New Jersey

Lawyer Lands in Ethics Trouble After Cousin Spiffs Up Law Firm Website with Certification Seal

The New Jersey Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in the ethics case of an employment lawyer whose website displayed a certification seal though he wasn’t certified. Employment lawyer Ty Hyderally says he was unaware that the website for his 14-lawyer employment firm displayed the seal until he was…

Oct 28, 2011 12:28 PM CDT

NJ Gov. Chris Christie Blasts Pension Ruling and Judicial ‘Elitists’; State Bar Blasts Christie

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called a news conference on Tuesday to blast a ruling that judges are exempt from a state law requiring state employees to pay more for pension and health benefits. Judge Linda Feinberg ruled Monday that judges can’t be required to pay more because of the…

Oct 20, 2011 2:17 PM CDT

Drug Dealers Made Up Story of Witness Murder Conspiracy, Pro Se Defense Lawyer Tells Federal Jury

A well-known New Jersey criminal defense attorney accused of conspiring to murder a witness, both to help a client beat the rap and to protect his own alleged drug operation, told a jury in Newark today that the accusations against him are lies. Drug dealers, willing to do anything to…

Oct 17, 2011 7:27 PM CDT

New York Lawyer is Indicted and Arrested in New Jersey, Where He Faces 2 UPL Counts

A lawyer who reportedly is admitted to practice in Michigan and New York has been indicted and arrested in New Jersey, where he faces two counts of unauthorized practice of law. Demetrio S. Timban, 45, is accused of twice representing a client in Evesham Municipal Court, reports the Burlington County…

Oct 7, 2011 12:38 AM CDT

Despite Partner’s Protest, Ex-Bookkeeper Gets Deferred Adjudication in Alleged $32K Law Office Theft

Because she repaid her employer in full after allegedly stealing nearly $32,000, a former bookkeeper and office manager for a small New Jersey law firm could avoid having any conviction on her record in the case. Rachel Rosen, 44, was accepted today into a pretrial intervention program in the Morris…

Sep 20, 2011 6:20 PM CDT

Pro Se Defense Attorney to Be Shocked If He Leaves Authorized Courtroom Area During RICO Trial

Four U.S. marshals will be in the courtroom as attorney Paul Bergrin goes on trial in federal court in Newark, N.J., next month. He faces a racketeering case in which he is accused of operating his law firm as a criminal enterprise and conspiring with another New Jersey lawyer to…

Sep 19, 2011 6:01 PM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor in NJ and Veteran Md. Defense Lawyer Take Plea in Tax Cases; Both to Be Disbarred

A New Jersey criminal defense lawyer who formerly worked as a Hudson County prosecutor had taken a plea in a tax evasion case and agreed to give up his law license. Francis S. Cutruzzula, 48, admitted to a federal judge in Newark today that he hadn’t filed a tax return…

Sep 14, 2011 11:35 PM CDT

Attorney Paul Bergrin’s Biggest Trial is About to Begin: His Own Racketeering Case

A high-profile New Jersey criminal defense lawyer is about to take on the biggest trial of his career–his own. A federal judge in Newark today agreed that attorney Paul Bergrin could defend himself against a 33-count murder conspiracy and racketeering indictment, although U.S. District Judge William Martini discouraged him from…

Sep 13, 2011 12:31 AM CDT

Federal Judge Sides with NJ Solo, Strikes NY Law Requiring In-State Office for Out-of-State Lawyers

A federal judge in Albany has agreed with a New Jersey solo practitioner that a New York law is unconstitutional. It requires out-of-state attorneys licensed to practice in New York to maintain an in-state office if they want to represent clients there. The state argued that the New York office…

Sep 9, 2011 10:09 PM CDT

Donald Trump Can’t Sue over Claims He’s Not a Billionaire, NJ Appeals Court Rules

Donald Trump has lost a defamation lawsuit he filed over claims that he’s not a billionaire. A New Jersey appeals court ruled (PDF) on Wednesday that Trump can’t sue because he is a public figure and he had not shown actual malice by author Timothy O’Brien, the New Jersey Law…

Sep 8, 2011 1:03 PM CDT

Disbarred Lawyer Accused of Duping Inmates with Phony Nonprofit

A disbarred lawyer and a paralegal in New Jersey are accused in a state lawsuit of duping inmates with a phony nonprofit promising legal aid and consulting services. The suit, filed by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs, claims disbarred lawyer Mark Bendet and paralegal Bruce Buccolo…

Aug 31, 2011 1:15 PM CDT

High-Profile Defense Attorney Accused of Practicing Law in RICO Enterprise May Represent Himself

Updated: Once a New Jersey criminal defense lawyer best-known for his trial work on behalf of major gang figures and rap artists, Paul Bergrin has been jailed since 2009 on charges that he ran his law practice as part of a criminal racketeering enterprise. Allegedly, the former prosecutor even helped…

Aug 31, 2011 1:55 AM CDT

Top NJ Court Changes Rules re Eyewitness ID, Calls for More Pretrial Scrutiny, New Jury Instructions

In a landmark ruling today, the New Jersey Supreme court changed procedural and evidentiary rules concerning eyewitness identification of suspects, saying that 30 years of scientific research had showed it to be less reliable than once thought. Depending on the circumstances of an arrest, suspects will be offered a greater…

Aug 25, 2011 12:17 AM CDT

NJ Appellate Panel Reverses Foreclosure Because Deutsche Bank Didn’t Have Note When It Sued

A bank that sued to foreclose a New Jersey mortgage in 2008 is back on square one after a state appeals court ruling yesterday that its filing was defective because it didn’t prove possession of the note for the loan. After winning the case on summary judgment and obtaining possession…

Aug 10, 2011 7:58 PM CDT

Lawyer-CPA Indicted in Alleged Scheme to Bilk Real Estate Investors by Resolving Fake IRS Probe

A New Jersey lawyer is facing criminal charges for allegedly participating in a scheme to bilk real estate investors by falsely claiming they were the target of an Internal Revenue Service probe. A co-defendant also allegedly told them they were being investigated by the Monmouth County prosecutor’s office for mortgage…

Aug 10, 2011 6:04 PM CDT