Maryland

Lawyer Is Charged in Practice-Related Case Brought by Opposing Candidate’s Office

Attorney John Andrew Mattingly Jr. has been seeking election to the post of St. Mary’s County state’s attorney. But now it appears that the 40-year-old Leonardtown, Md., lawyer and Democratic candidate could lose not only the race for the prosecutor’s job but his law practice as a result of law…

Jan 13, 2010 6:14 PM CST

Md. Deputy Breaks His Leg in Scuffle with Texting Court Observer

A courtroom deputy in Maryland ended up with a broken leg after scuffling with a courtroom observer who was asked to stop texting on his cell phone. The deputy, Brian Schwaab of Anne Arundel circuit court, was treated and released, the Washington Post’s Crime Scene blog reports. Anne Arundel Sheriff…

Jan 11, 2010 6:56 PM CST

Salahis Face So Many Suits that Court Clerks Recognized their Name

Before Tareq and Michaele Salahi gained fame for making their way into a White House party, they were well known in courthouses in Virginia and Maryland. In those states, more than 30 suits have been filed since 2004 against the couple or a company they ran, the Washington Post reports.…

Dec 23, 2009 1:38 PM CST

Jurors’ Wikipedia Research, Friending at Issue in Two Md. Cases

Two court developments in Maryland last week highlight the growing problems caused by jurors’ online access during criminal trials. In one case, a Maryland appeals court overturned a murder conviction because jurors had apparently consulted Wikipedia for explanations of scientific terms, the Baltimore Sun reports. In another, lawyers for Baltimore…

Dec 14, 2009 1:01 PM CST

Juror Facebook Contact, $324 Food Prize Could Cause Mistrial in Baltimore Mayor’s Case

After a high-profile conviction last week on a misdemeanor charge concerning $600 worth of Best Buy and Target gift cards embezzled for her personal use, Baltimore’s first female mayor is down but not out. Nearly half of the jury members friended each other on Facebook, despite the judge’s instructions not…

Dec 7, 2009 7:22 PM CST

Retired Couple’s Hobby Is Court Watching

Ed Neufeld figured out a way to provide cheap entertainment on a date when he was courting his girlfriend, Harriett, in New York City when both were in their 20s. The couple would visit night court and observe the proceedings, the Gazette reports. Now the Neufelds have been married for…

Oct 29, 2009 12:27 PM CDT

Md. Judge Pleads Guilty to Deflating Tire of Courthouse Cleaning Worker

A Maryland judge is expected to quickly satisfy the terms of his probation sentence for deflating the tire of a courthouse cleaning worker. Judge Robert Nalley of Charles County pleaded guilty on Wednesday to tampering with a motor vehicle, according to the Washington Post and MyFoxDC.com. Nalley admitted he deflated…

Oct 29, 2009 12:07 PM CDT

4th Circuit Nixes Award Against Anti-Gay Funeral Protesters

A federal appeals court has cited the First Amendment in a decision that overturns a $5 million judgment against members of an anti-gay church who protested at a soldier’s Maryland funeral. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in Richmond, Va., said the protesters’ signs carried ”imaginative and hyperbolic…

Sep 25, 2009 11:55 AM CDT

After Firing Workers, ACORN Sues Over Video That Brought Them Down

A much-publicized hidden-camera video that led ACORN to fire two Baltimore workers and bring in a former Massachusetts attorney general to investigate on the community activist group’s behalf is now the subject of a lawsuit. In addition to cleaning its own house, ACORN is seeking damages from individuals involved in…

Sep 23, 2009 10:38 PM CDT

Ex-Employee Pleads in $1M Law Firm Fraud and Fire

A former employee in the accounting department of a Maryland law firm has pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud and arson concerning a fire he allegedly set in order to try to cover up his embezzlement of a little over $1 million from its escrow account. George Michael Perez, 33,…

Sep 17, 2009 6:14 PM CDT

Ex-Pillsbury Associate Who Moonlighted Loses License for 60 Days

A former associate at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has had his law license suspended for 60 days, after violating a number of rules. Among them, Garland Stillwell moonlighted, contrary to the firm’s written policies, reports the Blog of Legal Times. On one occasion, he took a position on behalf of…

Aug 27, 2009 8:23 PM CDT

Judge Who Deflated Court Worker’s Tire is Taken Off Criminal Cases

The fallout continues today concerning a Maryland judge who admittedly deflated a court worker’s car tire in response to her alleged inappropriate use of La Plata courthouse parking. Circuit Judge Robert Nalley will be suspended from sitting on criminal cases until a La Plata police investigation into the situation is…

Aug 14, 2009 11:22 PM CDT

Judge Resigns Administrative Role After Tire Deflation Incidents

A Maryland judge who admittedly deflated a courthouse worker’s car tire on more than one occasion has resigned from his role as chief administrative judge of the Charles County Circuit Court but plans to remain active on the bench, reports the Washington Post. “I am at a stage of my…

Aug 14, 2009 12:27 AM CDT

Judge Says He Deflated Courthouse Worker’s Tire—More Than Once

A judge at a Maryland courthouse has admitted in a newspaper interview that he deflated a cleaning worker’s tire—and it wasn’t the first time. Judge Robert Nalley of Charles County told the Independent that he acted because someone was repeatedly parking in a restricted area near the courthouse. “Absolutely, I…

Aug 13, 2009 6:12 PM CDT

Courthouse Worker Says Judge Apparently Deflated Her Tire

A cleaning worker at a Maryland courthouse who parked in a prime space near the building says a judge apparently deflated her tire. Detectives are investigating and will decide today whether to file charges against Judge Robert Nalley of Charles County, the Washington Post reports. Anonymous sources told the newspaper…

Aug 12, 2009 2:10 PM CDT