Ethics

Texas Defense Lawyer Jailed Over Lewd Courtroom Gesture

A Texas defense lawyer representing a client in a DUI case was jailed briefly last week after he allegedly made a lewd gesture to let the judge know what he thought of a prosecution complaint in the case. Adam Reposa, 33, was held in criminal contempt of court and jailed…

Mar 21, 2008 6:03 PM CDT

Scruggs’ Son Pleads in Judicial Bribe Case

Zach Scruggs, the son and law partner of famed Mississippi plaintiffs attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in a judicial bribery case that also brought down his father. The junior Scruggs pleaded guilty in federal court today to misprision of a felony because he was…

Mar 21, 2008 5:30 PM CDT

Fla. Court Responds to ‘Make My Day’ Invitation, Sanctions Lawyer

The Florida Supreme Court has sanctioned anti-pornography lawyer Jack Thompson for court filings that are “rambling, argumentative, and contemptuous.” The court, in an order (PDF) issued yesterday, required Thompson to retain qualified counsel and refused to accept any more filings from him without the signature of another Florida lawyer, the…

Mar 21, 2008 1:33 PM CDT

Removal Recommended for Judge Who Disparaged ‘White Folks’

A judge accused of making racially charged statements about “white folks” and then lying about it in an affidavit should be removed from the bench, according to the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. Judge Solomon Osborne is accused of making the statement in a September 2006 speech, the Clarion Ledger…

Mar 21, 2008 11:56 AM CDT

D.C. Judge Cited for Ordering Detention of Talkative PD

A Washington, D.C., judge who ordered the detention of a public defender who wouldn’t stop talking has accepted a determination that he violated the judicial ethics code. Judge John Bayly Jr. said he acted because the PD, Liyah Brown, argued with him over whether her client was homeless—and kept on…

Mar 21, 2008 11:30 AM CDT

After 3 Sex Scandals in 1 Week, N.Y. Gov’s Spending Issues No Big Deal

Within the past week, the governor and former attorney general of New York has resigned over a sex scandal that also reportedly may have involved illegal payments to prostitutes. His replacement, sworn in on Monday, has already admitted to extramarital affairs that may at least once or twice have involved…

Mar 21, 2008 1:54 AM CDT

Scooter Libby Loses Law License

A former top aide to to Vice President Dick Cheney was disbarred today by a Washington, D.C., appeals court because of his convictions last year for perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with an investigation of who leaked the identity of then-CIA agent Valerie Plame. I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby…

Mar 20, 2008 6:09 PM CDT

Facing State Bar Ethics Charges in Alabama? Become a Judge

The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that a county judge accused of ethical wrongdoing before he became a judge cannot be disciplined by the state bar until he leaves the bench. A dissenter claimed the majority opinion leads to “absurd consequences” and gives the judge, Stuart DuBose, “unwarranted immunity.” The…

Mar 20, 2008 2:25 PM CDT

‘Karma’ Ensnares Four California Prosecutors

Three California prosecutors have been accused of ethical wrongdoing while a fourth has been suspended. Donald Steedman, the supervising deputy trial counsel for the state bar, told the Recorder (sub. req.) that it’s unusual to have so many cases pending against prosecutors. He believes the reason is nothing more than…

Mar 19, 2008 6:13 PM CDT

Contempt Upheld for Ex-Lawyer Who Called Judge ‘Delusional’

Disbarred Ohio lawyer Elsebeth Baumgartner lost a 2006 suit accusing her of libel, and now she has lost the latest round in a battle over unsubstantiated allegations of persecution that she made against the judge hearing the case. Baumgartner was held in contempt and required to serve 120 days in…

Mar 19, 2008 4:20 PM CDT

$1.8M Legal Bill from Gov’s Firm Makes Pa. Lawmakers See Red

Pennsylvania’s governor is under fire for bringing in his former law firm, Ballard Spahr Anderson & Ingersoll, at a cost of $1.8 million, to do tax work related to a proposed lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Gov. Ed Rendell says Ballard Spahr is expert at such work, and state general…

Mar 19, 2008 3:51 PM CDT

Judge Refuses to Dismiss Skinny-Dipping Suit, at Least for Now

A judge in New York state has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by three skinny-dipping young women who claim observers on shore hid their clothes and then “pummeled” one of the plaintiffs when she tried to retrieve her belongings. Judge Joseph McGuire said it would be premature to dismiss…

Mar 19, 2008 1:18 PM CDT

Malpractice Suit Against Drinker Biddle Reinstated

A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that a judge was too quick to dismiss a malpractice suit against Drinker Biddle. The firm is accused of failing to find an expert witness that supported its client’s claim against a pollution cleanup company. The court said there is enough evidence to…

Mar 19, 2008 12:41 PM CDT

2nd Circuit: Probation for Lawyer in $100M Fraud Too Lenient

A former general counsel for a hotel chain apparently is going to have to serve time for his role in a $100 million bank fraud scheme, according to a federal appeals court ruling this week. The New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out both the term…

Mar 18, 2008 7:16 PM CDT

Lawyer Suspended After Second Paralegal Steals From Client Account

Maryland lawyer Charles Jay Zuckerman thought the new paralegal he hired would clean up the mess caused by a predecessor who stole from his client trust account. But the new paralegal was also a thief, taking more money than the first, the Daily Record reports. In all, the two paralegals…

Mar 18, 2008 2:14 PM CDT