States

Prosecution of Ex-US Atty Hits Snag

Government lawyers contend in a trial that got under way this week that a former federal prosecutor from Detroit withheld evidence because of his ambition to win a terrorism case. But the case against former U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino hit a snag when a key witness against him admitted he…

Oct 11, 2007 12:37 PM CDT

New Vows for Dozens in PA Marriage Mess

A first-of-a-kind case in Pennsylvania has called the validity of an untold number of marriages into question, prompting many committed couples to resolve the issue by simply re-taking their vows even though it hasn’t yet been upheld on appeal. Those who don’t redo their original ceremony face troubling questions about…

Oct 10, 2007 11:15 PM CDT

WA Lawyers, Official v. Insurers in Ballot Battle

The state insurance commissioner is reportedly siding with tort lawyers in a hard-fought battle to persuade Washington state voters to approve a ballot measure that would greatly increase the damages for bad-faith failure to pay a claim. At present, no matter how egregious the insurer’s refusal to pay a legitimate…

Oct 10, 2007 10:48 PM CDT

Judge Stops Planned SS# Match Program

In a blow to the Bush administration, a federal judge has granted a temporary injunction halting a planned program to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. It would have required employers to confirm with the government that workers’ social security numbers are valid, but is fraught with problems,…

Oct 10, 2007 10:00 PM CDT

Fake Lawyer May Avoid Real Prison Sentence

A paralegal who impersonated a lawyer for two years at a well-known plaintiffs insurance coverage law firm could get probation if he repays New York City-based Anderson Kill & Olick at least $150,000 by his scheduled Jan. 30 sentencing. Otherwise, Brian Valery can expect a prison term of between five…

Oct 10, 2007 8:40 PM CDT

Jury: Feeding Homeless No Crime

A Florida man did not violate an unusual municipal ordinance against feeding the homeless when he served up food at a public park in Orlando, a jury decided yesterday. Although the prosecution had video footage of Eric Montanez, 22, participating in the organized meal at Lake Eola Park, it didn’t…

Oct 10, 2007 8:21 PM CDT

Anti-Porn Lawyer Wins Round in Judge Dispute

An anti-porn crusading lawyer says he is no longer at risk of being referred to a court ad hoc grievance committee for attaching gay-sex photos to a court filing. Florida lawyer Jack Thompson says the judge vacated an order to show cause why he should not be referred to the…

Oct 10, 2007 6:42 PM CDT

Cleary Gottlieb Tops Diversity Rankings

A new report suggests many large New York law firms are still lagging behind in terms of diversity. Out of 74 New York firms providing information, 27 do not have any Hispanic partners, 25 do not have any African-American partners, and 21 do not have any Asian-American partners, according to…

Oct 10, 2007 6:10 PM CDT

GA Suspends Lawyer for Drug Conviction

A divided Georgia Supreme Court decided yesterday to suspend a 20-year practitioner for two years because of his guilty plea earlier this year to a charge of cocaine possession. Two justices wanted attorney John M.B. Lewis IV disbarred, reports the Augusta Chronicle (reg. req.). One of them, Justice Carol Hunstein,…

Oct 10, 2007 3:18 PM CDT

Lawyer Sues Over ‘Biblical-Type Explosion of Roaches’

A lawyer and his wife have filed a lawsuit against the management of a historic New York condo building because of what he calls “a biblical-type explosion of roaches.” The couple, Alan Arkin (not the actor) and Suzanne Bagert, say in their suit that managers of the historic building known…

Oct 10, 2007 2:59 PM CDT

Lawyer’s TV Ad Claims Rival is Nonlawyer

A Texas personal injury lawyer has paid for TV ads asserting that a partner in a Corpus Christi law group is not a lawyer. The lawyer in the ad, Thomas Henry, has also filed a complaint with an unauthorized practice of law committee, Texas Lawyer reports. Henry wants a determination…

Oct 10, 2007 1:52 PM CDT

Four NJ Judges Investigated in Parking-Ticket Probe

The New Jersey attorney general is investigating whether four municipal court judges in Jersey City fixed parking tickets for friends and family. One of the judges under investigation is Wanda Molina, who was the chief judge until she resigned last month, the New York Times reports. Officials told the newspaper…

Oct 10, 2007 1:09 PM CDT

Qualcomm Laptop Becomes Focus in Sanctions Case

The focus is turning to a Qualcomm’s engineer’s laptop in court papers filed in advance of a Friday hearing on whether to sanction the company’s outside lawyers for discovery mistakes. During pretrial discovery, lawyers at Day Casebeer Madrid & Batchelder failed to search the laptop to learn whether engineer Viji…

Oct 10, 2007 12:54 PM CDT

Ballard Spahr Stumbles in Race to Court

A Philadelphia judge has ruled that a law firm’s attempt to head off a gender discrimination complaint is premature. Judge Gary DiVito ruled Sept. 24 that Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll could not obtain declaratory relief “in anticipation of an action at law by another party,” the Legal Intelligencer reports.…

Oct 10, 2007 12:22 PM CDT

Lawyer Likely to Turn Witness in Ex-Client’s Stock Fraud Trial

The ex-lawyer for a former dot-com billionaire is expected to testify against him in his stock-fraud trial. Lawyer Preston Burton is expected to testify about allegations that Charles “Junior” Johnson pushed him to introduce fake e-mails as evidence, the Washington Post reports. Prosecutors have added a charge of obstruction of…

Oct 10, 2007 11:52 AM CDT