Ethics

Lawyer Who Missed Client’s Murder Trial Referred to State Bar

A Las Vegas lawyer who missed the first day of his client’s murder trial because he was on sabbatical has been referred to the Nevada State Bar. The bar confirmed it received an ethics complaint regarding Glen Lerner, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Lerner, a personal injury lawyer who calls…

Feb 7, 2008 1:07 PM CST

DOJ May Have Known of CIA Tape Destruction a Year Before Court Disclosure

Documents released in the appeal of convicted al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui showed that Justice Department lawyers knew since at least early 2006 that the CIA destroyed a videotaped interrogation of an al-Qaida lieutenant from whom Moussaoui sought information. The date is more than a year before the destruction of the…

Feb 7, 2008 11:42 AM CST

Former Ethics Counsel Disbarred Over Investigation of Judge

Two Massachusetts lawyers, including the former ethics counsel for two state governors, were disbarred today because of their aggressive investigation of a judge who ruled against their clients in 1995 in a high-profile family battle over control of a supermarket chain. The efforts of Gary C. Crossen and Kevin P.…

Feb 6, 2008 7:40 PM CST

Lawyer’s Alleged Tin of Pot Busted by Courthouse Metal Detector

A Michigan lawyer has been charged with a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, after a small metal container in which he allegedly kept the illicit substance set off the metal detector as he was entering a local courthouse. Unnamed sources explained that Edwin Hettinger, 48, of Portage, was charged after…

Feb 6, 2008 7:12 PM CST

Judge Shines Light on Secret Pact to Settle, Hide Text Messages

A Michigan judge has ordered the release of documents indicating that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick settled a police whistle-blower lawsuit to try to hide text messages showing he lied about his relationship with his chief of staff, the Detroit Free Press reports. Wayne County Circuit Judge Robert Colombo ordered release…

Feb 6, 2008 5:49 PM CST

Duane Morris Defends $1.6M Malpractice Claim

Duane Morris maintained in opening statements this week that it didn’t commit malpractice by failing to include a security guarantee in a settlement agreement it drafted for a client, the Legal Intelligencer reports. The law firm has been sued for $1.6 million by an ex-client who says he received only…

Feb 6, 2008 1:56 PM CST

Some States Seek to Limit Judicial Power to Regulate Lawyers

Legislators in a handful of states are trying to limit the traditional power of their states’ supreme courts to regulate the legal profession. In South Carolina, for instance, a Republican legislator and physician, Dr. Kristopher “Kris” Crawford, is proposing legislation that would eliminate the state supreme court’s power to regulate…

Feb 5, 2008 5:02 PM CST

N.C. Drops Ethics Charges Against PD Who Told of Dead Client’s Confession

The North Carolina State Bar has dismissed an ethics complaint against the appellate defender who revealed statements his client made long before he committed suicide in prison that could help exonerate another inmate. Editorials in the Raleigh News & Observer and the Greensboro News-Record are praising the decision to drop…

Feb 5, 2008 3:37 PM CST

Expletive Deleted: Judge Accused of Profanity-Laced Tongue-Lashing

A state disciplinary panel has accused a New Jersey judge of unleashing a profanity-laced tongue-lashing as he ordered a lawyer out of his courtroom, New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. The complaint (PDF) against Judge F. Michael Giles of Essex County says he was neither dignified nor courteous when he ordered the…

Feb 5, 2008 1:32 PM CST

Reprimand Recommended for Judge Who Gave PDs 15 Minutes to Write Motion

Florida’s Judicial Qualifications Commission is recommending that a Miami judge receive a reprimand for setting unreasonable time limits to file disqualification motions and threatening lawyers with contempt for failing to meet them. Judge Cheryl Aleman was “arrogant, discourteous, and impatient to the lawyers appearing before her,” the commission found. The…

Feb 5, 2008 1:04 PM CST

Court Upholds $21K Award Against Faxing Lawyer

A New York appeals court has upheld a $21,000 award against a lawyer who faxed unsolicited information about legal malpractice cases to another lawyer. The court said the faxes sent by Andrew Lavoott Bluestone violated a federal law that bars unsolicited ads, the New York Law Journal reports. Scott Greenfield,…

Feb 4, 2008 5:21 PM CST

DA Admits Deleting E-Mail, Making Errors in Testimony

District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal of Harris County, Texas, acknowledged in a Friday hearing that he deleted more than 2,500 e-mails he had been ordered to produce in a civil suit. Rosenthal also told U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt of Houston that he made some errors in previous sworn statements about…

Feb 4, 2008 3:19 PM CST

Source Tells of Lawyer’s Lunch With Judge Kent

An anonymous source told the Galveston Daily News that embattled U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent had lunch with a lawyer suing oil giant BP in October 2006 a short time after he ruled for the lawyer on a deposition request. Kent had ordered BP’s CEO to sit for a deposition…

Feb 4, 2008 2:22 PM CST

When the Truth Can Wait

There are times when a lawyer may engage in a bit of deception—but not many

Feb 1, 2008 3:37 PM CST

Judge Warns Lawyers About Appeals of His Rulings

A federal judge overseeing a racial discrimination suit filed by five black police officers against the city of Minneapolis warned lawyers they need to display the “right attitude” during a hearing on Thursday. David told the lawyers they could face sanctions if the case becomes too litigious by repeated appeals…

Feb 1, 2008 1:16 PM CST