Judiciary

‘Girls Gone Wild’ Founder Claims Judge Retaliated for Impeachment Effort

Raunchy-video king Joe Francis claims a federal judge is retaliating against him for looking into the possibility of impeachment. Francis, the founder of “Girls Gone Wild,” claims he is being targeted by U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak, the Associated Press reports. The judge oversaw a civil case filed by women…

Mar 26, 2008 1:46 PM CDT

9th Circuit Bounces Judge from Case for Favoring Prosecution

A federal appeals court has removed U.S. District Judge Manuel Real in a securities fraud case for creating an atmosphere that favored the prosecution. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for two convicted defendants, saying they were prejudiced by Real’s “excessive and biased…

Mar 26, 2008 12:00 PM CDT

Pakistan Judges Freed by New Prime Minister

In his first act as Pakistan’s new prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani today freed the country’s deposed supreme court chief justice and some 60 other jurists from the house arrest under which they have been held since November. “This is a historic moment, ushering in an era of democracy that…

Mar 24, 2008 8:36 PM CDT

Wisconsin Justice Dubbed ‘Loophole Louis’ in TV Ads

When Wisconsin voters decide whether to retain Justice Louis Butler on the state’s top court in the April 1 election, they may be swayed by a critical TV ad. It dubs the justice “Loophole Louis” for rulings favoring defendants in criminal cases. Not to be outdone, Butler supporters are running…

Mar 24, 2008 2:27 PM CDT

Texas Defense Lawyer Jailed Over Lewd Courtroom Gesture

A Texas defense lawyer representing a client in a DUI case was jailed briefly last week after he allegedly made a lewd gesture to let the judge know what he thought of a prosecution complaint in the case. Adam Reposa, 33, was held in criminal contempt of court and jailed…

Mar 21, 2008 6:03 PM CDT

Removal Recommended for Judge Who Disparaged ‘White Folks’

A judge accused of making racially charged statements about “white folks” and then lying about it in an affidavit should be removed from the bench, according to the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. Judge Solomon Osborne is accused of making the statement in a September 2006 speech, the Clarion Ledger…

Mar 21, 2008 11:56 AM CDT

D.C. Judge Cited for Ordering Detention of Talkative PD

A Washington, D.C., judge who ordered the detention of a public defender who wouldn’t stop talking has accepted a determination that he violated the judicial ethics code. Judge John Bayly Jr. said he acted because the PD, Liyah Brown, argued with him over whether her client was homeless—and kept on…

Mar 21, 2008 11:30 AM CDT

Facing State Bar Ethics Charges in Alabama? Become a Judge

The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that a county judge accused of ethical wrongdoing before he became a judge cannot be disciplined by the state bar until he leaves the bench. A dissenter claimed the majority opinion leads to “absurd consequences” and gives the judge, Stuart DuBose, “unwarranted immunity.” The…

Mar 20, 2008 2:25 PM CDT

Legal Thriller Author Bashes Judicial Elections, to Chagrin of Newspaper

An editorial writer at the Wall Street Journal is taking legal thriller writer John Grisham to task for supporting merit selection of judges over judicial elections. Grisham backs merit selection of judges, as do retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the American Bar Association (PDF). The method,…

Mar 20, 2008 1:02 PM CDT

Scalia Uses Oscar the Grouch Analogy to Support Political Party Rights

Justice Antonin Scalia showed his familiarity with Oscar the Grouch in a dissenting opinion on Tuesday that supported the right of political parties to affiliate with candidates of their choosing. Tony Mauro of Legal Times did a database check and found Scalia’s mention of the Sesame Street character was the…

Mar 20, 2008 12:31 PM CDT

Ex-Qwest CEO Gets New Trial and New Judge

U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham, in the news for alleged links to a prostitution business, has been bounced from an expected retrial of the former CEO of Qwest Communications. The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday in an opinion with some sarcastic observations that former CEO Joseph…

Mar 18, 2008 11:40 AM CDT

Out of Prison, Illinois Judge, 82, Still Claims Innocence

Convicted of participating in corrupt practices that sent a number of Illinois judges to prison under the 1980s federal sting operation known as Operation Greylord, Thomas Maloney served more than a dozen years for taking bribes. But he still doesn’t admit guilt, blaming “overreaching” prosecutors, “scumbag” witnesses and “weak” attorneys…

Mar 17, 2008 10:57 PM CDT

Ga. Chief Judge is Unindicted Co-Conspirator

Updated: Under fire last year for his alleged role in imposing unauthorized fees on criminal defendants, the chief judge of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit in Georgia has now reportedly been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal case against a former employee who used to work for him as…

Mar 17, 2008 9:42 PM CDT

Texas Judge Steps Aside from 60 Cases at One Law Firm

A disabled client of a Texas law firm is reportedly feeling more secure after his counsel won a recusal motion that required the judge in his case to step aside. Meanwhile, the judge has now recused herself from all 60 of the cases that had been on her docket involving…

Mar 14, 2008 8:51 PM CDT

Bush Lags Clinton and Reagan in Judicial Confirmations

President Bush’s legal legacy is being stymied by a Democratic Senate that will probably approve few of his remaining nominees for federal judgeships. So far Bush has won confirmation of 294 district and appellate judges, and his final numbers are likely to be below that of presidents Clinton and Reagan,…

Mar 14, 2008 12:44 PM CDT