Pennsylvania

Woman Sues Target and Law Firm re ‘False Affidavit Factory’ Allegedly Used in Consumer Debt Cases

A Pennsylvania woman has filed a federal suit against Target Corp. and the retailer’s law firm, Patenaude & Felix, alleging that she and other consumers have been harmed by a “false affidavit factory” they allegedly used to obtain robo-signed affidavits supporting debt-collection suits by a banking subsidiary. Vicki Higgins seeks…

Apr 20, 2011 11:21 PM CDT

Lawyer Who Advised Auto Body Shop Is Charged in Alleged Insurance Fraud

A personal injury lawyer who reportedly advised the owner of auto body shops in Philadelphia has been charged, along with his client, a manager, a city police officer and seven appraisers, in an alleged insurance fraud. In addition to providing legal advice related to the claimed fraud, attorney Michael Wolf,…

Apr 19, 2011 6:57 PM CDT

Wife of Jailed Ex-Judge Appeals Home Forfeiture, Seeks 3rd Circuit Ruling Protecting Her Interest

The wife of a retired Pennsylvania judge serving a federal prison sentence for insurance fraud is appealing a court order requiring that their home be forfeited to help pay restitution for the crime. Joanne Joyce, 58, filed an appeal yesterday of a federal judge’s ruling last month that the interests…

Apr 19, 2011 4:58 PM CDT

Firm Offers Promgoers Chance at Free Limo Ride for Signing Drug-Free Pledge

A Pennsylvania law firm is offering area teens a chance to win a free limo ride if they sign a drug- and alcohol-free prom pledge. Kingston law firm Fellerman & Ciarimboli has set up a Safe Prom Pledge on its website, asking students from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties to commit…

Apr 18, 2011 11:59 AM CDT

Judge Dubious About Warrantless Search of Prison Cell in High Profile Abortion Doc Murder Case

Defense counsel for the wife of an abortion doctor in a high-profile murder case are raising questions about a Philadelphia jail cell search practice that a prosecutor says has been commonplace. Instead of obtaining a search warrant, prosecutors there routinely simply subpoena prison officials seeking records, according to the Associated…

Apr 14, 2011 12:07 PM CDT

Asst. DA’s Secretary Takes Plea in Perjury Case, Admits Passing Info to Help Her Defendant Grandson

Suspended without pay from her job as a secretary in the Delaware County, Penn., district attorney’s office in Chester, Vera Ellen Carroll doesn’t appear likely to be returning to work there. The 59-year-old pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of perjury for lying to a Montgomery County grand jury about…

Apr 13, 2011 4:06 PM CDT

Lawyer Who Took $4M From Clients Up for Early Release

Ralph E. Mirarchi, a Pennsylvania lawyer who pled guilty to stealing more than $4 million from clients, is up for early prison release as a non-violent offender. Mirarchi was arrested in 2007. At the time of the plea deal, there was no property in Mirarchi’s name. His wife of 40…

Apr 13, 2011 3:26 PM CDT

Federal Judge Says Middle Schoolers Can Wear ‘Boobies’ Bracelets to Raise Breast-Cancer Awareness

Saying that middle schoolers have a constitutional right to express their views about breast cancer and attempt to reduce the “stigma” associated with discussing breast health, a federal judge in Philadelphia has held that two Pennsylvania students, age 12 and 13, cannot be punished for wearing bracelets that express their…

Apr 13, 2011 11:35 AM CDT

Defense Attorneys in Death Penalty Cases in Philadelphia File Court Challenge to Low Pay

Arguing that the state of Pennsylvania should either pay private defense attorneys adequately for taking on court-appointed capital cases or abolish the death penalty, a group of lawyers has filed suit in Philadelphia. Led by Marc Bookman, the group of lawyers says in its Common Pleas Court filing that Philadelphia…

Apr 6, 2011 9:44 PM CDT

Magistrate Allegedly Tried to Enter Female Jurist’s Conference Hotel Room Wrapped in Bedsheet

Attending a judicial conference at a hotel near the state capital led to trouble for two Pennsylvania jurists. Huntingdon County District Magistrate Douglas Gummo, 42, has been charged with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and harassment after allegedly trying to enter a female judge’s hotel room three times within a 40-minute…

Apr 5, 2011 3:46 PM CDT

Did News Anchors Have a Steamy Relationship, or Was One a ‘Sociopathic Narcissist’? Jury Will Decide

A defamation suit filed by a fired Philadelphia news anchor against her former network and co-anchor is focusing on whether the two had a steamy relationship, as he claims, or, as she claims, he is a “sociopathic narcissist.” In recent developments, ex-KYW star Alycia Lane, 38, denies deposition claims by…

Apr 4, 2011 7:20 PM CDT

SUV Smashes Into Pittsburgh Law School; Building Evacuated for Safety Check

It might sound a bit like an April Fool’s Day joke. But in fact a sport-utility vehicle did smash into the side of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law last night, requiring an evacuation until the Barco Law Building was declared safe to occupy at around 11 p.m., according…

Apr 1, 2011 6:30 PM CDT

‘Complete Regulatory Collapse’ Helped Abortion Doc Charged in 8 Murders Keep Operating

Despite multiple complaints about issues ranging from the death of patients to an apparent lack of malpractice insurance at one point, a physician charged with eight murders concerning the Philadelphia abortion clinic he operated was never aggressively pursued by Pennsylvania agencies charged with overseeing health care. What a grand jury…

Mar 21, 2011 8:42 PM CDT

Judge Disqualifies Counsel for Defendant Doc’s Wife at Bail Hearing in Abortion Clinic Murder Case

A court hearing today in a high-profile case involving murder charges against multiple workers at a Philadelphia abortion clinic was supposed to be about the amount of bail set for defendant Pearl Gosnell. But when Common Pleas Court Judge Benjamin Lerner realized that Gosnell’s attorney Mary Maran, had also met…

Mar 18, 2011 5:15 PM CDT

Law Firm Offers Better, Cheaper Medical Benefits via Self-Insurance Plan

If a lawyer or staff member at Stevens & Lee needs medical care, the law firm has a straightforward plan for covering such costs—it simply pays the bill. By self-insuring, it not only is able to continue to offer the same medical benefits in an era of cost-cutting but save…

Mar 15, 2011 5:44 PM CDT