Lawyer Charged with 2nd-Degree Murder, Accused of Performing Unlicensed Cosmetic Surgery

A lawyer from the Colombian attorney general’s office and her husband, who is a self-described homeopathic physician, are jailed in Las Vegas on felony charges after allegedly performing an unlicensed cosmetic surgery that resulted in the death of a local woman. Authorities say Carmen Olfidia Torres-Sanchez, 47, and her husband,…

May 11, 2011 8:59 PM CDT

Rajaratnam’s Conviction Points Way Toward New Focus on Aggressive, High-Tech Securities Probes

Today’s conviction of hedge fund co-founder Raj Rajaratnam points the way toward an aggressive new era in white-collar prosecutions on Wall Street. The Galleon Group chief’s downfall is described by the New York Post as the biggest case of its kind since Rudy Giuliani took down Michael Milken nearly 20…

May 11, 2011 6:10 PM CDT

Watchdog Lawyer Sentenced for Withholding Info Sues Karl Rove and Other Officials for $202M

A government watchdog lawyer sentenced to one month in prison for withholding information from congressional investigators has filed a $202 million RICO suit against former White House adviser Karl Rove and dozens of others. Former U.S. special counsel Scott Bloch contends that Rove and the other defendants tried to block…

May 11, 2011 12:58 PM CDT

Ex-Ala. Gov. Siegelman Disappointed in Ruling Tossing Only Two Bribery Counts

A federal appeals court has overturned convictions on two bribery counts against former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy. Siegelman didn’t consider the ruling by the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as a victory. The court upheld convictions on five counts against Siegelman and…

May 11, 2011 12:11 PM CDT

Judge to Blago Defense Lawyer: ‘I Will Sit You Down’ if Improper Questions Continue

The judge presiding over the political corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich told one of his defense lawyers on Monday that he needed to stop asking questions that alluded to inadmissible evidence. U.S. District Judge James Zagel of Chicago told lawyer Aaron Goldstein his questioning was “out of…

May 10, 2011 2:09 PM CDT

Judge Nixes Perjury Case Against Investigator Blamed for Wrongful Conviction; Defendant Got $10M

A Colorado judge has nixed seven perjury counts against a Fort Collins police investigator blamed for the wrongful 1999 murder conviction of Timothy Masters, finding that the state had brought the case too late. Agreeing with a defense argument that the statute of limitations had run on the charges against…

May 9, 2011 7:47 PM CDT

Felony Franks Sign Doesn’t Cut the Mustard, Chicago Says; Owner of Misdemeanor Wiener Provider Sues

Tired of what he describes as unreasonable ongoing delay by the city of Chicago and a local alderman in approving a sign for his restaurant, the owner of Felony Franks has filed a federal lawsuit. Customers deserve a chance to buy a “misdemeanor wiener” at his Near West Side hot…

May 5, 2011 12:31 AM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor Indicted in Sex-for-Leniency Case, Charged with Official Misconduct

A former longtime Tennessee prosecutor has been criminally indicted on a felony charge of official misconduct, after being accused of flirting with female defendants and stating or implying that they would be treated more leniently if they had sex with him. However, Doug Godbee, 57, who formerly served as a…

May 4, 2011 7:24 PM CDT

New L.A. Suit Against Deutsche Bank Seeks to Hold ‘Slumlord’ Responsible for Foreclosures

In the latest suit against Deutsche Bank, the city attorney of Los Angeles is pursuing an unusual case contending that the mortgage lender is a “slumlord” and seeking a court order requiring it to clean up foreclosed properties and comply with landlord-tenant law. In response, a spokesman for the bank…

May 4, 2011 6:27 PM CDT

Army Corps Blasts Hole in Levee to Save Ill., Ky. Towns, Water Level Drops, Flooded Mo. Farmers Sue

In an emergency effort to prevent floodwater from inundating towns in Illinois and Kentucky, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last night blasted a hole in a levee near Cairo, Ill., where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet. An Army Corps spokesman says the plan seems to be working, since…

May 3, 2011 9:14 PM CDT

After 1-Year Standoff, NJ Gov and Senate Agree on Plan to Consider State Supreme Court Nominee

Ending a one-year standoff over Gov. Chris Christie’s refusal, in defiance of tradition, to reappoint a sitting state supreme court judge, the New Jersey Senate today marked the one-year anniversary of his nomination of a replacement jurist by announcing that it would consider attorney Anne Patterson for a seat on…

May 3, 2011 5:54 PM CDT

Presidential Power at Issue in Supreme Court Case on Passport Birthplace Listing

In a case that involves the powers of all three branches of government, the U.S. Supreme Court has accepted an appeal that seeks to enforce a federal law allowing an American born in Jerusalem to list his birthplace as Israel. The Supreme Court granted cert Monday, according to SCOTUSblog, the…

May 3, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

1st Day OpenCourt Live-Blog News: $100 Fine; Lunch Break; Should Video Archive Access Be Banned?

An experimental OpenCourt project is under way in Quincy, Mass., where information in real time about arraignments and similar doings in Quincy District Court will now be available online through Twitter, live Web streaming and a live blog that provides the text of the tweets. News on the project’s first…

May 3, 2011 12:06 AM CDT

Big Sky Country to the Heartland: Teachers Get Kids to Care About Civics Despite Political Taboos

You can probably name all 9 Supreme Court justices. But most people can't even name one. How can we change this for the younger generation? ABA Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward spoke with educators and experts about why civics ed matters in a constitutional democracy and how some young folks are already putting their lessons into action.

May 2, 2011 2:02 PM CDT

Battle of Atlanta: Fight over a Downtown Homeless Shelter Strains Some Down-Home Ties

May 1, 2011 9:50 AM CDT