Alabama

Lawyer Drove 50-Plus Miles with Surrendering Suspect in Auburn Pool Party Shooting

Montgomery lawyer Susan James had a long drive with Auburn shooting suspect Desmonte Leonard on Tuesday evening. James picked up the fugitive after negotiating his surrender, driving him more than 50 miles to the federal courthouse in Montgomery, where he surrendered to U.S. marshals, report the Opelika-Auburn News and the…

Jun 14, 2012 12:25 PM CDT

Suspended Attorney Faces 10 Malpractice Claims; Ex-Clients Say He Said He Filed Suit, But Didn’t

Ten malpractice suits have been filed against a suspended Alabama attorney and the law firm for which he formerly worked. Byron House is accused by multiple clients of claiming to have filed litigation on their behalf when he in fact had not done so, the Tuscaloosa News reported. As a…

Jun 11, 2012 7:59 PM CDT

Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Taking Meth While Pregnant Attracts ‘National Army’ of Supporters

A chemical endangerment law passed to protect children from meth labs has been used to prosecute about 60 women in Alabama who took drugs while they were pregnant. Among them is Amanda Kimbrough, who received a 10-year sentence when she tested positive for methamphetamine after the birth of her son,…

Apr 26, 2012 11:00 AM CDT

Ala. Judge’s 3-Day Saggy Pants Sentence Is Talk of Town; Judge, Court Clerk Stunned by Interest

An Alabama judge says it isn’t unusual for him to insist that defendants show respect for the people’s courtroom by sentencing those who wear saggy pants to jail time for contempt. But when Autauga County Circuit Court Judge John Bush gave 20-year-old LaMarcus Ramsey three days on Tuesday and told…

Apr 12, 2012 6:32 PM CDT

Balch & Bingham Acquires 7-Lawyer Ala. Firm Specializing in Public Finance

Earlier this year, Balch & Bingham saw a 10-lawyer team of health care lawyers exit for Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. But that gap is now being filled by the firm’s acquisition of Presley Burton & Collier, a 7-lawyer Birmingham firm specializing in public finance, reports the Am Law Daily. “The…

Apr 11, 2012 3:23 PM CDT

Ala. Judge Holds Defendant in Contempt for Saggy Pants, Jails Him for 3 Days

In court on Tuesday to enter a plea in a receiving stolen property case, an Alabama man found that his saggy blue jeans prevented forward progress in the Autauga County Circuit Court matter. A visibly irate judge held 20-year-old LaMarcus D. Ramsey in contempt due to his attire and jailed…

Apr 11, 2012 3:07 PM CDT

Police Raid Law Office, Arrest Ala. Attorney Accused of Trading Legal Services for Prescription Drug

Police raided the Brewton office of an Alabama criminal defense attorney on Thursday and arrested her on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and attempt to commit a controlled substance crime. Sara “Sally” Oswald Stoddard, 65, is accused of trading legal services for Lortab, reports WKRG. Police Chief…

Apr 6, 2012 2:46 PM CDT

Still Practicing at 100, ‘Miss Alice’ Talks of Harper Lee and Working in Their Dad’s Law Firm

Nelle Harper Lee, the famous and reclusive author of To Kill a Mockingbird, has rarely, if ever, given interviews since a few years after the book was published in 1960. But her older sister, “Miss Alice,” is still sharp as a tack at age 100, working as the oldest practicing…

Apr 3, 2012 8:23 PM CDT

Legal Road Trip: Birmingham

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Apr 1, 2012 9:10 AM CDT

Gov’t Seeks Death Penalty for Grandma, Says She Urged Girl, 9, to Run for Hours

An Alabama prosecutor is seeking the death penalty in a murder case against a 46-year-old grandmother accused of forcing a 9-year-old girl, with the cooperation of the child’s stepmother, to run as punishment until she suffered a seizure and died. Joyce Garrard is facing a capital murder charge in the…

Mar 15, 2012 4:33 PM CDT

Former Ala. Chief Justice Ousted over Ten Commandments Flap Has Lead in Comeback Bid

A former Alabama chief justice is staging a comeback after his ouster almost a decade ago for his refusal to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. Former Chief Justice Roy Moore credited “God’s favor” and grassroots support for his lead in the Republican primary in a…

Mar 14, 2012 11:38 AM CDT

Defense Lawyer Shouts ‘Not Guilty’ in Closing, Gives Prosecutors a Chicken Salad Sandwich

A lawyer for an Alabama state senator accused in a vote-buying case defended his client with shouts and a sandwich during closing arguments on Tuesday. Lawyer Jim Parkman “broke out the courtroom theatrics,” the Birmingham News reports. Parkman shouted “not guilty” at times and ridiculed a casino developer who testified…

Feb 29, 2012 2:28 PM CST

Grandma, Stepmom Face Murder Case in Death of Girl, 9, Who Ran for Hours as Punishment, Sheriff Says

Much like a marathon runner, who can face a life-threatening situation if dehydrated, a 9-year-old Alabama girl died Monday. Savannah Hardin suffered a seizure Friday after running outside her home near Mountainboro for three hours as punishment for lying about eating candy, authorities said. Her death was ruled a homicide,…

Feb 23, 2012 6:53 PM CST

Two More Charged in Murder of Ala. Law Firm Partner

Two more men have been charged in an alleged solicitation of and conspiracy to murder a partner in an Alabama law firm, bringing the total number of suspects in the crime to four. Earnest James Files Jr., 56, and Charles Andrew Joseph Hendrix, 21, appeared yesterday in Talladega County Circuit…

Feb 22, 2012 6:13 PM CST

Alabama Justice Targets Roe v. Wade in Fetus Wrongful Death Decision

An Alabama justice known for his conservative stands is using a woman’s wrongful death case over a stillborn fetus to question the viability standard in Roe v. Wade. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled today (PDF) in Hamilton v. Scott, which allowed a woman to sue her doctors for the wrongful…

Feb 17, 2012 6:08 PM CST