Florida

Wesley Snipes Jurors Want Definition of ‘Conspiracy’

The judge in the tax fraud trial of actor Wesley Snipes sent jurors home for the day yesterday after they submitted a note asking for further clarification of the definition of “conspiracy.” Afterward, U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges asked lawyers in the case for their recommended response before the…

Jan 31, 2008 3:04 PM CST

Seeking to Shore Up Its Ranks, Akerman Pays Top Dollar to Recruiters

Akerman Senterfitt is telling headhunters it will pay them contingency fees of 30 percent to send corporate lawyers to the Miami law firm. Fees are typically no more than 25 percent of a lawyer’s starting salary, the Daily Business Review reports. The move comes after 10 lawyers left the firm’s…

Jan 31, 2008 1:49 PM CST

Willie Gary’s Law Firm Dropped From Sexual Assault Suit

A Florida judge has dismissed Willie Gary’s law firm as a defendant in a civil suit filed by a woman who alleged the high-profile trial lawyer raped her. Circuit Judge Robert Makemson said the plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, had not sufficiently connected the rape allegations to the Stuart,…

Jan 30, 2008 7:11 PM CST

Condo Developer Seeks Return of Commissions on Abandoned Deals

A Florida condo developer has filed 16 lawsuits against brokers that sold its luxury units, seeking the return of commissions on deals that never closed. The suit by Related Group of Florida says the commissions range from $15,000 to $90,000 for the condos, abandoned in most cases when the condo…

Jan 30, 2008 4:45 PM CST

Wesley Snipes Tax Case Goes to Jury

Jurors in Ocala, Fla., will begin deliberating the fate of actor Wesley Snipes today, accused of failing to pay taxes on more than $58 million in income, according to the New York Times. (Other reports have put this figure at $38 milllion.) Defense lawyers told jurors in closing arguments that…

Jan 30, 2008 11:59 AM CST

Harvard Law Tops for Donations

Harvard Law School is leading the nation’s top law schools in an era of record-breaking donations, raking in nearly $215 million in the last five years. It is followed by New York University and Yale law schools, which took in $169.7 million and $111.7 million respectively in the same half…

Jan 29, 2008 7:14 PM CST

Defense Rests, Calls No Witnesses in Wesley Snipes Case

The defense in the tax fraud trial of Wesley Snipes rested unexpectedly today without calling any witnesses, 13 Central Florida News reports. Earlier reports said the defense witness list included celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee and Tom Brokaw. Snipes’ lawyer, Robert Barnes, had said they may…

Jan 28, 2008 5:25 PM CST

PI Lawyer Quits Practice to Write Full Time

Just before turning 50, Gonzalo Barr left his lucrative personal injury practice in Miami to write full time. It’s a decision, at two months out, he doesn’t regret. ”It’s scary to quit your job, but at the risk of sounding pompous I think I did it at the perfect time,”…

Jan 28, 2008 4:44 PM CST

Padilla Judge’s Views Wavered

The decision to spare convicted terrorist Jose Padilla a life sentence came as a surprise to many. But a Miami Herald analysis indicates U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke of Miami waffled throughout the case. ”There were points during the trial when she said things that suggested she thought there was…

Jan 28, 2008 4:28 PM CST

Celebrity Witnesses Could Appear in Wesley Snipes Trial

The defense will begin to present its case this week in the trial of actor Wesley Snipes, accused of tax fraud, conspiracy and failure to file tax returns. The witness list includes some celebrities. On the star-studded list of potential witnesses are Sylvester Stallone, Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee and Tom…

Jan 28, 2008 1:29 PM CST

Facing Prison, Prominent Fla. Lawyer Still Has Many Friends

Disbarred and facing a prison sentence, a once-prominent member of Palm Beach County’s political structure still had a significant team of well-wishers in his corner as he was sentenced today to a two-year federal prison term in a corruption case . William Boose III, 63, kissed his former law partner,…

Jan 25, 2008 11:00 PM CST

Miami Lawyer Withdraws from Cruise Cases, But Denies Paying for Info

A Miami plaintiffs lawyer has withdrawn from 77 injury cases against a cruise line following allegations that two investigators for his law firm paid for inside information. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines claims investigators for the Wingate Law Firm paid a cruise employee for confidential information that included the amount of…

Jan 25, 2008 3:09 PM CST

Judge Lowers Padilla Sentence Because of Harsh Confinement

Updated: Jose Padilla, once accused of plotting to release a dirty bomb in the United States, has been sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison for conspiring to “murder, kidnap and maim” people overseas. The 37-year-old Padilla had been expected to get life in prison, the Miami Herald…

Jan 22, 2008 5:41 PM CST

Scammed Clients Seek Leniency for Convicted Lawyer

Clients of a disbarred Florida lawyer who pleaded no contest today to stealing some $200,000 from them are reportedly likely to seek leniency for the man they thought was representing their interests rather than his own. That’s not because they sympathize with the crimes, however, but because they will see…

Jan 17, 2008 11:57 PM CST

Defendant Claims Miami Law Firm Paid for Settlement Info

A defendant cruise line has filed motions seeking to disqualify a Miami plaintiffs firm from pursuing 75 pending claims by passengers and workers, contending that the Wingate Law Firm retained two investigators who paid a cruise line employee to provide confidential settlement information. The investigators allegedly paid a Royal Caribbean…

Jan 16, 2008 8:02 PM CST