Wisconsin

Jury service links singer Chris Brown, Justice Kagan and Wis. Gov. Scott Walker

Wisconsin’s governor was dismissed Wednesday from a jury hearing a Milwaukee personal injury case, but there was no word on whether another prominent individual—U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan—was even selected to hear a case after reporting for jury duty in the nation’s capital. Gov. Scott Walker was dismissed shortly…

Jan 9, 2014 12:10 AM CST

‘Tis the season for holiday-display litigation; will law firm-funded nativity scene spark discord?

As carolers sing of the joys of the Christmas season, it isn’t only spiked eggnog and mistletoe that present issues for attorneys responsible for keeping employers and government entities out of legal trouble. ‘Tis the season for potential litigation over holiday displays, and what seem to be opening salvos are…

Dec 3, 2013 10:11 PM CST

Credit union robbery in a Bucky Badger hat nets three-year suspension for lawyer

A Wisconsin lawyer already suspended for failing to pay bar dues will be suspended for three years because he robbed a Madison credit union of $500 while wearing a Bucky Badger hat and carrying a toy gun. The Wisconsin Supreme Court approved the suspension for Randi Hubatch, who is currently…

Nov 26, 2013 5:12 PM CST

Client killed girlfriend and himself at Wis. law firm, authorities say

A 68-year-old client shot his 63-year-old girlfriend to death and then killed himself at a small Wisconsin law firm Thursday afternoon, authorities said. The nature of any legal work being done for the man by Briggs Law Offices hasn’t yet been released, and the identities of the two people who…

Nov 22, 2013 6:55 PM CST

Dewitt Ross to merge with 26-attorney Minn. law firm, establishing its first out-of-state office

A Wisconsin law firm has announced that it will merge soon with a 26-attorney legal shop in Minnesota, creating a combined law firm of well over 100 lawyers. Dewitt Ross & Stevens says its combination with Mackall Crounse & Moore will take place on Nov. 16. The Dewitt firm’s management…

Nov 11, 2013 6:20 PM CST

Courthouse escapee leads police on high-speed chase, is captured after crash

An unidentified 29-year-old Chicago man reportedly led Wisconsin authorities on a high-speed chase Monday after fleeing the Sheboygan County Courthouse on foot after a court appearance. News reports do not make clear whether the court appearance also occurred Monday, or was at an earlier date. The suspect, who was wanted…

Nov 4, 2013 11:25 PM CST

Pregnant woman confined under fetal protection law challenges its constitutionality

A pregnant woman confined to a drug treatment center under a Wisconsin fetal protection law is challenging its constitutionality in a federal lawsuit. Alicia Beltran was confined for 78 days as a result of a court order, the New York Times reports. She says her troubles began after she told…

Oct 25, 2013 10:40 AM CDT

Woman made up fake law firm to bilk employer, police say

A Wisconsin woman has been accused of bilking her former employer out of more than $91,000 in fake “legal fees” she charged to a fictitious law firm. Beryl Allison Velguth, 51, is due in court in Milwaukee on Wednesday on felony theft charges, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Velguth, who…

Oct 7, 2013 5:10 PM CDT

Suspended lawyer ordered to pay $42K for misrepresenting self to bankruptcy clients

A Milwaukee lawyer who proclaims himself “Light Hero” has been ordered to pay more than $42,000 as part of a state lawsuit alleging he misrepresented himself to bankruptcy clients while his license was suspended. U.S. District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller ordered Emory Booker and his Legacy Legal Group on Wednesday…

Aug 22, 2013 4:45 PM CDT

19 ‘right to dry’ states outlaw clothesline bans; is yours among them?

Once upon a time, a clothesline was a standard feature of most back yards. But concern that publicly airing clean laundry attached with clothespins to a rope or wire was unsightly, or obstructed views, or even created a safety risk (strangulation is sometimes cited) led a number of condominium associations…

Aug 14, 2013 8:24 PM CDT

Boy and pal, both 14, get life in slaying of his great-grandmother, 78

Apparently motivated by a desire for marijuana and pizza, two Wisconsin teens killed the 78-year-old great-grandmother of one of the boys last year with a hammer and a hatchet, then ransacked her Sheboygan home. They found $155 in cash and some jewelry, authorities said. Now 14 and convicted of first-degree…

Aug 13, 2013 6:35 PM CDT

Senior found guilty of homicide for killing 13-year-old he thought stole his guns

A 76-year-old Milwaukee man accused of fatally shooting a teen-age neighbor has been convicted of intentional homicide in a case that once again had defense lawyers arguing that race was not a factor. Jurors on Wednesday convicted John Spooner, who is white, for shooting his 13-year-old black neighbor, report the…

Jul 18, 2013 2:28 PM CDT

Parents with bullying kids can be ticketed in this town

A town near Madison, Wis., is fighting child bullies by holding their parents responsible. The town of Monona passed an ordinance (PDF) last month imposing a $114 municipal fine on parents who allow bullying or harassing behavior by a minor child. The law creates a rebuttable presumption of a violation…

Jun 6, 2013 12:58 PM CDT

Courthouse’s new security measures add estimated 30 minutes to entrance time

Following criticism by the county sheriff, a Wisconsin courthouse has amped up its security measures. And, as a result, it’s taking longer for those with business to do at the Milwaukee County courthouse to get where they’re going, reports the Journal Sentinel. Even before the security measures, which include removing…

Mar 11, 2013 2:00 PM CDT

Child abducted by mom at age 5 and sent to Japan gets crime victim compensation

An American girl who was kidnapped by her mother at age 5 and traumatized by being sent to live with her grandparents in Japan for four years is entitled to compensation as a crime victim, a Wisconsin administrative law judge has ruled. The state argued that the Crime Victim Compensation…

Mar 4, 2013 7:05 PM CST