Evidence

Federal Judge Grants Motion to Delay Trial So Attorney & Family Can Attend BCS Title Game

Seeking to persuade a federal judge in Alabama to grant a civil trial delay so he and his family could attend the Bowl Championship Series title game next month, attorney Michael Mulvaney attached photographic evidence—two photos of his daughters, as youngsters wearing Auburn jerseys, and as teenagers—as he pleaded for…

Dec 10, 2010 8:25 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

‘Hyper-Realistic’ Mask Results in Arrest of Wrong Suspect; His Own Mom Was Fooled, Lawman Says

A small California company makes very realistic—and very expensive—masks. But they’re worth it, some criminals have apparently decided, according to the Los Angeles Times. By paying $600 to $1,200 for one of the “hyper-realistic” face coverings, they are able to masquerade persuasively as someone entirely different. In Ohio, a white…

Dec 9, 2010 6:49 PM CST

WTF? ‘10 Most Obscene Cities’ List Doesn’t Include Most Likely Suspects

Business Insider this week published its third annual “10 Most Obscene Cities in America” list, and New York City ain’t on it. Neither is friggin’ Chicago. According to the online magazine’s posts since 2008, the methodology of the list’s creation was inspired by Florida defense attorney Lawrence Walters. Posts link…

Dec 8, 2010 7:26 PM CST

Parrot’s Chilling Comments Aid Police in Elder Abuse Case

A talking parrot provided what could be taken as chilling evidence in the case of a 60-year-old South Carolina woman charged with neglecting her 98-year-old mother, who was found on the verge of death suffering from severe bedsores. “The parrot was mimicking, ‘Help me. Help me.’ Then he would laugh,”…

Dec 8, 2010 7:12 PM CST

Judge Allows Jurors to See Video of Boy Accidentally Killing Himself at Gun Show

Jurors in the Massachusetts trial of a gun show organizer will be allowed to see a video of a boy accidentally shooting and killing himself at the event. The father of the 8-year-old boy shot the video, but dropped the camera after the shooting, so little is seen after the…

Dec 8, 2010 12:30 PM CST

Lawyer Secretly Taped Lawmaker’s Advice to Keep Quiet, Leading to Guilty Plea

A New York lawmaker suspected of shaking down lawyers pleaded guilty Monday to obstruction and tax charges after being caught on tape by an alleged victim. Former State Sen. Vincent Leibell III faces up to 24 months in prison, according to the New York Times and the Albany Times Union.…

Dec 7, 2010 4:04 PM CST

Defendant Puts Best Face Forward, After Extreme Makeover, in Capital Murder Case

Murder defendant John Ditullio is a scary sight in his natural state, even his own defense lawyer admits. But as a Florida retrial begins this week in a 2006 capital murder case, Ditullio will be putting his best face forward in the Clearwater proceeding, reports the New York Times. At…

Dec 6, 2010 7:43 PM CST

Law Firm Accused of UPL, After Admittedly Filing Foreclosures Without Attorney Review

A Pennsylvania law firm has joined Florida colleagues on the hot seat over questioned practices in high-volume mortgage foreclosure cases. Goldbeck McCafferty & McKeever has been accused of unauthorized practice of law because—as two of its name partners admitted in deposition—nonlawyers, at least in the past, routinely prepared and filed…

Dec 4, 2010 12:00 AM CST

Fla. Gov Studies Doors Front Man’s Wild Miami Night, Prepping for Pardon Hearing

Jim Morrison urged his fans at a 1969 concert to “love your neighbor ‘til it hurts!” But did the Doors front man expose himself? That is the critical question outgoing Florida governor Charlie Crist is studying as he prepares with a thick notebook of material for a Clemency Board hearing…

Dec 3, 2010 10:26 PM CST

Suspect Indicted in Witness Slaying; FBI Report Given to Defense Lawyers Allegedly Leaked

A suspect has been indicted in the slaying of an undercover police informant who was murdered after an FBI report identifying him by name was reportedly circulated throughout his Baltimore neighborhood. It isn’t clear exactly how the report identifying Kareem Guest as an informant became public. However, a filing in…

Dec 3, 2010 7:44 PM CST

Veterans Outraged Over Decision Downplaying Influence of Purple Heart Lie

Veterans are outraged by a federal appeals court decision upholding a conviction for solicitation to commit murder, even though the chief prosecution witness falsely claimed on the witness stand that he had a Purple Heart. The witness, Elven Swisher, wore a replica of the medal as he testified and said…

Dec 2, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Predictive Coding Software Helps Morgan Lewis Review Millions of Pages in 1 Month

As large companies spend increasing amounts of money on electronic discovery, their law firms are turning to specialized software to help find the relevant documents. Large companies expect to spend about 7.1 percent of their litigation budget on e-discovery this year, up from 5.2 percent five years ago, the Wall…

Nov 29, 2010 2:47 PM CST

Judge OKs Rajaratnam Wiretaps in Galleon Insider-Trading Case

In a groundbreaking $20 million insider-trading case based on wiretaps, a federal judge has ruled that thousands of hours of secretly recorded telephone conversations may be used as evidence by federal prosecutors in a case against Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of Galleon Group. Although the defense argued that the Securities…

Nov 24, 2010 8:50 PM CST

Priest Charged With Seeking Contract Hit on Teen Witness in Sex-Assault Case

A Catholic priest already facing criminal sexual-assault charges in a Texas has been re-arrested and jailed in lieu of $700,000 bail in Dallas County after allegedly seeking a contract hit on the claimed victim, who is also a witness in a related civil case. Father John Fiala, 52, has now…

Nov 24, 2010 3:03 PM CST