Trials & Litigation

Princeton Funding Dispute Headed for Trial

Princeton University has failed to win a key pretrial ruling in a suit that seeks return a gift now valued at $880 million. The children of the late Charles and Marie Robertson say the school didn’t spend the money as their parents intended—to train students for international government service. They…

Oct 26, 2007 1:55 PM CDT

Panel: $680K Bill Inaccurate, Unreasonable

A legal bill of nearly $680,000 allegedly owed by Nassau County in New York to a Washington, D.C., law firm for work performed in 2002 doesn’t have to be paid, an arbitration panel says. That’s because the bill was “not accurate, not reasonable and not credible.” Zorc & Chase billed…

Oct 26, 2007 12:30 AM CDT

30-Year Sentence Upheld for Lionel Tate

A Florida youth infamous as perhaps the youngest person in the U.S. ever to receive a life sentence, before it was subsequently overturned, now appears likely to serve a lengthy prison term after all. Lionel Tate’s 30-year sentence for violating his probation in the murder case was upheld today by…

Oct 25, 2007 10:46 PM CDT

Divided 7th Circuit Rejects IL Gov’s Appeal

A former Illinois governor may soon be headed to jail after the rejection of his appeal of his federal corruption conviction. The full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused today to grant an en banc hearing to reconsider an earlier decision by a divided three-judge appellate court panel to…

Oct 25, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

Convicted of 48 Murders: ‘I Felt Like God’

Convicted yesterday by a jury of 48 murders and three attempted murders, a Russian serial killer says the crimes made him more powerful than those who found him guilty. “Cops, lawyers, experts, witness. I alone decided the fate of 63 people,” said Alexander Pichushkin, a 33-year-old supermarket worker who claims…

Oct 25, 2007 4:04 PM CDT

Morgan Stanley to Face Hundreds of Suits Over Withheld E-mail

Morgan Stanley’s concession that it had backup copies of e-mails it said were lost in the terrorist attacks has plaintiffs attorneys eager to file suit. The financial services firm conceded in a settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority last month that it failed to provide backup e-mails to arbitration…

Oct 25, 2007 11:33 AM CDT

Chamber Targets State AGs’ Conduct

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released a set of conduct proposals it claims will allow state attorneys general to pursue wrongdoers while protecting due process rights of investigation targets. “Some state AGs are increasingly using civil litigation to reap power, publicity and political advantage, so it is critical that…

Oct 24, 2007 7:18 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

Former AG Says DOJ Politicized Prosecution

After a relatively convivial two-day confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee concerning President Bush’s nomination of Michael Mukasey to be the new U.S. attorney general, the gloves were off again today in a House Judiciary Committee hearing over alleged improper White House political influence in Department of…

Oct 23, 2007 11:05 PM CDT

School Board Member Gives Up Adopted Kid

It isn’t just ordinary parents who sometimes find themselves unable to cope with the extreme demands placed on them by a troubled, potentially violent child. A member of the Pinellas County School Board, near St. Petersburg, Florida, told attendees at a recent state legislative committee hearing that she is going…

Oct 23, 2007 10:28 PM CDT

Civil Rights March Over Boot Camp Death

About 700 people marched on Tallahassee, Florida, today, to call for further investigation of the death last year of Martin Lee Anderson, a 14-year-old black teen being held at a military-style “boot camp” for juvenile inmates. Speaking to marchers at the federal courthouse, Adora Obi Nweze, president of the Florida…

Oct 23, 2007 9:47 PM CDT

Schoolyard Bully Costs FL School $4M

In a verdict that should serve as a warning to school administrators elsewhere, a Florida jury has ordered a private school to pay $4 million to a 12-year-old whose arm was broken by a school bully. The incident has left the now 16-year-old victim with a permanent injury that prevents…

Oct 23, 2007 9:13 PM CDT

$54M Pants Suit Takes Judge to the Cleaners

Uproar over a Washington, D.C., judge’s unsuccessful $54 million lawsuit against his local dry cleaner for allegedly losing a pair of suit trousers is apparently going to cost Roy L. Pearson Jr. his job. In a story today relying on unnamed sources, the Washington Post says a city commission voted…

Oct 23, 2007 7:33 PM CDT

2 Plead in Simpson Armed Robbery Case

Two men pleaded guilty in Nevada state court today in charges concerning an alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas casino hotel room involving former football superstar O.J. Simpson. They are expected to testify against Simpson and three other remaining co-defendants at trial, if the case goes…

Oct 23, 2007 5:56 PM CDT