http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-18T05:54:06-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/as_sanction_for_destroying_evidence_federal_judge_finds_us_negligent_in_wro/ As a sanction for destruction of evidence by the National Park Service in a wrongful death case, a federal judge in Sacramento, Calif., ruled Tuesday that the United States was negligent. The case concerns the July 2009 death of Tommy Botell, 9, after a retaining wall that he and his… Tort Law, Injury & Accident Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Wed, 15 May 2013 15:08:28 -0500 44200.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/nude_but_not_lewd_airport_protester_beat_indecency_rap_but_is_still_fi/ A tech worker who took it all off at the Portland, Ore., airport last year as a protest of security measures, was acquitted at trial later in 2012 by a Multnomah County judge of the indecent exposure charge that resulted. But the celebration after John E. Brennan's criminal court victory… Administrative Law, Appellate Practice, Aviation & Space Law, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Trials & Litigation, 9th Circuit Court, States, Oregon Fri, 10 May 2013 17:15:51 -0500 44138.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/kobe_bryant_battles_mom_for_ownership_of_sports_memorabilia_from_his_youth_/ Not one but two federal courts have been asked to weigh in on the issue of whether Kobe Bryant's mom had a right to clear out his boyhood bedroom and sell at auction the sports memorabilia she found there. Initially, the Philadelphia-area auction house to which Pamela Bryant consigned the… Celebrities, Entertainment & Sports Law, Real Estate & Property Law, Trials & Litigation, 3rd Circuit Court, 9th Circuit Court, States, California, New Jersey Fri, 10 May 2013 12:50:18 -0500 44128.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/soda-order_spat_claim_of_unflushed_toilet_leads_to_police_involvement/ An airline passenger who says his refusal to order a soda on a computer touch screen led to his being detained and questioned by authorities after the plane landed has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over the April 2012 incident. Salvatore Bevivino says he was falsely accused of swearing… Aviation & Space Law, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Consumer Law, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:29:39 -0500 43974.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/postcard-only_jail_mail_policy_is_unconstitutional_federal_judge_rules/ A federal judge in Oregon has found that a suburban Portland jail's policy of allowing inmates to receive only postcards is unconstitutional, because it violates the First Amendment rights of both those who send and those who receive mail. While the ruling applies only to the Columbia County Jail, it… Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, Oregon Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:02:52 -0500 43939.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/appeals_court_oks_lawyers_fine_for_asserting_slapp_shield_against_tort_case/ A California law that offers lawyers a shield against tort claims concerning their litigation activities has been limited by a California appeals court and might even be eliminated entirely by a federal appeals court. The state's so-called anti-SLAPP statute is intended to offer an early exit for small parties targeted… Appellate Practice, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Consumer Law, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:23:56 -0500 43904.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/city_ordered_to_pay_50k_in_attorneys_fees_in_case_over_police_shooting/ A small city in Washington state has been ordered by a federal judge to pay $50,000 in attorney's fees to the prevailing plaintiffs in a federal civil rights suit over the fatal police shooting of their pet dog. Charles and Deirdre Wright had earlier settled with the city of Des… Animal Law, Civil Rights, Government Law, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, Washington Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:38:55 -0500 43893.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/indicted_journalist_is_let_go_by_reuters_he_says_tweets_about_boston_marath/ A deputy social media editor at Reuters says he has lost his job after being federally indicted on charges he helped the hacking group Anonymous deface a former employer's news website. Matthew Keys said in a tweet and a Tumblr post that he plans to fight what he described as… Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, Internet Law, Labor & Employment, Media & Communications Law, 9th Circuit Court, States, California, New York Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:09:38 -0500 43872.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judge_who_sent_racist_email_will_retire/ A federal judge who sent an email containing a racist joke about President Barack Obama to several people last year while serving as chief judge for the District of Montana will retire from the bench May 3. The plan by U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull, who took senior status last… Judiciary, Legal Ethics, 9th Circuit Court, States, Montana Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:10:43 -0500 43581.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_oks_record_stockton_bankruptcy_says_city_cant_otherwise_provide_servi/ In what is being billed as the biggest municipal bust ever, the city of Stockton, Calif., has been given a green light, over the objection of creditors, to go ahead with a bankruptcy case after a required 90-day mediation period. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein ruled Monday that creditors did… Bankruptcy Law, Government Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:33:21 -0500 43514.