s president, Pervez Musharraf, resigned from office today, lawyers whose protests for over a year helped achieve this situation celebrated. They also called for the restoration to office of dozens of appellate court judges he removed last November. “Hundreds of lawyers gathered in the courtyard of the Lahore High…

Aug 18, 2008 10:29 PM CDT

Longtime Ga. Court Official Allegedly Made Sex a Part of His Job

Sex in a judge’s chambers. Trysts at local hotels during business hours. Obscene phone calls. Although these activities would seem unlikely to fall within the parameters of a court administrator’s job, all allegedly occurred during the 23-year tenure of Howard “Skip” Chesshire at Cobb County Superior Court, reports the Atlanta…

Aug 18, 2008 8:05 PM CDT

Pakistan’s Musharraf Says He Will Resign Today

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has announced he will step down today, following more than a year of lawyer-led protests. Musharraf said he is putting national interest above “personal bravado,” the New York Times reports. “I am leaving with the satisfaction that whatever I could do for this country I did…

Aug 18, 2008 10:33 AM CDT

Phila. Judge on Hot Seat re Allegedly Bogus ‘Stay-Away’ Order He Issued

Seeking to help out a lawyer whose daughter was receiving unwanted attention from an adult neighbor, Philadelphia Municipal Judge James DeLeon allegedly prepared a bogus “stay-away” order warning the individual to keep his distance, or risk arrest. Now, however, it is the judge himself who is facing potential sanctions, charged…

Aug 15, 2008 11:28 PM CDT

Teen Traffic Hearings are Too Often Ugly in Massachusetts

Anger. Pouting. Arguments. Insults. Such tactics—by parents, as well as teens—are all too common in Massachusetts these days, as a growing number of fledgling drivers are ticketed under a tough new statute. Known as the junior operator law, it imposes a mandatory 90-day suspension for an initial speeding offense, if…

Aug 15, 2008 6:59 PM CDT

Embattled Judge Halverson Gets Three of 14 Ethics Charges Dismissed

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline has dismissed three out of 14 ethics charges against embattled Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Halverson. The dismissal represents some good news for Halverson, who lost a three-way primary election battle on Tuesday. The commission dismissed some charges relating to the creation of a hostile…

Aug 15, 2008 6:10 PM CDT

Texas Judge is Convicted of Perjury, Gets 30-Day Jail Term in Groping Case

A Texas judge accused of fondling a temporary worker and exposing himself to her has been convicted of perjuring himself in a related investigation. A Kleberg County jury found Willacy County Judge Eliseo Barnhart guilty yesterday of two counts of aggravated perjury, and the judge in the case sentenced the…

Aug 15, 2008 3:41 PM CDT

Lawyer-Led Protests Prevail in Pakistan: Musharraf is Expected to Step Down

After more than a year of lawyer-led protests over the breakdown of the rule of law helped force parliamentary elections that brought opposing parties to power, the president of Pakistan reportedly has agreed, or will soon agree, to step down. Sources say President Pervez Musharraf probably will announce his decision…

Aug 14, 2008 9:34 PM CDT

Detroit Mayor is Untethered, Then Re-Restricted

Reversing another judge’s earlier order that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had to wear an electronic tether due to his violation of bond restrictions on traveling, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge today not only untethered the mayor but lifted the travel ban. “He is not a flight risk. I see…

Aug 14, 2008 7:25 PM CDT