Evidence

Suicide Attempt Survivor’s 39-Story Fall Destroys Muscle Car, But Owner Will Forgo Deductible Suit

A man who unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide by reportedly jumping some 400 feet from a New York building totaled the 2008 Dodge Charger on which he landed feet-first, breaking both legs as he plunged through the roof and rear window. But in addition to miraculously surviving the approximately 39-story…

Sep 2, 2010 11:40 PM CDT

Unprecedented DOJ Suit Seeks Documents From Sheriff Joe Arpaio for Civil Rights Probe

A controversial Arizona sheriff who seemingly scores points with many of his constituents by acting as something of a law unto himself was sued today by the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to cooperate with an ongoing civil rights investigation. The suit was virtually a foregone conclusion, notes the…

Sep 2, 2010 6:20 PM CDT

Ruling Clears Way for Testimony by Ex-Toyota Lawyer on Hidden Documents

A ruling by the Texas Supreme Court is expected to clear the way for a former Toyota lawyer to testify about allegations the company failed to disclose information on design defects in its cars. The ruling allows a judge to consider a contempt of court sanction in a case brought…

Aug 30, 2010 4:42 PM CDT

Appeals Court Grants New Trial Due to Plaintiff Attorney’s Inflammatory Language

Finding that a trial judge had abused his discretion by failing to do so, a Florida appeals court has granted a new trial on most issues in a personal injury case because of inflammatory remarks made by the plaintiff’s lawyer in opening and closing remarks. For example, attorney Michael Laurato…

Aug 27, 2010 4:29 PM CDT

Lawyer Suspended for Destroying Law Firm Docs in Court Restroom and After Hearing

An Ohio lawyer has been suspended for a year, in part because he destroyed law firm documents in a courthouse bathroom during a recess and after a civil case claiming a violation of his employment agreement. The Ohio Supreme Court said the documents had potential evidentiary value and Columbus lawyer…

Aug 27, 2010 12:54 PM CDT

Woman Who Put Cat in Lidded Trash Bin is Found, Threatened on Facebook

It remains to be seen whether Mary Bale could face any legal repercussions from admittedly putting a family’s cat into a lidded outdoor trash container, where it was reportedly trapped for 15 hours but eventually rescued unharmed. However, the 45-year-old British bank worker has already been tried and found guilty…

Aug 25, 2010 11:54 PM CDT

Trained Dogs Sniff Out Smuggled Jailhouse Cellphones

Cellphones are contraband items in jails and prisons, since they can help inmates communicate, both with each other and the outside world, to coordinate illicit activity. But finding devices that are smuggled inside by family members, friends and even guards could be very difficult … until recently. After discovering that…

Aug 24, 2010 7:01 PM CDT

Attorney Faces Probe re Claimed Offer of ‘Restitution’ to Witness for Testimony Change

A Nevada defense lawyer has been served with a rare notice alerting him to an upcoming grand jury probe, concerning his alleged offer of “restitution,” through the victim’s parents, if a witness changed his testimony. However, the investigation has yet to be launched, and sources say Jonathan MacArthur may only…

Aug 23, 2010 9:56 PM CDT

Owners Post Video to ID Woman Who Apparently Dropped Their Cat Into Trash Bin

Strolling down a British sidewalk, an unknown middle-aged woman spots a gray tabby cat, looks around, pets it, looks around again—and then picks up the cat by the scruff of its neck, drops it into a trash bin and shuts the lid. Then she calmly continues on her walk, according…

Aug 23, 2010 7:09 PM CDT

Singapore Court Envisions Lawyers Trading Docs Online, Serving Suits on Facebook

Singapore’s top court is suggesting that lawyers could use social media to improve the litigation process. The Singapore High Court is soliciting comments on its proposals (PDF), including a suggestion that lawyers could use Facebook and Twitter to serve some legal documents, Bloomberg News reports. Lawyers could also share discovery…

Aug 23, 2010 12:59 PM CDT

Lawyer Who Wore Wire to Build Case Against Claimed Client: ‘I Had to Do It’

Was attorney Terry Haddock acting as Shannon Williams’ lawyer during six months of jail visits in 2009? Or was Haddock, at least as Williams saw it, exploiting his attorney status to help his claimed client run a marijuana ring? That appears to be the central issue in a federal court…

Aug 20, 2010 8:35 PM CDT

NC Report: State Crime Lab Withheld or Overstated Evidence in 230 Cases

The exoneration of a North Carolina man imprisoned 17 years for a murder he didn’t commit has led to a review of the State Bureau of Investigation and some surprising findings: The SBI withheld or overstated blood evidence in 230 cases, 190 of which resulted in criminal charges. The state…

Aug 19, 2010 3:54 PM CDT

TV Legal Analyst Charged with DUI After Ex-Judge’s Dinner Party Despite Claimed Head Injury

After initially losing a “Jane Doe” case she filed in an effort to keep her arrest record secret, a prominent Washington state lawyer has been charged with drunken driving in King County, reports the SeattlePI.com. Anne Bremner, a 52-year-old Seattle lawyer who has served as a television legal analyst in…

Aug 18, 2010 10:48 PM CDT

Process Server & Office Manager Are Criminally Charged re Alleged False Filings for Debt Collector

A process server who formerly worked as a Las Vegas police officer and an office manager for his company have been criminally charged concerning dozens of allegedly false filings in court cases in Nevada. Maurice Carroll, 41, is accused of filing 17 false affidavits of service in May and June.…

Aug 18, 2010 9:02 PM CDT

‘Mr. Ticket’ Lawyer Announces ‘Big Decision’ in Red-Light Cameras Fight

A California lawyer who calls himself “Mr. Ticket” for his specialty fighting traffic tickets has announced a “big decision” in the fight against red-light cameras. San Diego lawyer Mitchell Mehdy told 10News.com that the decision by an Orange County judge will “level the playing field” in red-light cases. Mehdy argues…

Aug 18, 2010 2:18 PM CDT