North Carolina

Winston Lures Up to 18 Lawyers from N.C. Firm, Opens Charlotte Office

A 1,000-lawyer Chicago-based international firm is opening a Charlotte, N.C., office with six partners lured from a local firm, and expects to bring in a dozen more lawyers from the same firm soon. Six attorneys from 200-lawyer Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman are to open the new Winston & Strawn…

Jan 11, 2008 12:55 AM CST

New Suit in Duke Lacrosse Rape Case

The fallout continues over a botched investigation and prosecution of an escort service dancer’s allegations—eventually determined to be false—that she was gang-raped in March 2006 by former members of the Duke University men’s lacrosse team. Three former team members who were never charged in the case have filed a 400-page…

Dec 19, 2007 5:15 PM CST

Hackers Hit Duke Law School Site

Computer hackers broke into a website at Duke University School of Law, and may have stolen social security numbers and other confidential information for as many as 1,400 or more prospective and actual applicants. The security breach is still being investigated, but a law school spokeswoman says officials “have some…

Dec 5, 2007 5:30 PM CST

Ex-Judge Who Wrote Privilege Opinion Backs PD Who Told of Client Confession

The former chief judge of the North Carolina Supreme Court hopes an opinion he wrote on attorney-client privilege will help his new client—a North Carolina man convicted of murder partly based on now-discredited evidence. Former chief judge I. Beverly Lake Jr. is one of the lawyers representing Lee Wayne Hunt,…

Nov 28, 2007 1:11 PM CST

PD Faces Ethics Complaint for Telling of Dead Client’s Confession

The appellate defender for North Carolina is facing an ethics complaint for testifying that his dead client had confessed he alone committed a double murder for which another man is doing time. Staples Hughes testified in a January hearing for the convicted man that his client confessed 20 years ago…

Nov 26, 2007 12:17 PM CST

NC Won’t Defend Nifong in Civil Suit Over Duke Rape Case

The state of North Carolina has refused a request by disgraced former prosecutor Mike Nifong that it pay his legal fees or provide a defense in a civil case over the pursuit of baseless rape charges against three former Duke University lacrosse team members. In a letter sent to Nifong…

Oct 18, 2007 5:49 PM CDT

Nifong Seeks Legal Fees in Civil Suit re Rape

Mike Nifong, the disgraced former prosecutor who is now being sued for pursuing rape charges against three former Duke lacrosse team players, has asked North Carolina to help him with his legal defense. Because the civil litigation by the exonerated defendants arose out of his work as Durham County prosecutor,…

Oct 15, 2007 11:49 PM CDT

14 Years, No Trial: Retarded Man Freed

Relatives expressed relief today after a judge ruled that a retarded North Carolina man who was never tried, yet had been held 14 years in a state mental institution concerning a crime it is doubtful he committed, would be freed. However it still isn’t clear exactly when Floyd Lee Brown,…

Oct 8, 2007 11:34 PM CDT

Nifong in Contempt, Gets 1 Day in Jail

The disgraced former prosecutor responsible for filing unfounded rape charges against former members of the Duke University men’s lacrosse team was found in criminal contempt of court today and sentenced to one day in jail. Former Durham County, N.C., District Attorney Mike Nifong’s decision to withhold DNA evidence from defense…

Sep 1, 2007 12:02 AM CDT

Ex-DA Apologizes, More Fully

The former district attorney for Durham County, N.C., apologized yesterday as a judge considers whether to hold him in criminal contempt of court. Newsday says it was the first “complete and unqualified” apology by Michael Nifong. The disbarred DA acknowledged there was “no credible evidence” that three former Duke lacrosse…

Jul 27, 2007 2:35 PM CDT

Superstar QB Lawyers

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is assembling a superstar legal team to fight federal dogfighting charges. Vick pleaded not guilty yesterday. Vick’s legal team now includes William Martin, who leads the white-collar criminal defense practice at the Washington, D.C., office of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, the American Lawyer reports. Martin…

Jul 27, 2007 2:03 PM CDT

Kilpatrick Lawyers Go and Come

Less than three months ago, Kilpatrick Stockton lost 18 attorneys to a Chicago-based firm opening a Charlotte, N.C., office. Now Kilpatrick has announced (PDF) it is beefing up its Charlotte office, which currently has only 11 lawyers. The law firm has hired two new lawyers and transferred another five lawyers…

Jul 26, 2007 2:01 PM CDT

29,000 Sex Offenders Using MySpace

The estimated number of registered sex offenders among some 180 million people using the social networking site MySpace to post personal profiles has quadrupled. Several months ago, operators of the site said they thought some 7,000 registered sex offenders had posted on MySpace. But now they have upped that estimate…

Jul 25, 2007 11:54 PM CDT

Disgraced Duke Rape DA to Quit Monday

Mike Nifong, the Durham, N.C., attorney disbarred for his handling of the rape prosecution of three former Duke lacrosse players later determined to be innocent, will quit his job Monday. However, that still isn’t the end of the road for Nifong, as far as his legal career is concerned–he faces…

Jun 28, 2007 5:44 PM CDT

Disbarment Unusual for Prosecutors

Michael Nifong sought the limelight when he charged three Duke lacrosse players with rape. All that attention may be a reason an ethics body gave him an unusually harsh penalty for misconduct in the case. Discipline is “light or nonexistent” for prosecutors who fail to disclose evidence, even in death…

Jun 25, 2007 2:25 PM CDT