Ethics

Judge, aka ‘Sal Tortorella’ on TikTok, gets unpaid suspension for lip-syncing videos

A judge in Bergen County, New Jersey, initially thought that posting videos of himself lip-syncing songs on TikTok “seemed like silly, harmless and innocent fun.”

Oct 10, 2024 8:41 AM CDT

SCOTUS seems closely divided on new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate

The Supreme Court appeared closely divided Wednesday over whether to order a new trial for Oklahoma death-row inmate Richard Glossip, whose case has attracted support from across the political spectrum after independent investigations revealed prosecutorial misconduct.

Oct 9, 2024 3:50 PM CDT

This law school is among the 1% that allow use of AI to write admissions essays

Can would-be law students use generative artificial intelligence programs, such as ChatGPT, to write admissions essays? Fifty-four percent of surveyed law schools have no official policy on the issue, according to a survey by test prep company Kaplan.

Oct 9, 2024 2:47 PM CDT

Lawyer gets suspension after slapping attorney in front of courthouse

A Connecticut lawyer has received a suspension for slapping another attorney in front of a courthouse and for a separate “destructive and harmful campaign of harassing behavior” against a former friend.

Oct 9, 2024 9:34 AM CDT

Judge’s ‘exceptional’ defiance following discipline decision is unmatched, suspension decision says

A state court judge in Philadelphia has been suspended without pay for posting political content on Facebook, even after a disciplinary decision finding that the conduct violated ethics rules.

Oct 8, 2024 12:39 PM CDT

Lawyer accused of exploiting elderly client is found liable for $26M in malpractice case

Trials & Litigation

Oct 7, 2024 2:51 PM CDT

Florida judge accused of shouting in court, claiming his ‘angry face’ due to attorney’s behavior

A Florida judge is facing ethics allegations that he “behaved intemperately” in court and showed bias for or against certain parties and attorneys.

Oct 7, 2024 11:29 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of storing 1,000 pounds of marijuana at law office enters guilty plea

A Virginia lawyer has been temporarily suspended after pleading guilty for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of marijuana.

Oct 4, 2024 9:14 AM CDT

Supreme Court’s sleepy-looking docket leaves room for potentially bigger cases to come

The U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term next week poised on the edge of uncertainty. The biggest case of the term may be one that isn’t even on the court’s docket yet.

Oct 3, 2024 12:04 PM CDT

Well-known fathers’ rights lawyer suspended over unreasonable fees; lawyer staffing cited

Updated: A well-known fathers’ rights lawyer has been suspended for charging unreasonable fees of more than $443,000 in eight cases, some involving no more than three months of work.

Oct 3, 2024 11:58 AM CDT

Arkansas justices refer each other for discipline in FOIA tiff

Updated: A Freedom of Information Act request for an Arkansas justice’s emails has led to a tossed lawsuit and a spate of ethics referrals.

Oct 1, 2024 3:16 PM CDT

Unprofessional Conduct: Free speech doesn’t cover elected official’s coarse comments, court says

A former Iowa county attorney who was elected to the prosecutorial position made crude comments at work. Reuben Neff, who was first elected as the Wapello County Attorney in 2018 and resigned in March, did not convince the Iowa Supreme Court that he had a First Amendment right to say those things.

Oct 1, 2024 2:00 AM CDT

Judge reassigned after he orders defendant to wear condom and jokes ‘probation’s gonna check’

Updated: A Florida judge has been reassigned to civil court after he told a defendant to always wear a condom and repeated gay double entendres from a 1990s comedy show in a different case.

Sep 30, 2024 3:51 PM CDT

No conflicts by Sullivan & Cromwell in representation of Samuel Bankman-Fried, report finds

Sullivan & Cromwell did not ignore “red flags” that would have alerted it to misconduct when it represented Samuel Bankman-Fried, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, in the purchase of shares in a mobile trading platform, according to a second report by a court-appointed bankruptcy examiner.

Sep 30, 2024 2:05 PM CDT

Judge resigns amid Jan. 6 rally probe; ‘I would do it over again’

A New York village and town court judge has agreed to resign amid an investigation into his attendance at a Jan. 6, 2021, rally in Washington, D.C.

Sep 30, 2024 11:49 AM CDT