Ethics

Judge Appoints PD, Has Him Arrested

Updated: Criminal law blogs are abuzz over the contempt case of Brian Jones, an assistant public defender in Portage County, Ohio. Seems that Jones was appointed Wednesday by Portage County Municipal Court Judge John Plough to represent Jordan Scott, 20, on a charge of misdemeanor assault. The trial was then…

Aug 20, 2007 3:38 PM CDT

Editorial Hits ‘Kentucky Trial Derby’

A Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) editorial takes aim at Kentucky for its lax oversight of three tort lawyers accused of overpaying themselves as much as $62 million in a diet drug settlement. The case has become “a black eye for Kentucky’s legal establishment,” the newspaper says. It takes issue…

Aug 20, 2007 2:02 PM CDT

Recusal Watch in Investor Case

Court watchers are waiting to see which U.S. Supreme Court justices participate in a pending case that could determine whether lawyers and other third parties can be sued for helping companies commit securities fraud. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Stephen G. Breyer have indicated they will recuse…

Aug 20, 2007 12:06 PM CDT

Indicted Appeals Judge Suspended

A Pennsylvania appeals judge has been suspended as he fights charges of insurance fraud. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the suspension of Judge Michael Joyce on Friday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Joyce was indicted on Wednesday for mail fraud and money laundering. He is accused of claiming he was suffering…

Aug 20, 2007 10:15 AM CDT

FL Lawyers Launch Judge PR Effort

A group of Miami-area lawyers wants to help the Broward County judiciary regain public respect. The Daily Business Review describes the group’s objective: “Help bring respect back to a bench beset by criminal investigation, insensitive comments and inappropriate actions.” “We have a great judiciary. We just have to prove it…

Aug 17, 2007 12:11 PM CDT

Indicted Appeals Judge Seeks Re-Election

A Pennsylvania appellate judge is vowing to run in a November retention election despite federal charges that he filed fraudulent claims with two insurers following a 2001 car crash. Judge Michael T. Joyce gave a statement to the Erie Times-News saying he will ask voters to approve a second 10-year…

Aug 17, 2007 11:30 AM CDT

Mistake Explanation Privileged, Qualcomm Lawyers Say

Lawyers for Qualcomm aren’t saying why they made discovery errors in litigation over cell phone patent rights. Transcripts from a July 26 hearing in San Diego show that Qualcomm is asserting attorney-client privilege in the case, the Recorder reports. A federal magistrate has ordered lawyers from two law firms to…

Aug 17, 2007 10:34 AM CDT

More Sex Issues for WA Prosecutor

Originally accused of having an affair with the mother of a 17-year-old arson defendant and using the relationship to get confidential defense information a Washington state prosecutor is now facing additional professional issues. Liam Michael Golden’s sexual conduct reportedly may have been intermingled with his office’s handling of as many…

Aug 16, 2007 10:16 PM CDT

Bailiff Tells of Judge’s Shooting Remarks

The ex-bailiff for controversial Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Halverson testified that she frequently asked him to shoot her husband, according to recently released transcripts. Johnnie Jordan said Halverson often made the remarks in front her husband, an ex-felon she called “evil Ed,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. But her spouse…

Aug 16, 2007 2:54 PM CDT

Lender’s Bounced Checks Create Lawyer Havoc

A mortgage company that went belly-up has left Atlanta-area lawyers digging into their own pockets to cover escrow losses. HomeBanc Mortgage Corp. may have issued as much as $20 million in bounced checks on July 30 and 31 before it filed for bankruptcy, according to the Fulton County Daily Report.…

Aug 16, 2007 12:31 PM CDT

Judge Summons Qualcomm Lawyers

A federal magistrate has ordered former lawyers for Qualcomm Inc. to appear in court later this month to face possible misconduct sanctions stemming from their roles in a cell phone patent case. The LA Times reports that U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Major has ordered more than a dozen lawyers from…

Aug 15, 2007 4:09 PM CDT

Pleadings: How Judges Really Behave

Crossed arms, files slammed on desks, and language that a court reporter hesitates to enter into the record. This isn’t recommended judicial demeanor, obviously, but such behavior is alleged among the claims and counterclaims being made in a finger-pointing fest that involves several New York City jurists—and even led to…

Aug 14, 2007 10:28 PM CDT

Temp Judge Fired Over MySpace Post

A temporary “pro tem” judge in North Las Vegas has lost his job over a post on his personal MySpace page that was reportedly hostile to prosecutors and used graphic language. Criminal defense attorney Jonathan MacArthur, 34, was substituting for another judge in North Las Vegas Justice Court, until his…

Aug 14, 2007 4:39 PM CDT

Egads! Will US Law Firms Go Public?

Of course it can’t happen yet. But senior partners at big U.S. law firms are talking about the possibility that they will one day be allowed to be have nonattorney shareholders, as Australia already permits and the United Kingdom is expected to allow within a few years. Otherwise, major American…

Aug 13, 2007 10:25 PM CDT

Spitzer Probe Spotlights NY Ethics Group

The ongoing investigation of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s office concerning a reported effort by his aides to discredit the Senate majority leader has put an unaccustomed spotlight on what until now was a low-profile government group–the State Ethics Commission. On the verge of a major reorganization, the commission is…

Aug 13, 2007 8:53 PM CDT