Judiciary

Judge’s Noise Punishment Fits Crime

When Judge Paul Sacco deals with violators of the Fort Lupton, Colo., noise ordinance, he fights fire with fire. Those who transgress are required to listen for one hour to music calculated to get on their nerves. A recent punishment session featured tunes by Karen Carpenter, Barry Manilow, Dolly Parton…

Sep 18, 2007 4:03 PM CDT

Judge’s ‘Incessant’ Questions Cited in Reversal

A New York appeals court has cited a judge’s excessive questions as a reason for overturning a felony conviction for drug possession. The court has criticized Judge Arlene Silverman for excessive questions in at least nine other decisions, but this is the first time her interruptions have been used as…

Sep 18, 2007 2:31 PM CDT

Fired Judge Blames Elf for Court Mishaps

The Philippines Supreme Court has asked a fired judge who claims he is assisted by three elves to stop making threats of “ungodly reprisal.” The court kicked Florentino Floro Jr. off the bench largely because of his belief in the supernatural, the Wall Street Journal reports (sub. req.). A medical…

Sep 17, 2007 6:50 PM CDT

NV High Court Mulls Halverson Suspension

Lawyers for controversial Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Halverson told the Nevada Supreme Court last week that the state Judicial Discipline Commission did not have the authority to order her temporary suspension. Justices are expected to decide in the next few days whether to overturn the temporary suspension, the Associated Press…

Sep 17, 2007 10:59 AM CDT

Judge Challenges Age Limit

A 72-year-old Chicago judge has filed a lawsuit seeking to strike down an age limit for judges seeking re-election. Judge William Maddux, chief judge of the law division for Cook County, is challenging a state law that bars judges from running for re-election after they reach the age of 75,…

Sep 13, 2007 11:35 AM CDT

PA Chief Justice Resigns

The chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, who withstood voter anger over his support for a judicial pay raise, has announced he will resign by the end of the year. The announcement by Chief Justice Ralph Cappy surprised colleagues, who said he appeared to love his job but is…

Sep 12, 2007 1:50 PM CDT

Judge in Trouble Over BS Comment

A New Jersey municipal court judge contends he shouldn’t be disciplined for telling a landlord his excuse for failing to show up in court was “a lot of bullshit.” Judge Frank Leanza of Guttenberg, N.J., said he had learned his lesson during a hearing on Thursday before the Advisory Committee…

Sep 12, 2007 1:34 PM CDT

Suit to Seek Pay Hikes for NY Judges

Members of four judges’ associations will file suit today in an effort to force New York lawmakers to give the judiciary a raise. The suit will seek pay hikes retroactive to 2000 and annual cost-of-living raises in the future, the New York Law Journal reports. The complaint was mainly drafted…

Sep 12, 2007 11:57 AM CDT

Judge’s Death Leads to Courthouse Mold Fears

A mold problem in a Miami federal courthouse has spurred studies and warnings from the chief judge, who told clerks they should use masks and gloves when handling documents that may be coated with the stuff. Concerns increased after Magistrate Judge Ted Klein died of a respiratory illness last year…

Sep 12, 2007 11:16 AM CDT

Wiretap Court Flexes Judicial Muscle

The court that considers foreign intelligence wiretap applications is showing hints of an independent streak. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has operated in secret, even as federal officials disclosed that the court had limited the government’s ability to conduct warrantless wiretaps of overseas communications that are routed through the United…

Sep 10, 2007 5:51 PM CDT

Rape Victim Sues Judge Over R-Word Ban

An alleged acquaintance-rape victim has sued the Nebraska judge who banned her from using the word “rape” in testimony, in what her lawyer describes as a troubling trend. A federal lawsuit filed in Lincoln contends Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront violated Tory Bowen’s rights of due process and free…

Sep 10, 2007 4:39 PM CDT

Big-Name PI Lawyer Sentenced for Bribing Judges

A wealthy Biloxi lawyer and two former Mississippi judges were sentenced on Friday for taking part in a bribery scheme. Lawyer Paul Minor was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison and ordered to pay a $2.75 million fine and $1.5 million in restitution, the Sun Herald reports. Minor earns…

Sep 10, 2007 1:10 PM CDT

Paul Boland: Judge, Mentor, Law Prof

Paul Boland, a California appellate judge also known as a mentor to many and a pioneer of law school clinical education, has died. He was 65. An associate justice of the state Court of Appeal since 2001, Boland encouraged the judicial system to put its best foot forward and was…

Sep 7, 2007 4:45 PM CDT

4th Circuit Nomination Criticized

One of President Bush’s two new nominees for the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is under fire because he wasn’t on a recommended list drawn up by Virginia’s two senators. The nominee, E. Duncan Getchell Jr., chair of the appellate practice group at McGuireWoods, has represented the Virginia Republican…

Sep 7, 2007 4:23 PM CDT

Book: Souter Distraught Over Bush v. Gore

U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter was distraught over what he viewed as a partisan decision by a majority of his colleagues in Bush v. Gore and considered stepping down from his seat on the bench of the nation’s highest court over the ruling. That is what an upcoming book…

Sep 6, 2007 8:50 PM CDT