Wisconsin

Lawyer Allegedly Caught in Sting Buying Silenced ‘Hit Man’s Gun,’ Citing A/C Privilege as a Shield

A middle-aged lawyer and gun collector has been charged with a felony after allegedly purchasing in a sting what he called “a hit man’s gun” with a silencer and another firearm he thought had been stolen as well. Thomas Michael Barrett, 51, has been charged by Milwaukee police with possessing…

Aug 17, 2011 5:35 PM CDT

Prof Who Claimed His Boss Called Him a ‘Litigious Jew’ Gets $550K and His Job Back

A history professor who claimed his boss called him a “litigious Jew” has been awarded $550,000 in back pay and compensatory damages. U.S. District Judge William Conley signed an order (PDF) this week reinstating Michael Dubin to his old job. Conley also awarded $255,000 in back pay and $300,000 in…

Aug 12, 2011 4:30 PM CDT

DA Asks for Special Prosecutor to Probe Alleged Altercation Between 2 Wis. Supreme Court Justices

After a reported claim by Justice Ann Walsh Bradley that fellow Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser put his hands around her throat during a heated debate about the timing of an opinion about a state anti-union law, the local district attorney is asking that a special prosecutor be appointed…

Aug 1, 2011 11:48 PM CDT

Lawyer Gets Three-Year Suspension for Accessing Onetime Fiancée’s Bank Accounts

A Wisconsin lawyer has received a three-year suspension, partly for trying to steal money from his onetime fiancée. Lawyer James Schoenecker agreed to the suspension, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed the sanction, report the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel blog Proof & Hearsay and the Legal Profession Blog. He will be…

Jul 21, 2011 10:59 AM CDT

Wis. Teachers Union Challenges Law Giving Governor Veto Power

The Wisconsin Education Association Council today sued to block a law that gives the governor veto powers over rules written by other elected officials and state agencies, including the Department of Public Instruction, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. It’s the latest of many battles between Wisconsin state employees and Gov.…

Jun 30, 2011 9:29 PM CDT

Consultant Backtracks: Lawyer Surplus in Nearly Every State

There was scant good news when Economic Modeling Specialists released its analysis of job openings and bar passage numbers this week. The consulting company concluded that nearly every state has an oversupply of lawyers. The exceptions, it said, were Nebraska, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. Now the company is taking a…

Jun 30, 2011 3:07 PM CDT

Wis. Justice Says Her Colleague Grabbed Her Neck During In-Chambers Dispute

A dispute over the timing of an opinion on the validity of Wisconsin’s anti-union law reportedly led to a physical altercation between two justices earlier this month, though sources are offering differing accounts of the episode. Liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that her conservative colleague,…

Jun 27, 2011 11:41 AM CDT

Wisconsin Supreme Court Refuses to Block Anti-Union Law

Citing separation of powers principles, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is declining to block the state’s anti-union law. The Wisconsin Supreme Court acted “with unusual speed” when it reinstated the law that would end most collective bargaining for public workers, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. A judge in Dane County had…

Jun 15, 2011 2:16 PM CDT

Law Firm Not Liable for Purchasing Competitor’s Name as Keyword to Drive Traffic to Own Website

Once upon a time, when bus benches and the yellow pages offered some of the only ways to promote a personal injury firm effectively, competitors tried to crowd each other out or dominate the space with the biggest ad. It wasn’t unheard-of to put a billboard up right next to…

Jun 9, 2011 3:07 AM CDT

7th Circuit Scolds Hogan Lovells for ‘Misleadingly’ Describing Case in Appellate Brief

In an opinion filed yesterday in redistricting dispute involving the Girl Scouts of the United States, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals court took a well-known law firm to task for its characterization of a case cited as authority for its client’s position. Hogan Lovells “misleadingly” described a…

Jun 1, 2011 9:55 PM CDT

Sending Brochure to Potential Clients re Ex-Partner’s Prosecution Costs PI Lawyer $35K and Reprimand

An acrimonious relationship with a lawyer for whom he formerly worked, decades ago, is costing a Wisconsin personal injury lawyer $35,000 and a public reprimand. Although it dismissed two of three counts of a legal ethics complaint against attorney Michael Hupy, a divided Wisconsin Supreme Court concluded today that a…

May 27, 2011 6:55 PM CDT

Wisconsin Judge Overturns State’s Anti-Union Law Due to Open Meetings Violation

A judge has overturned the Wisconsin law curbing collective bargaining rights for most state and local workers, citing a violation of open meetings law. Judge Maryann Sumi of Dane County said the state Senate’s vote on the law was taken without the required two-hour minimum notice, report the New York…

May 27, 2011 12:17 PM CDT

Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Defendant, 14

A life sentence without the possibility of parole is appropriate for a defendant who was 14 when the alleged murder took place, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled today. Omer Ninham allegedly helped throw another boy, Zong Vang, off a parking ramp in 1998, the Associated Press reports. Ninham and four…

May 20, 2011 4:28 PM CDT

Disbarred Wis. Lawyer in Prison for Fraud Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

Peter T. Elliott, a disbarred Wisconsin lawyer convicted of bank fraud for taking money from client trust accounts, pled guilty to one count of robbery in Waukesha County Circuit Court today. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Elliott admitted in court Monday to robbing a bank branch in June 2010,…

May 16, 2011 9:43 PM CDT

State Prosecutors Take 20 Percent Pay Cut in Milwaukee After Contract Negotiations Failed

Assistant prosecutors in Milwaukee County are set to take a 20 percent pay cut starting May 8, following a negotiation breakdown with the state of Wisconsin. The state’s department of administration ordered the lawyers to take six unpaid furlough days, by the end of June, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.…

May 6, 2011 4:56 PM CDT