Judge: Scruggs in Criminal Contempt

A federal judge in Alabama is asking the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute a high-profile trial lawyer for criminal contempt, contending that Richard Scruggs brazenly violated a court injunction by sharing documents concerning Hurricane Katrina-related insurance claims with the Mississippi attorney general. In an order, Dist. Judge William Acker asks…

Jun 16, 2007 1:16 AM CDT

Duke Lacrosse Rape Case DA to Resign

Regardless of what happens at his ongoing trial for allegedly violating attorney ethics rules, the Durham, N.C., district attorney who prosecuted the rape case against three former Duke University lacrosse team members says he is going to resign from office. “It is my intention,” testified a teary-eyed Mike Nifong today,…

Jun 15, 2007 9:54 PM CDT

Lawyers Charged in Fen-Phen Case

A federal grand jury has indicted three Kentucky attorneys on charges they defrauded clients out of $65 million in settlement money. Shirley Cunningham, Melbourne Mills Jr. and William Gallion of Lexington, Ky., were indicted yesterday on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the Courier-Journal reports. They are accused…

Jun 15, 2007 7:58 PM CDT

Lawyer Suspended for Client Loans

A prominent personal injury lawyer has been suspended for loaning money to his clients through intermediaries. A New York appeals court ordered an 18-month suspension for James J. Moran of Moran & Kufta in Rochester, N.Y., the New York Law Journal reports. The court ruled the loans circumvented lawyer disciplinary…

Jun 15, 2007 1:24 PM CDT

Durham DA Defends Rape Prosecution

Durham County, N.C., District Attorney Michael Nifong asserted yesterday he was only doing his duty in pursuing allegations against three Duke lacrosse players. Nifong’s attorney said his client had reasons to believe a crime was committed, the Washington Post reports. “It is not unethical to pursue what some may see…

Jun 13, 2007 4:37 PM CDT

British Law Firms May Go Public, Too

Seeking to follow in the footsteps of at least one Australian competitor, some British law firms reportedly are interested in potentially going public–and legislation being considered by Parliament would allow them to do just that. The Legal Services Bill expected to pass later this year likely will give United Kingdom…

Jun 13, 2007 2:05 AM CDT

PD Who Helped Partner Tie Sham Knot Seeks Legal Immigration Alternative

A St. Louis public defender who chose to break the law rather than lose the man he loves admits he made a serious mistake. But the lack of legally recognized marriage alternatives for same-sex couples is what tempted him to transgress, Eric Affholter says. Now facing criminal fraud charges for…

Jun 13, 2007 12:48 AM CDT

Ethics Case Against Durham DA Begins

A North Carolina bar prosecutor said in opening arguments today that Durham District Attorney Michael Nifong intentionally concealed evidence in his prosecution of three Duke lacrosse players.

Nifong is accused of withholding DNA tests showing genetic material on a woman who said she had been raped did not match that of the defendants. He is also accused of lying to the media, knowing it could prejudice the investigation, and making false statements to judges about the case, the Washington Times reports.

Charges against the men have been dismissed. Nifong could be disbarred if he loses the ethics case. His attorney contends he committed no intentional ethics violations.

Jun 12, 2007 8:24 PM CDT

New Trial Due to Judge’s Plea Comment

A federal judge who suggested that he might sentence a defendant to even less time than the prosecution was offering in a plea bargain had good intentions but made a big mistake, says the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The judge’s interference with the plea bargaining process…

Jun 11, 2007 7:47 PM CDT

Celebrity Gossip: Contested Legal Fees

It isn’t every day that Us magazine reports about an attorney’s claim against a client for legal fees. But it did so in detail today, after celebrity lawyer Debra Opri contended in a court filing that Anna Nicole Smith’s former boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had become “obsessed” with her. As a…

Jun 9, 2007 5:08 AM CDT

Backdating Troubles Wilson Sonsini

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati fired one of its partners last fall, reportedly because he failed to warn the outside company he was advising about backdating stock options.

Christopher Mitchell was fired after high-tech company Sanmina-SCI Corp. announced it had improperly backdated most stock options since 1997, according to the Recorder. Sources told the legal newspaper he was targeted for failing to pick up on the problems.

The revelation is the latest embarrassment for Wilson Sonsini. Around half of the Silicon Valley companies under scrutiny for backdating stock options were clients of the law firm, according to the legal newspaper.

Jun 8, 2007 12:49 PM CDT

Lawyer for Smith Lover Seeks Fees

A lawyer for the man determined to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby is asking a Los Angeles court to enforce an agreement to arbitrate their fee dispute. Debra Opri says she spent 600 hours working on legal matters for Larry Birkhead, and associates and support staff worked…

Jun 7, 2007 5:32 PM CDT

Motion Claims 35,000 Documents Withheld

A pending motion for sanctions claims chip maker Qualcomm failed to turn over more than 35,000 discovery documents in a patent infringement case. Qualcomm had sued rival semiconductor maker Broadcom for infringing two Qualcomm patents for video compression, but lost at trial four months ago. In court papers filed late…

Jun 7, 2007 12:35 PM CDT

NY Lawyer Lived Happily Ever After (Sort Of), After Acid Attack on Girlfriend

Once a New York trial lawyer, Burton Pugach today is an improbable white-mink-clad movie star. Convicted in an infamous case of putting out a contract to have his girlfriend blinded with lye, after she left him for another man, the 80-year-old has made headlines ever since as the bizarre case…

Jun 7, 2007 12:37 AM CDT

Potential Libby Pardon is Talk of Town

A day after former top vice presidential aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison and a $250,000 fine for his role in obstructing a federal investigation into how a CIA agent’s identity was leaked, one topic is being discussed all over Washington, D.C.. That is…

Jun 7, 2007 12:18 AM CDT