States

One-Minute Delay Costs MoFo $1M in Attorney Fees

Missing a deadline for an attorney fee request by one minute has apparently cost a Morrison & Foerster client $1 million, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports. MoFo contended it was late because a hired courier got stuck in traffic on his motorcycle. The courier arrived at the courthouse…

Jan 8, 2008 3:50 PM CST

Georgia Supremes Consider Practical Problems of Banishment

A Georgia Supreme Court justice asked lawyers how a defendant banished from all but one county could travel to that location upon his release from prison. If you’re banished to one central county, how do you get there?” asked Justice Harris Hines. “If you’re banished, you’re banished.” Another justice helpfully…

Jan 8, 2008 3:10 PM CST

Boston Chief Judge Raps DOJ in Mukasey Letter

Boston’s chief federal judge has written a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey criticizing the U.S. Justice Department for lax discipline of a federal prosecutor who withheld evidence and a failure to be candid with the court. Chief Judge Mark Wolf asked disciplinary authorities to investigate assistant U.S. attorney Jeffrey…

Jan 8, 2008 1:57 PM CST

Ex-GC to Be Sentenced this Month for Insider Trading

The former general counsel of semiconductor maker Amkor Technology Inc. faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 28 for insider trading. At one time, Kevin Heron was in charge of insider trading compliance for the company. But he was convicted July 19 based on evidence…

Jan 8, 2008 1:19 PM CST

A ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ Lawyer Goes on Trial for Sexual Assault

A onetime lawyer who was named one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors in 2001 goes on trial today for the first of three alleged attacks on women he met in bars. Gary Zerola is accused of attacking two 19-year-olds in Boston in 2004 and 2006, allegedly raping one woman…

Jan 8, 2008 1:03 PM CST

Six Lawyers Referred to Calif. Bar for Qualcomm Discovery Abuse

A federal magistrate has referred six lawyers to the State Bar of California for possible discipline because of discovery violations in their representation of Qualcomm Inc. in a patent infringement dispute. Five of the lawyers are from Day Casebeer Madrid & Batchelder, and one is from Heller Ehrman, the Recorder…

Jan 8, 2008 12:38 PM CST

Tough Call: How to Charge Boy, 12, in Tot’s Killing

Florida prosecutors are now deciding whether to charge as an adult a 12-year-old babysitter who has been accused of murdering a 17-month-old second cousin left in his care. Because Shaloh Joseph wouldn’t stop crying as the unidentified preteen was trying to watch a cartoon on television, he allegedly hit her…

Jan 8, 2008 12:00 AM CST

Judge Moonlighted as Attorney, Ruled on Own Cases

During a 16-year stint as a probate judge in Portland, Conn., Richard Guliani heard three cases in which he was also acting as an attorney. This was, however, a conflict of interest for which he has reportedly been suspended from law practice for six months, starting Dec. 10. In one…

Jan 7, 2008 11:14 PM CST

Pa. Firm Plans for Up to 50 New Lawyers in Philly

A well-known Pittsburgh-based law firm is reportedly making plans to increase its attorney roster in Philadelphia by 50 percent, signing a lease for first-class center city offices that will provide space for an addition 30 to 50 attorneys. Although Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney has agreed to lease three floors at…

Jan 7, 2008 10:24 PM CST

N.H. City Says Attorney Malpractice Nixed Insurance

A New Hampshire municipality has sued its former legal counsel for malpractice, contending that he not only failed to appropriately advise the city of Claremont of the legal risks associated with firing the city tax assessor in 2000 but also failed to advise the city that the tax assessor, Steve…

Jan 7, 2008 9:17 PM CST

6th Circuit Revives ‘No Child Left Behind’ Suit

A Michigan school district may pursue its lawsuit against the federal government over funding for the No Child Left Behind Act, the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday. In 2005, the Pontiac Public School District joined litigation brought by school districts in Texas and Vermont, in addition…

Jan 7, 2008 8:19 PM CST

Supreme Court Reverses 7th Circuit’s Speakerphone Lawyer Ruling

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against a man who contended his lawyer’s participation by speakerphone in a key hearing amounted to ineffective assistance of counsel. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled (PDF posted by SCOTUSblog) for Joseph Van Patten, whose lawyer had participated by…

Jan 7, 2008 4:49 PM CST

Almost-Grand Champion Owner Has Cow Over Competition Counterclaim

A youth whose grand champion steer and goat lost their competition titles thinks the livestock association countersuit against him is, well, a lot of bull. The Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo pulled the 2004 title from the steer because of an anti-inflammatory medication administered for a rash and from the…

Jan 7, 2008 3:12 PM CST

Sullivan & Cromwell Sues Electronic Discovery Firm

Sullivan & Cromwell has filed a lawsuit against an electronic discovery firm it hired for a major case that contends the company blew deadlines and made errors in document production. The suit against Electronic Evidence Discovery Inc. says the law firm had to divert staff and resources to deal with…

Jan 7, 2008 12:51 PM CST

Fired US Atty Ryan Takes Pay Cut to Work For San Fran’s Mayor

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has hired former U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan to lead the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Ryan was among at least eight U.S. attorneys fired last year by the Bush Administration. This is his second post, after taking a job in April with the 200-lawyer Allen…

Jan 4, 2008 11:10 PM CST