Work Starts on New $213M Fla. Courthouse; ‘Good Riddance’ to ‘Sick Building,’ Says Chief Judge

There was little or no nostalgia for Broward County’s soon-to-be-former 52-year-old courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as work began on a new $213 million building that will be constructed on the parking lot footprint for the current facility. Clad in attire ranging from hard hats to business suits and high…

Aug 21, 2012 10:37 PM CDT

Immediate Suspension Sought for Ex-Prosecutor Accused of Using ‘Spy Pen’ to Film Women at Courthouse

A longtime Connecticut prosecutor recently fired from his $129,000-a-year job due in part to allegations that he secretly filmed women’s legs in and around the courthouse at which he then worked now has a new problem to deal with. Contending that David M. Holzbach “cannot be trusted to avoid voyeurism…

Aug 15, 2012 4:12 PM CDT

Prosecutor Loses $129K Job, Is Accused of Creating Hostile Work Environment via ‘Spy Pen’ Photos

A longtime Connecticut prosecutor accused of creating a hostile work environment for female colleagues and court workers by secretly videotaping their legs with a “spy pen” in and around court and at his office was fired Friday from his $129,000-a-year job. Senior Assistant Danbury State’s Attorney David Holzbach, 52, had…

Aug 9, 2012 8:44 PM CDT

US Marshal Shares Steps Lawyers and Judges Can Take to Improve Personal Security

You might have an unlisted phone number, eschew social media and never post photos online, but those steps alone don’t guarantee safety if a disgruntled litigant wants to find and hurt you or your family, a U.S. Marshal told a group of judges and lawyers Saturday. Speaking on an annual…

Aug 5, 2012 12:43 PM CDT

Unrestrained at Counsel’s Request, Murder Defendant Punches His Lawyer in Competency Hearing Ruckus

A visibly agitated Virginia man facing a capital triple homicide case was unrestrained Wednesday at a competency hearing, as defense counsel requested. That resulted in a ruckus in the historic Madison County Courthouse as Rashad Riddick, 25, repeatedly punched his court-appointed lawyer, Joseph Flood, in the face before security tackled…

Aug 2, 2012 10:18 AM CDT

August 14, 1889: Justice Stephen Field Attacked

Aug 1, 2012 5:01 AM CDT

Lawyer Took Cyanide After Arson Verdict, Then Collapsed and Died, Medical Examiner Says

A 53-year-old lawyer whose finances apparently took a nosedive in recent years committed suicide in an Arizona court last month by swallowing a cyanide pill, immediately after a Maricopa County jury convicted him of burning down his own upscale home in the Phoenix area. Michael James Marin collapsed within minutes…

Jul 27, 2012 8:21 PM CDT

Convicted Car Burglar Gets 3-Year Max for Breaking Into Judge’s Car Near Courthouse

A convicted car burglar who last month broke into the vehicle of the California judge who had just given him a sentencing break got the maximum term this time around. However, even with a three-year sentence he got from visiting Santa Clara County Judge Leslie Nichols, the defendant, 32-year-old Phillip…

Jul 16, 2012 7:52 PM CDT

3 Men Banned From Stand-Your-Ground Murder Trial After Videotaped Brawl Outside Fla. Courtroom

A brawl outside a Florida judge’s courtroom on Monday resulted not only in criminal misdemeanor charges against three men accused of participating, but in trespass warnings that will prevent them from attending the scheduled October first-degree murder trial in an Osceola County stand-your-ground case. Charged with affray in the 9:40…

Jul 10, 2012 6:07 PM CDT

News Reports: Lawyer Outran Gunman, Escaped Law Office via Side Door as Suspect Searched for Him

David G. DeFazio has had problems at work before and even thought that individuals might be dangerous. But never in his 14 years of practice did the Virginia matrimonial attorney expect to see a gunman level a rifle at him in his law firm’s parking lot. That’s what reportedly happened…

Jun 22, 2012 7:04 PM CDT

Lawyer OK After Man Allegedly Shot at Him with Rifle in Law Firm Parking Lot Near Va. Courthouse

A suspect is being held without bond after allegedly shooting at a Virginia attorney with a rifle in a law firm parking lot across from the main courthouse in Chesterfield County. Authorities say Mark M. Lowe, 41, shot at the lawyer and missed. The attorney, who has not been publicly…

Jun 21, 2012 9:03 PM CDT

Disbarred Lawyer Gets 15 Days; Feds Say He Tried to Bring 9mm Bullets Into Courthouse

A disbarred Kansas lawyer has been sentenced to 15 days, with credit for time served, and released, after allegedly trying to bring three 9mm bullets into the Hale Boggs Federal Courthouse in New Orleans. After the ammo was found in a bag he was trying to bring into the courthouse…

May 2, 2012 3:47 PM CDT

Man Accused of Stabbing 3 Defense Lawyers with Smuggled Pencils Starts Murder Trial in Restraints

As Joshua Monson began his latest criminal trial in Washington state on Thursday, his latest defense lawyer was unscathed. That could be due to the unusual security measures approved by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman, at the request of prosecutors, after the defendant was accused of stabbing three…

Apr 27, 2012 4:10 PM CDT

Affidavit: Man Awaiting Sentencing Told Jail Staff of God’s Order to Kill Judge, Now Faces New Case

A man awaiting sentencing on Colorado burglary and theft charges has caught a new case after allegedly telling jail staff that he had an assault rifle and directions from God to kill the judge. Justin Townsel is now jailed in lieu of $150,000 bond on a new felony retaliation charge…

Apr 19, 2012 7:54 PM CDT

After Courthouse Attack, Judges and County Officials Battle for Right to Make Security Decisions

Before a judge was stabbed and a sheriff’s deputy was shot at a Washington state courthouse last month, superior court judges in Grays Harbor County had sued over what they said was inadequate security there. But after the March 9 attack the judges ordered that at least two armed sheriff’s…

Apr 13, 2012 4:17 PM CDT