Michigan

Judge lifts gag order regulating lawyer’s Facebook posts

After civil rights groups went to bat on his behalf, a Michigan lawyer is once again free to use his Facebook page to post about class action litigation over chicken described as halal that was served at a local fast-food restaurant outlet. Dearborn attorney Majed Moughni, who was not directly…

Mar 12, 2013 8:37 PM CDT

Ex-Detroit mayor convicted of racketeering in corruption trial

Kwame Kilpatrick, the disgraced former mayor of Detroit, has been convicted of racketeering. The racketeering count could mean up to 20 years in prison for Kilpatrick, who was convicted on 23 other charges, according to news reports. Michigan Live has tallied the guilty verdicts and noted on which charges jurors…

Mar 11, 2013 3:30 PM CDT

Law school’s ‘Debt Wizard’ breaks down loan repayment by cities and salaries

As the demands for more transparency from law schools grow louder, one school has built an online tool for would-be lawyers to calculate various potential repayment options of the hefty loans many students take on. The University of Michigan Law School’s Debt Wizard has prospective and current students and newbie…

Feb 28, 2013 9:45 PM CST

Lawyer ordered to delete Facebook posts involving McDonald’s settlement

Updated: A Michigan judge has ordered a lawyer to take down Facebook posts concerning a settlement by McDonald’s concerning its halal food offerings. The order also required Dearborn attorney Majed Moughni to post a copy of the actual settlement in a class action against McDonald’s and provide the court with…

Feb 13, 2013 4:23 PM CST

Judge accused of having relationship with party in child-support case is suspended

A Michigan judge accused of having a relationship with a party in a child-support case before his court has been suspended while a sealed disciplinary matter is resolved. Meanwhile, pay for Wayne County Circuit Judge Wade McCree will be held in escrow, reports Detroit Fox News affiliate WJBK. Hat tip:…

Feb 8, 2013 4:07 PM CST

Ex-judge’s guilty plea ends trial over traffic ticket dismissals

A former Michigan judge took a misdemeanor plea after the prosecution rested its case in a felony trial over tickets he admittedly dismissed for his wife and court personnel. James Justin was removed from the Jackson County District Court bench a little over a year ago. the Jackson Citizen-Patriot reports.…

Feb 5, 2013 10:31 PM CST

Around the Blawgosphere: Pool of trained associates will eventually dry up, blogger warns

The pool is drying up To an extent, in-house law departments and “New Normal” law firms are benefiting from the investment that “old normal” law firms make in training new associates. “My recollection of the stat is that after five years only two out of ten new associates will still…

Feb 1, 2013 2:45 PM CST

Multiple lawyers admit guilt in mortgage-related criminal cases

Multiple attorneys have recently been making headlines as defendants in mortgage-related criminal cases. Last Friday, Pennsylvania attorney Lisa Gerideau-Williams, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court to 16 counts including wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, concerning what prosecutors described as a multi-faceted $1.7 million fraud, reports the Pittsburgh…

Jan 30, 2013 5:51 PM CST

Former state supreme court justice takes plea in bank fraud case

A now-retired Michigan supreme court justice facing a bank fraud case took a plea in federal court in Ann Arbor on Tuesday. Diane Hathaway, 58, could get anything from probation to 18 months of prison time when she is sentenced on the felony bank fraud charge to which she pleaded…

Jan 29, 2013 6:15 PM CST

Murder case tossed mid-trial, judge cites lack of proof

Saying that the prosecution hadn’t even proven that there was a murder, let alone that the defendant committed the crime, a Michigan judge on Monday dismissed a murder case against Mark Coulier after the close of the government’s presentation. Oceana County 27th Circuit Judge Terrence R. Thomas said he had…

Jan 28, 2013 9:49 PM CST

Shrinking law firm asks feds to take over its pension plan

The Detroit law firm Butzel Long has asked the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to take over its underfunded pension plan. The firm, which has lost about 100 lawyers since 2009, filed papers seeking the takeover on Saturday, the National Law Journal (reg. req.) and Crain’s Detroit Business report. Butzel Long…

Jan 25, 2013 12:40 PM CST

Juror oath oversight leads to tossed conviction

A defendant who was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion is entitled to a new trial because the jurors weren’t sworn in before the trial began, a Michigan appeals court has ruled. The Court of Appeals of Michigan has overturned the conviction of David Lee Allan, who was convicted in…

Jan 14, 2013 1:46 PM CST

Michigan Justice Announces Retirement After Accusation of ‘Blatant and Brazen’ Misconduct

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway filed retirement papers last month, but she didn’t announce her plans until Monday when the state Judicial Tenure Commission accused her of “blatant and brazen” misconduct. The commission had sought an immediate suspension for Hathaway based on allegations she hid assets to facilitate a…

Jan 8, 2013 1:34 PM CST

Detroit’s Dickinson Wright Merges with 60-Lawyer Arizona-Based Mariscal Weeks

A midsize Detroit-based law firm has merged with Arizona’s Mariscal Weeks McIntyre & Friedlander. With the addition of the 60 new lawyers, Dicksinson Wright now has 350 to 400 attorneys on its roster, according to Crain’s Detroit Business and MLive.com. The merger was announced in a Wednesday press release.

Jan 2, 2013 10:12 PM CST

Reports: Judge Complains of Claimed Stalker, Ends Up on Admin Leave, Facing Another Ethics Complaint

Censured earlier this year for texting a shirtless photo to a court employee, a Michigan judge is now the focus of new allegations that he had a relationship with a witness in a child-support case he presided over. The claimed relationship apparently came to the attention of authorities when 3rd…

Dec 7, 2012 10:52 PM CST