States

Dan Rather Sues CBS for $70 Million

Claiming that CBS News made him a “scapegoat” for the network’s flawed reporting concerning President George W. Bush’s service in the National Guard during the Vietnam War era, former 60 Minutes reporter Dan Rather sued today for $70 million. His lawsuit, which names as defendants the network, its corporate parent…

Sep 19, 2007 9:29 PM CDT

Police: Lawyer Robbed Drugstore

An Oklahoma City attorney has been arrested and is accused of robbing the same pharmacy three times yesterday in the course of 11 minutes. Police say 50-year-old Robert Behlen, a civil litigator who lives in Edmond, robbed the drugstore of painkillers at gunpoint in one of these incidents, escaped in…

Sep 19, 2007 8:09 PM CDT

Judge: No Test Breaks for Breastfeeding

A Harvard University medical student about to begin her residency has lost a court case seeking extra time to pump breast milk while she takes a national clinical knowledge exam. While it will be inconvenient for Sophie Currier to pump breast milk in the total 45 minutes of scheduled breaks…

Sep 19, 2007 6:54 PM CDT

Bail Set for OJ Simpson

In a sign that things may be looking up for O.J. Simpson, a Nevada judge set bail for the handcuffed former football star at $125,000 during his arraignment today. Simpson previously had been held without bond after having been arrested Sunday in connection with a claimed armed robbery last week…

Sep 19, 2007 6:24 PM CDT

March on Jena Protests Justice System

A civil rights march tomorrow expected to draw tens of thousands to a tiny central Louisiana town isn’t just about perceived injustice concerning six black high school students. It’s about the way African-Americans have been treated by the American justice system throughout the history of this country, writes Leonard Pitts…

Sep 19, 2007 4:20 PM CDT

Reprieve for Star Florida Student in Deportation Case

A special bill is being pursued in the U.S. Senate to help a star Miami area student facing deportation with his family as illegal immigrants. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) filed a bill Monday to help Juan Gomez, a popular high school football player and star student who is now attending…

Sep 19, 2007 3:46 PM CDT

‘Snitches Wear Stitches’ in NJ Cases

“Snitches wear stitches,” is the assertion of a New Jersey gang leader that is proving true in two related cases. Latin Kings leader Jose Negrete told the New York Times in a jailhouse interview that gang members who cooperate with prosecutors are unlikely to survive. He spoke specifically about a…

Sep 19, 2007 3:44 PM CDT

Year-and-a-Day Rule Meets Its Demise

Lawyers who learned about the year-and-a-day rule in law school have a new case to ponder: the prosecution of William J. Barnes, who served 20 years in prison for shooting and paralyzing a Philadelphia police officer in 1996. The officer died last month after suffering a kidney infection, spurring prosecutors…

Sep 19, 2007 3:10 PM CDT

MD Gay Marriage Ban Upheld

In a divided opinion, Maryland’s highest court has upheld a 1973 law that bans gay marriage. The 4-3 Court of Appeals decision (PDF) said the law does not discriminate on the basis of sex and does not violate the fundamental right to marriage, the Washington Post reports. The statute furthers…

Sep 19, 2007 2:36 PM CDT

Fee Cap Crippling Defense, Lawyer Says

Lawyers for alleged Atlanta courthouse gunman Brian Nichols told a judge that disputes over their state-paid legal fees are crippling the defense team. Lead defense lawyer Henderson Hill said the state intends to pay only about a third the estimated fees and costs of the defense, according to the Fulton…

Sep 19, 2007 2:12 PM CDT

Three More Pleas in Accident Scam

Prosecutors have gained three more guilty pleas in a probe of phony car accidents that ensnared a New Jersey lawyer. Edward Campbell Sr. of Irvington, N.J., admitted at a hearing last week that he staged accidents and submitted false insurance claims for lawyer Irwin Seligsohn, the New Jersey Law Journal…

Sep 19, 2007 12:53 PM CDT

Law Prof: CA Bar Swayed by Liberals

A UCLA law professor seeking more information about bar passage rates for minority law students is planning his next move after the State Bar of California turned down his request for historical data. The Committee of Bar Examiners refused to release the information, saying test takers provided it in the…

Sep 19, 2007 12:31 PM CDT

Lawyers Seek Vindication in Document Dustup

Former lawyers for Qualcomm Inc. have asked a judge to allow them to reveal privileged information so they can explain why the company failed to produce hundreds of thousands of discovery documents. Heller Ehrman and Day Casebeer Madrid & Batchelder are responding to an order to show cause why they…

Sep 19, 2007 11:52 AM CDT

Lawyer Sanctioned for Katrina Suit

A testy federal judge has ordered a New York City lawyer to pay $24,000 in a fine and attorney fees for filing a frivolous suit on behalf of a Hurricane Katrina victim who was evicted by Catholic Charities. The Albany judge said the suit against the Catholic church by lawyer…

Sep 19, 2007 11:32 AM CDT

Spector Jurors Say They’re Deadlocked

A week after deliberations began, jurors in Phil Spector’s second-degree murder trial say they can’t agree on a resolution. But although the panel reports it’s divided almost equally between those who believe the famed music producer is guilty and those who don’t, the case isn’t over yet, reports the Los…

Sep 19, 2007 12:02 AM CDT