States

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

No Celebrity Breaks for OJ Simpson

Updated: As the day progressed, it didn’t improve for former football superstar O.J. Simpson. Simpson, who is being held without bail due to a claimed risk that he will flee the jurisdiction, was charged today with eight felonies, including kidnapping, along with three co-defendants, according to the Associated Press. As…

Sep 18, 2007 11:53 PM CDT

Chicago 7 Trial Sketches Spark Memories

With his feet propped up, 1960s activist Abbie Hoffman reads a book. Blue-jeans-clad cohorts munch snacks and catch up on their sleep. No, this wasn’t some student-lounge gathering but one of Chicago’s most famous trials, at which at least one celebrity poet testified in Sanskrit. Arrested after a violent confrontation…

Sep 18, 2007 10:14 PM CDT

Stanford Class for Laity: Think Like Lawyer

An all-star faculty lineup at Stanford Law School is offering an ambitious and perhaps unprecedented course for nonattorneys. In a single quarter, 12 professors will attempt to teach graduate students in other disciplines to think like a lawyer, reports the Stanford Daily. The whirlwind tour of the legal profession is…

Sep 18, 2007 5:24 PM CDT

PI Lawyer Plea: $1.3 M, Up to 15 Years, in $13 M Fraud Case

A federal judge has approved a plea deal that calls for a once-prominent Miami personal injury lawyer to serve up to 15 years in prison. Louis Robles, who has been disbarred, must also repay former clients $1.3 million of the more than $13 million he defrauded them of in asbestos…

Sep 18, 2007 4:34 PM CDT

Judge’s Noise Punishment Fits Crime

When Judge Paul Sacco deals with violators of the Fort Lupton, Colo., noise ordinance, he fights fire with fire. Those who transgress are required to listen for one hour to music calculated to get on their nerves. A recent punishment session featured tunes by Karen Carpenter, Barry Manilow, Dolly Parton…

Sep 18, 2007 4:03 PM CDT

Judge’s ‘Incessant’ Questions Cited in Reversal

A New York appeals court has cited a judge’s excessive questions as a reason for overturning a felony conviction for drug possession. The court has criticized Judge Arlene Silverman for excessive questions in at least nine other decisions, but this is the first time her interruptions have been used as…

Sep 18, 2007 2:31 PM CDT

Lawmaker Sues God

A Nebraska state senator has sued God in an effort to make a point about frivolous lawsuits. The suit by State Sen. Ernie Chambers says God has called “fearsome floods … horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes” and requests a permanent injunction, the Associated Press reports. Chambers says his suit makes the…

Sep 18, 2007 2:14 PM CDT

Possible O.J. Legal Fee is Half a Million

If O.J. Simpson hires a Las Vegas lawyer to defend him on armed robbery charges, he’ll likely have to pony up about $500,000. That’s the going rate in the city, according to one lawyer, the New York Post reports in a story that relies on wire reports. “Hopefully, he has…

Sep 18, 2007 1:51 PM CDT