States

Indy Firm Gets Stadium Naming Rights

The law firm that helped bring the Colts to Indianapolis has struck a naming rights deal to become one of the founding sponsors of the team’s new stadium. Baker & Daniels will have its name on the upper and lower east club levels in a deal estimated to be worth…

Oct 24, 2007 10:12 PM CDT

Judge Rebuked for Demeaning Comments

A Seattle-area judge was admonished today for a lewd exchange with a defendant in his courtroom and for making demeaning references to the ethnicity of others. Specifically, King County District Court Judge Mark Chow responded to a defendant to threw out a “sexual demand,” according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Chow…

Oct 24, 2007 10:05 PM CDT

‘Girls Gone Wild’ Lawyer Files Misconduct Complaint

The lawyer for the now infamous founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” video series has filed a prosecutorial misconduct motion against the Florida state attorney who pursued charges against his client. Miami attorney Roy Black claims State Attorney Steve Meadows exhibited a “pattern of blatant abuse” in dealing with Joe…

Oct 24, 2007 9:50 PM CDT

Abortion Doc Tries To Block Grand Jury

In an unusual case emerging out of Kansas, a late-term abortion provider has petitioned the state supreme court to block a grand jury investigation into his clinic practices. Anti-abortion groups took the rare step of petitioning for Sedgwick County to convene a grand jury to probe the Wichita clinic run…

Oct 24, 2007 8:50 PM CDT

Indy Judges Crack Down on Jury Scofflaws

After judges in Indiana threatened tougher actions against perspective jurors who try to dodge jury duty, the Indianapolis area saw a surge in juror participation. Facing possible contempt of court—and possible jail time—more jurors showed up when called this week, according to the Indianapolis Star. After news reports about the…

Oct 24, 2007 8:20 PM CDT

Sex Joke No Laughing Matter for Judge, Defender

A Miami judge and public defender have apologized for joking in court last week about a case involving a man accused of having sex with a teenage boy. The mea culpa came from Judge Jeffrey Levenson, 50, and Assistant Public Defender Brian Reidy, 49, who was docked a week of…

Oct 24, 2007 7:50 PM CDT

Cop’s DUI Cases Tossed After Prosecutor Ride-Along

A Chicago police officer, celebrated for writing the most DUI tickets in Illinois, is seeing his record blemished. Some 50 of his DUI cases have been dropped because improper procedures were followed, the Daily Southtown reports. The paper reports that John Haleas, who has been honored three of the past…

Oct 24, 2007 7:24 PM CDT

Client Conflict Disrupts Partner’s Move

An IP litigator who decided to switch firms experienced a bumpy landing because of a client conflict issue. Baker Hostetler’s James Doroshow planned to move to Los Angeles’ Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. But, according to the Recorder (sub. req.), a client put a kibosh on Doroshow’s firm choice. After some…

Oct 24, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

States to Sue US EPA Over Global Warming

More than a dozen states are readying a lawsuit that claims foot-dragging by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the fight against global warming. The suit will claim the agency has failed to grant a waiver requested by California that would allow it to require reduced greenhouse emissions from cars,…

Oct 24, 2007 5:16 PM CDT

New Twist: Fee Award Too Low

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has rejected a class action award, but not because of exorbitant fees. Indeed, the court questioned whether Milberg Weiss was undercompensated when it represented shareholders of the now-defunct MarchFirst Inc. The Chicago Tribune characterized the decision as a rare victory for…

Oct 24, 2007 5:05 PM CDT

Tort Reform Red Flag Raised in Alabama?

A recent $50 million jury verdict in the case of a man burned to death when his water heater exploded will only fuel tort-reform efforts in Alabama, according to an editorial. The Alabama Press-Register opinion piece acknowledges that jurors must have felt sympathy for the family of Richard Krantz. But,…

Oct 24, 2007 4:28 PM CDT

5th Circuit Gets New Judge, Southwick Confirmed

Senators today confirmed Mississippi Judge Leslie H. Southwick to a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals despite concerns by some Democrats that his past writings were racially insensitive. There were not enough votes for a filibuster, so Southwick won confirmation by a 59-38 vote, according to the…

Oct 24, 2007 4:21 PM CDT

Lawyer Accuses Judge of ‘Subconscious Homophobia’

A lawyer ordered to stop dancing around a Bronx courtroom in a flamboyant manner told the New York Post the judge may be showing his “subconscious homophobia.” Lawyer Robert Feldman, described in the newspaper account as a “boisterously eccentric defense attorney,” said he was chastised by the judge after “gesticulating…

Oct 24, 2007 2:06 PM CDT

Convicted Client Cites Lawyer’s Stalking Indictment in New Trial Bid

A convicted murderer is seeking a new trial because his lawyer was under indictment for stalking. The appeal by Mylee Cottle of Newark, N.J., argues his lawyer was likely reluctant to oppose or negotiate with prosecutors because he needed to curry favor with them in his own case, the New…

Oct 24, 2007 12:01 PM CDT

Heller Ehrman Loses Key Partners

Heller Ehrman has lost two “leading and loyal partners” in part of a continuing rough patch for the law firm known for its collegiality, the Recorder reports. Leaving the firm are Patricia Gillette, a co-chair of the firm’s labor and employment practice, and Jerry Marks, a securities litigator who is…

Oct 24, 2007 11:36 AM CDT