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/slapped_with_67k_sanction_lawyer_calls_9th_circuits_action/ Ordered by a federal appeals court to pay $67,495 in legal fees to the companies involved in an airline merger he contested on antitrust grounds, a longtime San Francisco lawyer says he will have to pay the money of his own pocket. But Joseph Alioto said the sanction by the… Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:28:00 -0500 43435.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/attorney_and_law_firm_must_pay_67k_in_legal_fees_for_vexatious_suit_challen/ In an unusual move, a federal appeals court has sanctioned a prominent San Francisco plaintiffs law firm and its name partner by ordering reimbursement of $67,495 in opponent legal fees for pursuing what opponents called "unreasonable and vexatious" litigation over an airline merger. Joseph Alioto and the Antitrust Law, Corporate Law, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:53:04 -0500 43423.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/did_feds_pick_low-hanging_fruit_by_indicting_editor_for_helping_anonymous/ News that a mainstream journalist had been federally indicted Thursday for allegedly helping Anonymous hack into a former employer's website led to his immediate ouster from his current job. Matthew Keys, 26, was suspended with pay as a deputy social media editor for Reuters, Criminal Justice, Internet Law, Media & Communications Law, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:15:44 -0500 43293.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/mainstream_journalist_is_federally_indicted_for_allegedly_helping_anonymous/ A deputy social media editor at Reuters has been federally indicted, accused of participating in a conspiracy to help Anonymous hack into a former news company employer's website. Matthew Keys, best-known to some by his Twitter handle, @TheMatthewKeys, is charged in a Sacramento grand jury indictment… Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, Internet Law, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:00:58 -0500 43282.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/legal_aid_groups_sue_over_los_angeles_plan_to_have_5_courts_hear_eviction/ Legal aid groups have banded together and filed a federal lawsuit over a plan to reduce to five the number of Los Angeles County courts that hear eviction cases. Presently, 26 courts throughout the county hear eviction cases, the Los Angeles Times' L.A. Now blog reports. The… Constitutional Law, Government Law, Judiciary, Trials & Litigation, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:21:52 -0500 43272.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/trustee_for_howrey_files_clawback_claims_against_6_of_71_law_firms_from_whi/ The bankruptcy trustee in Howrey's Chapter 11 case has filed clawback litigation against six of the 71 successor law firms to which former partners took unfinished business after the collapse of the Washington, D.C.-based litigation shop near the beginning of 2011. Although most are in settlement talks with trustee Allan… Bankruptcy Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, Trials & Litigation, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:45:33 -0500 43252.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firm_settles_pfizer_case_pays_bills_and_emerges_from_chapter_11_bankrup/ In an unusual move, a Portland, Ore., law firm has been able to pay its bills and emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after setting a big case. The same prolonged legal battle with Pfizer Inc. that forced Williams Love O'Leary & Powers to file… Bankruptcy Law, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Partners, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, Oregon Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:26:09 -0500 43258.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/website_lists_person_info_for_beyonce_Eric_Holder_and_others/ Los Angeles police and federal authorities are investigating a website on which hackers posted apparently correct financial and/or personal contact information about a dozen well-known individuals including Mel Gibson, Beyonce and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Addresses and other sensitive information—no credit reports, though—about Vice President Joe Biden and former… Celebrities, Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, International Law, Personal Lives, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:46:58 -0500 43219.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/appeals_court_limits_border_searches_of_laptops/ In an 8-3 ruling, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has put restrictions on the ability of border agents to search laptop computers. The majority (PDF) says U.S. border agents must first have grounds to suspect wrongdoing before using technology to unlock passwords and… Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Privacy Law, 9th Circuit Court Mon, 11 Mar 2013 06:39:14 -0500 43189.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/girls_gone_wild_company_files_for_bankruptcy_to_deal_with_frivolous_and_bur/ A Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the company that produces the racy Girls Gone Wild videos was apparently prompted by large judgments in several tort cases. However, GGW Brands LLC said in a written statement that its Wednesday filing in federal bankruptcy court in Los Angeles would not prevent the… Bankruptcy Law, Corporate Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 8th Circuit Court, 9th Circuit Court, States, California, Missouri Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:27:52 -0600 43065.abajournal.com