Afternoon Briefs: State bar considers ousting Giuliani; pelt-wearing protester is judge's son
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State bar will consider Giuliani ouster
The New York State Bar Association is considering whether to expel lawyer Rudy Giuliani from its voluntary membership rolls under a bylaw that prevents members from advocating the overthrow of government. Giuliani made baseless claims of widespread election fraud and suggested “trial by combat” when he addressed Trump supporters before the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol. Giuliani will have a chance to defend himself during the bar inquiry. (New York State Bar Association press release)
Pelt-wearing man in Capitol riot is judge’s son
A pelt-wearing protester who gave an interview from within the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot is the son of Judge Steven “Shlomo” Mostofsky of Kings County, New York. Aaron Mostofsky told the New York Post that he was in the Capitol to express his belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. He said lawmakers shouldn’t be afraid, but they should have the courage to examine fraud. (The New York Post, Law360)
Lawyer who filed election lawsuits is banned from Twitter
A lawyer who filed lawsuits challenging election results has been banned from Twitter after saying Jan. 6 that it was time for patriots to “fight for our freedom.” The lawyer, L. Lin Wood, was at first suspended and then permanently banned when he said he would open a different Twitter account. Twitter does not violate the First Amendment when it banned Wood and President Donald Trump because the amendment applies to government action, not to private businesses, experts told the New York Times. (BuzzFeed News, Forbes, the New York Times)
Social media network sues over suspension from Amazon web-hosting service
The pro-Trump social media network Parler sued Amazon Web Services on Monday for its suspension from the company’s web-hosting service. Parler alleges that Amazon breached a contract requiring 30-day notice, violated antitrust laws by reducing competition, and interfered with business expectations. Parler will have to rewrite code to get back online with a different provider, keeping Parler offline “for a financially devastating period,” the suit says. (The Washington Post, TechCrunch, the Jan. 11 lawsuit)
Legal tech company acquires Lawgical and Legal Talk Network
Legal technology company InfoTrack has acquired Lawgical, a company that provides online marketing, software and media for the legal industry. Lawgical owns the legal podcasting company Legal Talk Network and ServeManager, which makes software for process servers. Other Lawgical companies help find process services and private investigators, provide court e-filing services in key states, and provide semi-customizable websites for the legal industry. (InfoTrack press release)
