Judiciary

Reno Courthouse Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty

A Nevada man accused of killing his wife and shooting a Reno judge handling their divorce has entered a guilty plea in the middle of his trial. Darren Mack pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree murder for killing his wife, Charla, before the defense was scheduled to begin presenting its case,…

Nov 6, 2007 11:26 AM CST

Pakistan Fires Top Court, Lawyers Protest There and Elsewhere

The protesters wore conservative business suits today as thousands of lawyers throughout Pakistan clashed with authorities over the suspension of the constitution and the firing of the country’s chief judge, along with numerous other supreme court and appellate judges. Many of the 17 supreme court judges, including fired Chief Judge…

Nov 5, 2007 10:07 PM CST

Prosecutor Seeks to Oust Judge in Courthouse Shooting Case

The Atlanta prosecutor who is pursuing charges against alleged courthouse gunman Brian Nichols is asking the Georgia Supreme Court to remove the judge who is presiding in the case. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. argues that Judge Hilton Fuller Jr. exceeded his authority in regard to lawyer funding…

Nov 5, 2007 4:14 PM CST

Opinionated Judge’s Suit Against Discipline Body Tossed

A federal judge has dismissed a judge’s lawsuit against the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission for prosecuting him over remarks he made outside the courtroom. U.S. District Judge David Doty ruled Oct. 24 that the suit by appeals judge Wendell Griffen was moot because the commission had dropped charges…

Nov 5, 2007 12:41 PM CST

VA Judge Removed for Thigh Inspection, Coin Flip

A Virginia judge who ordered a woman to lower her pants in the courtroom so he could check out her thigh wound has been removed from the bench. In another case, the judge, Michael Shull, was accused of deciding a dispute over visitation during the Christmas holidays with a coin…

Nov 5, 2007 12:00 PM CST

Pakistan Fires Chief Justice, Arrests Attorneys

Updated: Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, invoked emergency powers on Saturday, suspending the country’s constitution and firing the chief justice of its supreme court, who reportedly is under virtual house arrest. Numerous lawyers who protested the move were arrested, and some were also reportedly beaten and sprayed with tear gas…

Nov 5, 2007 9:34 AM CST

Law License Spat: Has Ex-Judge Reformed?

Removed from the bench and eventually disbarred a decade ago for misbehavior that included what a court described as “offensive, harassing and vindictive” conduct, former Nassau County Judge Marc Mogil now wants his law license back. However, the subject of a five-year harassment campaign by the then-judge is actively contesting…

Nov 2, 2007 6:31 PM CDT

Judges Plead Not Guilty to Ticket Fixing

A lawyer for one of four former New Jersey judges charged with fixing traffic tickets is calling the charges a “tempest in a teapot.” Speaking after a hearing in which all of the judges pleaded not guilty, John Fahy said the charges didn’t need to be before the criminal courts,…

Nov 2, 2007 3:02 PM CDT

Lacking Pay Raises, NY Judges Get More Benefits

New York judges, who have not had a pay raise since 1999, will be getting more cash in the form of better benefits. The judges will be allowed an extra $5,000 a year to reimburse them for uncovered medical costs and job-related expenses such as bar association dues, the New…

Nov 2, 2007 11:38 AM CDT

Controversial Las Vegas Judge’s Suspension Upheld

The Nevada Supreme Court has upheld the suspension of controversial Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Halverson, accused of mistreating staff members and sleeping during hearings. The court rejected Halverson’s procedural objections to her interim suspension and cited ample evidence that supported it, Blogonaut reports. As a result of the ruling, Halverson…

Nov 2, 2007 10:48 AM CDT

Judicial Candidate Doesn’t Lie About Most Admired Figure

At least one judicial candidate didn’t feel the need to sound intellectual when asked which historical figure he would most want to spend the day with. Former Boston Celtics star Larry Bird was the person named by Rhode Island probate judge Stephen Isherwood, the Providence Journal reports. Isherwood said Bird…

Nov 1, 2007 6:32 PM CDT

Judge Says Mukasey Wrong on Need for New Terrorism Framework

A federal judge is defending the ability of the federal courts to hear terrorism cases—and taking issue with a suggestion to the contrary by attorney general nominee Michael Mukasey. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour of Seattle writes in a New York Times op-ed that his experience in a terrorism trial…

Nov 1, 2007 3:26 PM CDT

Controversial GA Judge a ‘Fool,’ Says Fellow Judge in E-mail

Judge Hilton Fuller is facing increasing criticism for his handling of attorney fees in the Georgia trial of a courthouse shooting suspect. And one of those complaining is a fellow judge. Fuller had halted the murder trial of Brian Nichols after his defense lawyers complained of unpaid legal bills and…

Nov 1, 2007 12:12 PM CDT

Philly Bar Condemns Dismissal of Rape Charges in Prostitute Case

The chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association is condemning a judge’s decision to dismiss rape charges against a man accused of forcing a prostitute to have sex with him and three other men at gunpoint. The judge, Teresa Carr Deni, ruled on Oct. 4 that the appropriate charge is theft…

Oct 31, 2007 12:46 PM CDT

Court: CA Judge Complaints Confidential

If a police officer acts improperly during an arrest, a defendant in a California criminal case has a right to obtain in camera judicial review of that officer’s personnel file to see if it contains relevant material about the issue that should be produced in discovery and potentially introduced as…

Oct 30, 2007 6:27 PM CDT