Media & Communications Law

Star Witness Testifies in Hollinger Case

The government’s star witnesses took the stand yesterday in the trial of media magnate Conrad Black, accused of taking unauthorized payments as chairman of Hollinger International. F. David Radler was president and COO of Hollinger and is the only senior executive in the case who has pleaded guilty, according to…

May 8, 2007 2:45 PM CDT

Journalists Plan to Sue H-P for Privacy Invasion

Three journalists plan to sue Hewlett-Packard for invading their privacy by scrutinizing their phone records, according to their lawyer. The reporters work for the online technology news company CNet Networks, according to the New York Times. Other journalists are in settlement talks with the company. Company investigators are alleged to…

May 7, 2007 2:19 PM CDT

Lawyer Tells ABC It Can’t Name Escort Client

An attorney for a former client of the alleged Washington madam says a court order barring witness harassment prevents ABC from airing his client’s name. Lawyer Steven Salky wrote a letter to ABC saying he believes his client’s name will be disclosed in a 20/20 investigation that will air on…

May 3, 2007 3:04 PM CDT

Congressman Liable for Disclosing Taped Call

D.C. Circuit ruling turns on an ethics committee confidentiality rule; congressman could be out more than $500,000.

May 2, 2007 1:35 PM CDT

You’re Fired

Those words say the same thing in any language, but their legal meaning may vary drastically from country to country

May 1, 2007 9:26 AM CDT

Teacher in First Amendment Dispute Transferred

A Woodburn, Ind., high school teacher who advised a student newspaper that ran a column advocating tolerance for gays will get to keep her job. The teacher, Amy Sorrell, will be transferred to another school under a deal worked out by her attorney, the Journal Gazette reports. She will not…

Apr 27, 2007 6:57 PM CDT

‘A’ Student Arrested for Essay: ‘Stab, Stab, Stab’

The assignment: “Write whatever comes to your mind. Do not judge or censor what you are writing.” The result: An ‘A’ student is arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. His essay, reports the Chicago Tribune, contained one passage that included a discussion of “shooting everyone” and “having sex with dead…

Apr 27, 2007 5:26 PM CDT

User Sting Leads to Anti-Spam Suit in Va. Today

A group representing Internet users in more than 100 countries filed suit today seeking to find out how companies that send out so-called spam advertisements to millions of recipients at a time are getting the e-mail addresses they need to do so. The suit was filed against unknown “John Does”…

Apr 26, 2007 10:44 PM CDT

Solicitor General Struggles Before Justices

In oral arguments yesterday, Solicitor General Paul D. Clement ran into trouble as he argued against an exception to a ban on some issue ads by unions and businesses in the weeks before elections. Clement told the U.S. Supreme Court justices that an exception to the ban on ads mentioning…

Apr 26, 2007 1:47 PM CDT

Court Hears Campaign Funding Case Today

The U.S. Supreme Court today hears a challenge to a federal law that restricts TV ads by unions and businesses in the weeks before an election. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports that eyes will be on Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. He replaced retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor,…

Apr 25, 2007 2:44 PM CDT

Blogger Settles Threatened Big-Firm Libel Case

A Nashville, Tenn., woman and a local recruiting firm that had threatened to sue her over her blogged description of a bad experience there have agreed to settle their differences. The dispute apparently was resolved after Katherine Coble agreed to remove “select portions” of her blog that headhunter J.L. Kirk…

Apr 18, 2007 12:09 AM CDT

Times Libel Suit Dismissed

A Texas judge has dismissed a libel suit against the New York Times involving stories that won a Pulitzer Prize, the newspaper reports. The suit had claimed the newspaper made false statements about the quality of health care provided to workers at a pipe manufacturing plant in its series on…

Apr 17, 2007 2:00 PM CDT

Internet—and Law?—Supports Blogger in Spat

It used to be that a business suing an individual, with the help of a well-known local law firm, had a big advantage. But that’s not necessarily true today. In an ongoing spat between a Nashville, Tenn., woman and a recruiting firm over a critical post on her blog about…

Apr 16, 2007 6:45 PM CDT

Anna Nicole’s lawyer/companion files slander suit

Last week, we told you that the husband of country singer Sara Evans filed a slander suit against his wife’s divorce lawyer. A second slander suit has now been filed, this one against a lawyer for the mother of Anna Nicole Smith, according to the Associated Press. The suit, filed…

Apr 16, 2007 4:59 PM CDT

Appeals Court Refuses to Disqualify Judge in Coroner Case

A Philadelphia-based federal appeals court has refused to disqualify U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab from presiding over the trial of coroner Cyril Wecht.

Apr 12, 2007 7:46 PM CDT