Arizona

County Attorney Sues to Force Judge Out of Office; He Calls Her Incompetent

No, we’re not talking about Maricopa County, Ariz., but Williamson County, Texas. But for that detail, however, and a different cast of actors, the drama being played out is much the same: A county attorney struggles for power with the county commissioners, battling for control in the courts and, on…

Dec 30, 2010 3:54 PM CST

Lawyer Represents Convicted Boyfriend, Gets Into Battle of Wills With Probation Dept., is Suspended

An Arizona criminal defense lawyer has been suspended from practice for six months by a state supreme court order (PDF), followed by two years of probation, for representing a man with whom she already had a relationship. In addition to damaging his case during a battle of wills with his…

Dec 21, 2010 7:38 PM CST

Lawyer Pitchman Gets 6-Month Suspension for Lax Supervision at High-Volume Firm

A Phoenix lawyer well-known for his television commercials will be suspended for six months for failing to properly supervise lawyers who sometimes handled more than 500 cases at a time. The Arizona Supreme Court reduced the suspension for lawyer Jeffrey Phillips by one day, which means his reinstatement will be…

Dec 17, 2010 3:17 PM CST

Drug Tunnel Led from Mexico to Nogales, Ariz., Metered Parking Space, Authorities Say

A 13-foot drug tunnel discovered this week led from the Mexican side of a border fence to a metered parking space in downtown Nogales, Ariz., authorities say. There vehicles with holes cut in the bottom would park to accept marijuana deliveries from the 10-inch-wide tunnel opening, according to the Associated…

Dec 16, 2010 5:01 PM CST

Brownstein Hyatt Opens New Phoenix Office

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is hiring in Phoenix, where it has already established a new office. Two shareholders presently listed on the law firm website attorney roster for the Phoenix office formerly practiced in the local office of Snell & Wilmer. And the firm plans to announce another half dozen…

Dec 10, 2010 6:47 PM CST

Deposition Disclosure Fights Involve Robo-Signers and Sheriff Joe Arpaio

May depositions be posted on the Internet or otherwise released to the public? A Florida lawyer who posted robo-signer testimony and an Arizona sheriff targeted in a racial profiling lawsuit are taking opposite stands in court battles over the issue. Sarasota, Fla., lawyer Christopher Forrest is challenging a temporary injunction…

Dec 10, 2010 1:47 PM CST

Law Prof’s Book Helps Underwater Homeowners Decide When to Walk Away

A University of Arizona law professor offers advice to underwater homeowners in a new book that echoes his earlier views that walking away from a mortgage may be the best alternative. The professor, Brent White, says homeowners need to evaluate financial and practical concerns before making a decision, according to…

Dec 8, 2010 11:30 AM CST

Report Says Ex-Maricopa Co. Attorney and Aide Should Be Disbarred, Alleges Conspiracy Against Judge

An out-of-state lawyer brought in by the Arizona Supreme Court to investigate a controversial former Maricopa County attorney has recommended that Andrew Thomas be disbarred. The investigator, attorney John Gleason of Colorado, contends, among other accusations, that Thomas and former deputy county attorney Lisa Aubuchon “conspired with each other and…

Dec 6, 2010 9:42 PM CST

Lawsuit Possible in Mistaken Euthanasia of Afghan Hero Dog

The adoptive family of a dog that helped deter an Afghan suicide bomber is considering a lawsuit after their beloved pet was accidentally euthanized. The dog, Target, was put to sleep after she escaped from her adopted family’s home in Arizona, was taken to a shelter, and was then mistaken…

Nov 19, 2010 12:34 PM CST

Arizona State’s Law School May Go Private, Raise Tuition

Like a handful of other states struggling to deal with belt-tightening budgets, Arizona is looking to make some of its public university graduate programs private and self-sustaining. At the top of the list of likely suspects for this approach is Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, reports…

Nov 2, 2010 9:29 PM CDT

Restraining Order Issued Against Student for Twitter Punch-in-the-Face Threat

A judge in Arizona’s Maricopa County has issued a restraining order against an Arizona State University student who threatened in a Twitter post to punch a leader of a group opposing affirmative action. The tweet by 22-year-old Steve Russell summarized his anger at Ward Connerly in less than 140 characters,…

Oct 29, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Add Leon County, Fla., to List of Jurisdictions Probing Planned New Courthouse Construction

It isn’t just in Maricopa County, Ariz., and Philadelphia that expensive new court construction efforts have drawn fire. A grand jury is being convened in Leon County, Fla., to address an unidentified citizen’s complaint about a planned $48 million new courthouse for the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee,…

Sep 23, 2010 6:11 PM CDT

Fireworks Expected: Maricopa Board Axes Ogletree Deakins, Law Firm for Sheriff Arpaio

In the latest battle in a hard-fought war between Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., and the county’s board of supervisors, the governing body voted today to fire the law firm that has been representing Arpaio and his office against the board and even some judges in a fight…

Sep 22, 2010 11:32 PM CDT

Maricopa County Supervisors Exchange Fire with Ogletree Deakins Over Sheriff’s Suits

Upping the ante in a hard-fought battle for control of Maricopa County, Ariz., that some observers fear has threatened the rule of law there, the county’s board of supervisors is reportedly expected to consider tomorrow whether to fire the private law firm that has been representing the sheriff’s office in…

Sep 21, 2010 11:12 PM CDT

6-Month Suspension Urged for Lawyer Who Claimed to Channel Client’s Dead Wife

Corrected: A hearing officer in Arizona has recommended a six-month suspension for a lawyer accused of claiming that she was possessed by the spirit of a client’s dead wife, then lying about in an unrelated disciplinary matter. The lawyer, Charna Johnson, testified in the subsequent disciplinary hearing on the channeling…

Sep 7, 2010 12:08 PM CDT