Pennsylvania

Lawyer and the payday lender he advised are convicted

A corporate and banking lawyer has been convicted of racketeering conspiracy along with the payday lender he advised on how to avoid state caps on loan interest rates. Federal jurors in Pennsylvania on Monday convicted 69-year-old Delaware lawyer Wheeler Neff and 76-year-old payday lending pioneer Charles Hallinan, report Philly.com, Reuters…

Nov 28, 2017 12:16 PM CST

I Did It Norway: Some American prisons are singing a European tune

In August, when the solar eclipse passed over South Boise Women’s Correctional Center in Idaho, the officers held lunch early, handed out protective sunglasses, and invited the women outside to watch the sky. At the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Connecticut, a few prisoners and officers recently played cards together; the…

Nov 2, 2017 5:52 PM CDT

Man is accused of stealing wallet at magistrate’s office to pay court fines

A Pennsylvania man has been accused of stealing a wallet near a court payment window and using the money to pay his fines. Police allege that 31-year-old Steven Rago of Vandergrift was caught on security camera taking a wallet left on the counter at the Allegheny Township district judge’s office,…

Nov 1, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Former Philadelphia DA gets 5-year sentence after guilty plea

Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a single count relating to accepting bribes. U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond told Williams he had sold his office to “parasites” and humiliated employees in the DA’s office, report the Associated…

Oct 25, 2017 9:06 AM CDT

California ends practice of billing parents for kids in detention

Gov. Jerry Brown of California signed into law on Oct. 11, a sweeping package of criminal justice reform bills including a ban on the practice of billing parents for their children’s incarceration, which had been prevalent statewide for decades and was the subject of a Marshall Project investigation earlier this…

Oct 12, 2017 3:44 PM CDT

Philly law firm sues Morgan & Morgan, claims its ads are misleading

Updated: A Philadelphia law firm has sued Morgan & Morgan for what it contends is misleading advertising by the Florida-based rival. Rosenbaum & Associates filed the federal suit on Sept. 22 over Morgan & Morgan ads targeting personal injury clients in the Philadelphia area. The complaint says Morgan & Morgan…

Sep 29, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

JDs from middle-ranked schools in states with many public colleges may give best investment return

Between 2010 and 2014, net tuition declined the most at middle-ranked law schools, due to merit scholarship patterns associated with maintaining or improving rankings, according to a law review article by Jerome M. Organ, which looks at variable returns on investing in a law degree.

Sep 15, 2017 3:35 PM CDT

Lawyer’s fee request felt ‘like an attempted bank robbery,’ federal judge says

For the second time in less than two weeks, a federal judge from the Middle District of Pennsylvania has excoriated a lawyer for a large fee request following a small recovery.

Sep 12, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Law firms Saul Ewing and Arnstein & Lehr merge

Philadelphia-based Saul Ewing and Arnstein & Lehr of Chicago have merged, effective last Friday, to create a 400-lawyer firm with 15 offices. The new firm will be called Saul, Ewing, Arnstein & Lehr, the Legal Intelligencer reports. According to the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.), the firm has strengths in…

Sep 5, 2017 12:08 PM CDT

Judge denies ‘exorbitant’ request for nearly $1M in attorney fees after $125K recovery

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has denied a request for nearly $1 million in attorney fees and promised to refer the lawyers who sought the money to ethics regulators. U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion of Scranton deemed the fee request “astounding,” “exorbitant” and “woefully deficient.” He criticized claims for various…

Sep 5, 2017 7:45 AM CDT

National Pulse: Prison Pays

Edward Kenzakoski was 17 when he was caught in possession of drug paraphernalia. Unfortunately for Kenzakoski, he lived in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and landed before Judge Mark Ciavarella. While a typical outcome for a juvenile in this situation was probation, Ciavarella sentenced Kenzakoski to a month at the privately operated…

Sep 1, 2017 2:20 AM CDT

With an eye toward reform, new website teaches people about California’s district attorneys

Updated: Prosecutors in California are about to receive a lot more mail.

Aug 24, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Penn State frat prosecutor faces ethics hearing over fake Facebook page, texts to judges

A Pennsylvania prosecutor faces an ethics hearing over allegations of improper texting contacts with judges and a fake Facebook page. The hearing for Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller is scheduled for Nov. 29, report the Associated Press and the Centre Daily Times. Parks Miller won’t be running for…

Aug 22, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Linda Oatman High wins ABA Journal/Ross Short Legal Fiction Contest

During her 35-year career as a writer, Linda Oatman High has written more than 20 books for children and young adults, three plays and numerous feature articles and news stories. But she had never written a legal-themed piece until she saw a call for submissions to the ABA Journal/Ross Writing…

Jul 26, 2017 3:47 PM CDT

Suit claims lawyer rerouted former partner’s emails to himself, violating electronic privacy law

A Pennsylvania lawyer is accused of violating federal and state law by rerouting a former partner’s emails to himself. The suit, filed in New Jersey federal court, claims lawyer Robert A. Mitchell of Doylestown violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and wiretap laws in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The laws…

Jul 10, 2017 8:00 AM CDT