Court Administration

Coronavirus has not stopped many cash-strapped courts from seeking fines and fees

In Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, the sheriff’s department has turned an old bank into a socially distanced payment location where residents can pay court fines and traffic tickets. “Drive-Thru ONLY,” the agency posted on Facebook. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, officers continue to arrest people for failing to pay court debts—even ones more…

Apr 24, 2020 3:43 PM CDT

Lawyer who took off pants at security checkpoint fights bid to be ousted from representing clients

Atlanta lawyer Robert Ward acknowledges that he took off his pants at a security checkpoint at a federal courthouse in Tampa, Florida.

Apr 20, 2020 9:46 AM CDT

Boston law school leads initiative to develop mobile court forms during pandemic crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited access to courts across the country, including in Massachusetts.

Apr 9, 2020 3:40 PM CDT

2 SCOTUS justices agree to amend financial disclosures after Fix the Court asks questions

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor agreed to amend their financial disclosure forms after the court transparency group Fix the Court raised questions about their apparent failure to list some reimbursements for a few their trips.

Mar 24, 2020 3:04 PM CDT

Judges must consider defendants’ ability to pay fines and fees, ethics opinion says

Judges must take steps to ensure individuals have the ability to pay before threatening incarceration, revoking probation, exercising contempt powers and similar conduct, says a recent ethics opinion from the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Mar 24, 2020 12:16 PM CDT

SCOTUS delays arguments while other courts suspend trials or close over COVID-19 concerns

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will delay oral arguments as other courts were delaying trials or even closing in response to concerns about the new coronavirus.

Mar 16, 2020 3:57 PM CDT

How to achieve vocal power in and out of the courtroom

Public speaking is a crucial part of working as a lawyer. It is especially important for female lawyers who are claiming their vocal authority in speaking roles in courts.

Mar 11, 2020 9:32 AM CDT

State supreme court gives 2-year suspension for lawyer who forged signatures of judge and clerk

The Kansas Supreme Court has suspended a lawyer, who forged the signatures of a judge and a clerk, for two years. In its Feb. 28 opinion, the court said its suspension of Laurel Kupka is “warranted given the serious nature of the respondent’s acts.”

Mar 4, 2020 12:51 PM CST

Letter from 50 in-house counsels seeks change in expert testimony standards

Top legal officers from 50 major corporations sent a letter Monday requesting more rigorous scrutiny of expert testimony by the federal court system.

Mar 3, 2020 2:36 PM CST

Judge is reassigned after video shows her forcing child into lockup

A judge in Chicago has been reassigned to administrative duties after a video showed her placing a child in a holding cell behind her courtroom.

Feb 27, 2020 12:25 PM CST

Did suspect say he ‘shot the dude’ or ‘shut the door’? Transcript error revealed by accidental recording

Lawyers for a brother and sister accused in a double murder are seeking dismissal of an indictment after a court reporter apparently botched an important statement by a grand jury witness.

Feb 25, 2020 10:51 AM CST

The court of public opinion: Why litigation PR is a critical component of a case

A lawyer’s duties do not begin and end at the courtroom door. They extend beyond to the proverbial court of public opinion. As a lawyer and PR consultant, James F. Haggerty has shared how to properly handle the media aspects of litigation in his new book.

Jan 22, 2020 6:00 AM CST

Sen. Kamala Harris calls for halt to advancement of judicial nominees; is it happening?

Updated: On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat from California, called for a halt to the advancement of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees during the impeachment proceedings against him.

Jan 16, 2020 11:49 AM CST

Online courts, the future of justice and being bold in 2020

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Richard Susskind, who has worked on technology for lawyers since 1981. He is the author of a newly released book, Online Courts and the Future of Justice.

Jan 2, 2020 9:49 AM CST

Judge’s clerk performs behind-the-back cellphone dial to test plaintiff’s claim

Was it possible for a suspect handcuffed with his hands behind him in a patrol car to reach his cellphone and make a call to his aunt? That’s one of the facts in dispute in the case of Omar Alston, who contends that he made the call shortly before a sheriff’s deputy pulled him out of a police vehicle in June 2011 and exposed Alston’s genitals during a search.

Dec 16, 2019 4:01 PM CST