Ohio

Judge apologizes for ‘deplorable’ letters he wrote to college newspaper about gay people and AIDS

A municipal court judge in Maumee, Ohio, is apologizing for two anti-gay letters to the editor he wrote as a student at Ohio State University in the 1990s.

Jan 24, 2020 4:09 PM CST

Lawyer who created digital child porn to make a legal point can’t escape $300K judgment, court rules

An Ohio lawyer and expert witness who created digital child pornography in defense of his clients can’t escape a $300,000 civil judgment in bankruptcy, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jan 7, 2020 1:30 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Biden likes Obama for Supreme Court; ex-law student among successful GirlsDoPorn plaintiffs

Biden would consider Obama as Supreme Court nominee Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden said Dec. 28 he would appoint former President Barack Obama to the U.S. Supreme Court, if he would take the position. Biden spoke in response to a question at a campaign event. Biden,…

Jan 6, 2020 4:32 PM CST

Do courts lack info about medication-assisted treatment as an option for defendants with opioid addiction?

Judges aren’t doctors, so should they make decisions on whether medication-assisted treatment is appropriate for defendants addicted to opioids? Whether a defendant can be on probation or in drug court while receiving medication-assisted treatment can differ by judge, including those in the same jurisdiction.

Dec 16, 2019 6:00 AM CST

Broke Ass Phone had First Amendment right to use its name on sign, appeals court rules

A divided appeals court has ruled that the word ass when used in the phrase “broke ass phone” is neither obscene nor immoral, and a business using that name had a First Amendment right to display it.

Dec 5, 2019 11:37 AM CST

For giving $11 to incarcerated boyfriend, lawyer gets stayed suspension

Updated: A lawyer who pleaded guilty to promoting contraband in jail for giving $11 to her incarcerated boyfriend has received a stayed suspension of her law license.

Nov 21, 2019 12:53 PM CST

Lawyer who suggested then abandoned ‘Breaking Bad’ money laundering plot is indefinitely suspended

An Ohio lawyer who offered to launder money for a confidential informant he thought to be a drug dealer has been indefinitely suspended by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Nov 21, 2019 11:18 AM CST

Persistent would-be lawyer may see her 1991 bar exam results, state supreme court rules

A would-be Ohio lawyer can see her July 1991 bar exam results, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled, in the case of a persistent 1988 law grad who is still seeking admission to the bar.

Nov 6, 2019 12:31 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: NYC bar calls for Barr’s Ukraine recusal; law school renamed after donor

U.S. attorney general should recuse himself in Ukraine matters, bar group says The New York City Bar Association is calling on Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself from any Justice Department review of Ukraine-related issues in which he was allegedly involved. If Barr refuses to recuse in the future,…

Oct 24, 2019 4:44 PM CDT

4 drug companies agree to $260M opioid settlement with 2 Ohio counties

Four drug companies have agreed to a $260 million opioid settlement with two Ohio counties—Cuyahoga and Summit counties—that contended that the companies misled the public in their opioid marketing and created a public nuisance that endangered health.

Oct 21, 2019 11:02 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Decisions by nonlawyer judge challenged; abortion law enjoined

Tort claims seek to vacate decisions of judge without a law license Tort claims filed last week against the Washington state towns of Airway Heights and Cheney claim that defendants’ constitutional rights are being violated when their cases are heard by a shared court commissioner without a law license. The…

Oct 15, 2019 5:12 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Arrests for low-level crimes plummet; inmate complains about commissary-money restitution

Arrests for low-level crimes plummet in some cities and states In some cities and states, arrests are plummeting for minor crimes such as disorderly conduct, loitering, prostitution and driving violations. Areas with lower arrest rates for such crimes include New York, California and rural Virginia, along with the cities of…

Oct 10, 2019 4:07 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge refuses to step down from opioid litigation; BigLaw joins law profs in climate change fight

Judge overseeing nationwide opioid litigation refuses to step down The federal judge overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits over alleged opioid addictions and overdoses refused to remove himself from a bellwether trial scheduled to begin Oct. 21 in Cleveland. Judge Dan Aaron Polster of the U.S. District Court for the Northern…

Sep 27, 2019 4:30 PM CDT

Lawyer accused of smelling of alcohol at client’s felony trial gets suspension

An Ohio lawyer has been suspended after he was accused of showing up for a client’s felony trial smelling of alcohol and refusing to submit to a breath-alcohol test.

Sep 24, 2019 10:17 AM CDT

Grocery store chain isn’t liable for motorized cart collision, state supreme court rules

The Ohio Supreme Court has reversed an award of more than $360,000 in a suit against a grocery store chain that provided a motorized shopping cart to a customer who caused a collision and injured the plaintiff.

Sep 19, 2019 2:35 PM CDT