States

Less Laughter as FL Lawyer Dies at 75

Sy Gaer, a beloved longtime Miami defense attorney known in courthouse circles for his cantankerous charm and unfailing sense of humor, has died following intestinal surgery. He was 75. Never at a loss for words, Gaer was quoted in the Miami Herald late last year in one classic courtroom exchange:…

Aug 7, 2007 7:09 PM CDT

3 CA Women: We Saw Rape, Want Trial

In a case seen by some as representing the flip side of the disastrous prosecution of former members of the Duke University lacrosse team for a rape they didn’t commit, a California attorney in private practice has agreed to represent women who say they were eyewitnesses to a rape of…

Aug 7, 2007 6:12 PM CDT

Katrina Hospital Murder Case Closed, But Civil Cases Continue

The criminal case against two nurses and a doctor accused of murdering hospital patients while working under horrendous conditions during Hurricane Katrina is now at an end, following a grand jury’s refusal to indict Dr. Anna Pou last month, prosecutors told the judge in the case yesterday. But it appears…

Aug 7, 2007 5:29 PM CDT

New Evidence in Spitzer Aides Probe

When New York’s attorney general recently concluded that aides to the state’s new reform-platform governor broke no laws in pursuing what some news reports have characterized as a “choppergate” political dirty tricks campaign, he may not have had all the relevant evidence. Aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer had separate BlackBerries…

Aug 7, 2007 4:45 PM CDT

States, Feds Ponder ‘Gender ID’ Bills

Gender identity isn’t a phrase that traditionally comes up in everyday conversation. But it’s a hot topic among lawmakers and lobbyists these days, as both Congress and a growing number of states consider legislation to make discrimination based on gender identity illegal. At this point, it isn’t completely clear what…

Aug 7, 2007 3:56 PM CDT

Bloomberg Not a Juror

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg showed up for jury duty yesterday and answered voir dire questions for an asbestos case. He wasn’t selected. Judge Helen Freedman said Bloomberg would be treated like any other juror, the New York Post reports. When asked if he would take over deliberations if chosen,…

Aug 7, 2007 2:54 PM CDT

Suit: Insurer Issued False Katrina Reports

A federal whistleblower lawsuit ordered unsealed today claims that State Farm Insurance Co. pressured engineers investigating homeowner claims to falsify reports about the cause of damage from Hurricane Katrina. Instead of saying that wind damage from the August 2005 storm, which is covered by homeowner policies, destroyed insured houses on…

Aug 6, 2007 11:14 PM CDT

Party Almost Over for 2007 ‘Summers’

Question: When can a law student get paid for traveling to London? Answer: When he or she is working as a summer associate at Dechert. The 1000-attorney firm took all 99 of its 2007 summer associates in 17 offices in the U.S. and Europe to London, where it also has…

Aug 6, 2007 10:44 PM CDT

Law Grad Spots Stylish Attire in Trash

When she moved to Chicago from New York after graduating from law school last year, Lauri Apple, who is still looking for the job of her dreams, knew of at least one good way to save money. If she needs something to wear, she takes a look in the local…

Aug 6, 2007 9:47 PM CDT

CA Law Skins Peter to Pay Python

Snakeskin is the hot material for designer handbags this fall. But a California law banning the sale of products made from pythons means that the some of the hottest accessories will be made of anaconda, which is also banned for commercial use in Brazil. Neither species is listed as endangered,…

Aug 6, 2007 5:54 PM CDT

Judge Perry to Win ABA Marshall Award

A revered South Carolina civil rights lawyer whose career included numerous “firsts” is to be presented by the American Bar Association later this month with its prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award. To be honored by the ABA at its annual meeting for his “substantial and long-term contributions to the furtherance of…

Aug 6, 2007 5:40 PM CDT

Dean Charged in Student Drinking Death

In what may be the first case of its kind, a dean of students and another Rider University administrator were among five people charged by a Mercer County, N.J., grand jury with aggravated hazing over the death of a student from alcohol poisoning. If convicted, Dean of Students Anthony Campbell…

Aug 6, 2007 4:56 PM CDT

Widow Seeks Info on Slain Lawyer-Husband

The wife of a Washington, D.C., lawyer killed last year is appealing for witnesses to come forward. Robert Wone, general counsel for Radio Free Asia, was stabbed with a butcher knife while staying at a friend’s home. His widow, Kathy Wone, said she is frustrated with the pace of the…

Aug 6, 2007 3:56 PM CDT

Do Public Schools Promote Christianity?

Teaching but not preaching is the goal. But Christian religious instruction reportedly is the reality in many public schools that teach courses that purportedly seek to inform students about the Bible from a literary and historical perspective. The issue is of growing importance, as an increasing number of public schools…

Aug 6, 2007 3:23 PM CDT

Fen-Phen Lawyers to Pay $60 Million

A Kentucky judge has ordered three lawyers accused of misappropriating proceeds from a diet drug settlement to repay their former clients $62 million. Judge William Wehr ruled Friday that the Lexington lawyers owed $42 million taken from the settlement and $20.1 million in interest, the Associated Press reports. The lawyers…

Aug 6, 2007 12:41 PM CDT