Ethics

20-Year CA Judge Removed from Bench

A former prosecutor who was appointed a California state court judge nearly 20 years ago has been removed from the bench for “misconduct” and “gross neglect” of his judicial duties. Superior Court Judge Robert Spitzer, who sits in Riverside County, was removed from the bench today by the California Commission…

Oct 2, 2007 10:20 PM CDT

Opinionated Judge Wins Ethics Case

Arkansas appeals judge Wendell Griffen has won his battle with a state judicial conduct commission over comments he made criticizing the Bush administration. The Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission ruled Griffen had a First Amendment right to discuss “disputed political or legal issues” in public speeches, the New York…

Oct 2, 2007 6:26 PM CDT

Discount Dating

38.4%

Oct 1, 2007 9:10 PM CDT

‘Orphan’ Trusts Benefit Lawyers Who Control Them

Lawyers and banks have wide latitude to control “orphan” trusts established in wills to benefit charities by donors with no family members to oversee distributions. The New York Times studied such trusts and found that small, local grant recipients who originally benefit often see less money over time or are…

Oct 1, 2007 7:00 PM CDT

New Turmoil at Ave Maria

In the latest turmoil at Ave Maria School of Law, the alumni board of directors of the Michigan institution has issued a vote of no confidence in the school’s top leaders. It called—for the second time—for the ouster of the dean and board chairman of the Catholic law school, reports…

Oct 1, 2007 3:35 PM CDT

Judge Who Jailed ‘Asshole’ Critic Will Step Down

A New York family court judge who sent a woman to a holding cell for calling her an “asshole” has agreed that she won’t seek reappointment. Judge Marian Shelton admitted to violating a rule requiring judges to be “patient, dignified and courteous,” the New York Law Journal reports. She will…

Oct 1, 2007 12:36 PM CDT

Lawyers May Reveal Work Product in Document Dustup

Qualcomm’s outside lawyers can reveal work-product information to help explain why the company failed to turn over hundreds of thousands of discovery documents. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Major of San Diego ruled Friday that the lawyers may reveal work product but not information protected by the attorney-client privilege, the Recorder…

Oct 1, 2007 11:24 AM CDT

US Judge Reprimanded After Harassment Complaint

An employee’s sexual harassment complaint has resulted in a reprimand against U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent of Galveston. The Judicial Council of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reprimanded Kent following the complaint of former case manager Cathy McBroom, Texas Lawyer reports. The council’s order (PDF) of…

Oct 1, 2007 10:45 AM CDT

Akin Gump Narrows Malpractice Claims

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has fewer claims to defend in a $4.4 billion suit filed against the law firm by former hedge fund managers. Judge Bernard Fried of Manhattan dismissed five causes of action in the suit because they duplicated legal malpractice claims, the New York Law Journal…

Sep 28, 2007 2:19 PM CDT

Judge’s Penis Pump Conviction Affirmed

A former Oklahoma judge convicted for using a penis pump while presiding over trials has lost his appeal. Retired Judge Donald Thompson was convicted of four counts of indecent exposure and sentenced in August 2006 to four years in prison, the Associated Press reports. Yesterday, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal…

Sep 28, 2007 12:51 PM CDT

CA Legal Malpractice Window Narrows

California law firms got some help from the state supreme court yesterday in a ruling that narrows the window for filing suits for legal malpractice. The court ruled that the statute of limitations begins to run when a client leaves a law firm, even if the client is represented by…

Sep 28, 2007 10:48 AM CDT

Lawyer Admits Destroying Child Porn Evidence

A Connecticut lawyer has entered a guilty plea and admitted he destroyed a computer that contained evidence of child pornography. Philip Russell pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony for failing to report knowledge of a felony to law enforcement, the Associated Press reports. Russell had represented a Greenwich church…

Sep 27, 2007 5:11 PM CDT

Lawyer Angers Judge With Gay Sex Photos

Updated: Jack Thompson’s attempt to make a point about a gay news Web site has backfired badly. A federal judge is threatening action against the Florida lawyer for attaching electronic photos of gay sex to a motion filed with the court. To make a point about “hardcore porn” on the…

Sep 27, 2007 1:09 PM CDT

Judge Tosses Suit Over R-Word Ban

Updated: A Nebraska federal judge says he doesn’t like a state judge’s ban on the word “rape” in an upcoming trial, but he’s not going to do anything about it. U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf of Lincoln, Neb., dismissed a suit challenging the ban yesterday, the Associated Press reports. Plaintiff…

Sep 26, 2007 5:25 PM CDT

Lynne Stewart Appearance Roils Law School

Hofstra law school’s decision to invite a disbarred lawyer to participate in a legal ethics conference on defending unpopular clients is raising some hackles. The controversy centers on the invitation extended to Lynne Stewart, who has been convicted of providing material aid to terrorists for helping an imprisoned sheik communicate…

Sep 26, 2007 5:09 PM CDT