Judiciary

Disorder in the Court: Rat Snake Found in Texas Criminal Building

A nonvenomous, 4-foot-long rat snake that somehow slithered up to a fourth-floor closet of a Houston area criminal courthouse initially caused consternation when it was discovered this week because officials feared it was a rattlesnake. Not so, but an investigation is under way to determine how the reptile, which has…

May 30, 2008 8:18 PM CDT

Embattled Judge Says She Can’t Pay Legal Fees

Embattled Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Halverson has requested a continuance so she can prepare to defend herself on an ethics complaint that she fell asleep on the bench and treated staff like servants. Halverson told the Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission that she owes more than $90,000 in legal fees and…

May 29, 2008 5:45 PM CDT

‘Softy’ Judge Admonished for Refusing to Accept Eviction Filings Before Christmas

For more than 20 years, Texas Justice of the Peace Gary Geick got in the holiday spirit by refusing to accept eviction filings from landlords during the Christmas holidays. He’ll now be changing his ways after a public admonition (see page 16 of PDF file) from the Commission on Judicial…

May 29, 2008 12:05 PM CDT

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Reprimanded by Colleagues

A Wisconsin Supreme Court justice has received a reprimand from her colleagues for presiding over cases on a trial court involving a bank where her husband served as a paid director. The court said Justice Annette Ziegler should have recused herself in the 11 cases involving the bank, the Milwaukee…

May 29, 2008 11:32 AM CDT

More Tech, Less Emotion Please, Federal Judges Suggest

Speaking last week at a 7th Circuit bar meeting, federal district judges had a few suggestions for the lawyers who appear before them. High on the list of dos: appropriate use of technology by those who have mastered it. But excessive emotion should be avoided, the judges agreed. Their advice…

May 27, 2008 10:39 PM CDT

‘Unlikely Blogger’: Nancy Gertner, a Federal Judge

Among the contributors to Slate’s new blog on legal issues is Nancy Gertner, a former criminal defense lawyer who is now a federal district court judge. According to federal and state officials, she appears to be the only judge in Massachusetts who is sharing her unfiltered views with the public…

May 27, 2008 10:21 PM CDT

Judge’s Abrupt End to Testimony Results in New Trial

A California appeals court has granted a new trial to a divorce litigant whose case abruptly ended when the judge walked out while his lawyer was questioning a witness. The judge, Peter McBrien of Sacramento, said he was leaving to handle a request for a protective order, the Recorder (sub.…

May 27, 2008 1:56 PM CDT

Most Countries Don’t Hold Judicial Elections

Most states elect judges, but the practice is not so common in other countries. The National Center for State Courts says 87 percent of all state court judges face elections and 39 states elect at least some of their judges, the New York Times reports. But in other countries, most…

May 27, 2008 1:31 PM CDT

Rare Chance to Change Florida Supreme Court: 4 Vacancies Expected

The chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court announced today that he is resigning for family reasons, giving the state’s governor a rare chance to reconfigure it. That’s because Chief Justice Kenneth Bell, 52, is one of four judges on the seven-member court who will be leaving within the next…

May 23, 2008 8:15 PM CDT

Texas to Appeal Decision Calling for Return of 468 FLDS Kids to Parents

Told by an appellate court yesterday that government officials illegally removed up to 468 children from the custody of parents living at a ranch run by a fundamentalist religious group, Texas will now appeal that ruling to the state’s highest court. The State Department of Family and Protective Services plans…

May 23, 2008 7:13 PM CDT

Fla. Judge’s Dilemma: How to Sentence Teen in Traffic Death?

For the past two weeks, a Florida judge has been thinking about the Ryan Cornett case every day as he drove to work. Although the state highway patrol determined that Cornett, then 17, wasn’t responsible for the death of Duke Gray, 37, in April 2007, the teen was charged with…

May 22, 2008 10:00 PM CDT

2 Texas Judges Warned About Slavery Talk, Buttocks Slap

State disciplinary authorities in Texas issued warnings to two judges that chastise one for discussing slavery with an African-American attorney before his court and another who reportedly “slapped” a female lawyer’s behind at a party. In the public warnings released today, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct ordered Tarrant County…

May 22, 2008 6:47 PM CDT

Delaware, New York City Still Biggest Bankruptcy Venues

Delaware and New York City continue to be the most desired venues for lawyers filing federal bankruptcy cases on behalf of corporate clients, and their popularity has grown in recent years as tougher bankruptcy laws and a credit crisis make it even more important to have a skilled judge who…

May 22, 2008 4:04 PM CDT

Outspoken Arkansas Appeals Judge Loses Election

An appeals judge in Arkansas who fought for the right to criticize President Bush has lost his re-election bid. Wendell Griffen “lost decisively,” the Associated Press reports. Last year a state judicial discipline panel dropped charges against the outspoken Griffen for remarks made outside the courtroom. The ethics complaint had…

May 22, 2008 12:21 PM CDT

Male Judges in Vegas Score Better on Courtesy in Newspaper Survey

Male judges in the county that includes Las Vegas outscored females on courtesy in a survey (PDF) by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The female judge who scored highest for courtesy still had marks that were lower than all but two of the male judges, the newspaper reports. The lowest rated…

May 22, 2008 11:04 AM CDT