New York

Jury Duty in Perpetuity? Federal Judge Tells Woman She and Her Racist Answers Are an Outrage

A potential juror who made racist statements on her jury questionnaire was dismissed from the death penalty trial of an alleged mob boss on Tuesday, but she will still have to show up in New York federal court. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis wasn’t happy with the answers provided by…

Apr 6, 2011 12:37 PM CDT

Judges in Fla., NY Warn of Court Closings, Layoffs Due to Budget Problems

Judges in Florida and New York are warning that budget cuts could have serious consequences for courts in their states. Circuit chief judges in Florida discussed a plan this week to keep courts operating if Florida Gov. Rick Scott does not approve an emergency loan by Friday. Under the plan,…

Apr 6, 2011 11:27 AM CDT

Former Howrey Staffer Files WARN Suit Over Law Firm’s Layoffs

In the first of a series of expected worker lawsuits against Howrey, former staffer Stephanie Langley has filed suit against the law firm contending that it failed to meet its obligation under the WARN Act to provide employees with 60 days of notice prior to its closing. Her complaint (PDF),…

Apr 5, 2011 10:03 PM CDT

Amidst News of Massive Data Breach, Suit Says Condé Nast Sent $8M in Response to Scam Email

Amidst news today that a widespread spear-phishing campaign could follow a giant security breach that exposed millions of individual e-mail addresses comes word that it isn’t just unsophisticated small fry who can be tricked by such schemes. Relying on a seemingly legitimate e-mail saying that payment should be sent to…

Apr 5, 2011 12:10 AM CDT

Family Sues Over Arrest of Girl, 10, After School Scuffle

The family of a girl who was arrested for a school scuffle at the age of 10 is suing the New York Police Department for her treatment in custody. The suit filed in Manhattan federal court claims the third-grader was handcuffed last April and taken to the stationhouse, where she…

Apr 4, 2011 1:47 PM CDT

Once High-Ranking Priest, Now Defrocked, Sues Accuser Who Testified in Church Trial for Defamation

Found guilty by a church tribunal in 2006 of sexually abusing a minor decades ago and subsequently defrocked, a high-ranking former New York priest has now turned the tables on his accuser. Onetime monsignor Charles Kavanagh, 73, has filed a defamation suit against the former seminary student in federal court…

Mar 30, 2011 6:25 PM CDT

Law Firm Pulls 9/11 Ad Portraying ‘I Was There’ Firefighter Who Wasn’t There

An ad touting a law firm’s Sept. 11 compensation expertise has been pulled after protests by a firefighter who was embarrassed by its assertion that he was one of the responders. Robert Keiley, who moonlights as a model, didn’t become a fireman until 2004, but the ad suggests he was…

Mar 30, 2011 1:11 PM CDT

As Lawmakers Wield Budget Ax, Courts Struggle to Do More with Less, Plan Layoffs

As lawmakers throughout the country struggle to make ends meet in difficult economic times, many are seeing the courts and legal services as an area in which cuts can and must be made. The result is a growing list of jurisdictions in which services will be reduced and staff laid…

Mar 29, 2011 11:51 PM CDT

NY Jail Tries New Revenue Option: Televised Lawyer Ads Next to Booking Area

Minutes after they are arrested, alert defendants in Erie County, N.Y., will learn more about their options on a high-definition television screen displaying ads for lawyers and bail bondsman. The county’s holding center will post the ads along with facility information on two televisions, one just outside the booking area…

Mar 28, 2011 11:55 AM CDT

Police Say Lawyer Arrested in Vacuum Saleswoman Assault Groped Arresting Officer, Smooched Her Boss

Arrested after he was accused of assaulting a Kirby vacuum cleaner saleswoman making a presentation at his home, a New York lawyer got into more trouble by allegedly trying to grab the arresting officer’s buttocks and smooch her boss, a police sergeant, at the 84th Precinct station house. Barry Bondorowsky,…

Mar 24, 2011 8:49 PM CDT

Deportation of 4-Year-Old US Citizen Reignites ‘Anchor Babies’ Debate

The case of Emily Ruiz’s is refueling the debate surrounding the legal status of the children dubbed by immigration reformers as “anchor babies.” Emily, who was born in the United States to illegal immigrants, was supposed to return to New York on March 11, according to the New York Times.…

Mar 23, 2011 7:26 PM CDT

Oops. Fake Auto Accident Allegedly was Staged Under Store Surveillance Camera

Authorities in New York were already suspicious about the injuries claimed by nine people in a three-car accident in the Bronx, because the damage to the vehicles was so minor. But then an evidentiary windfall somehow came to their attention—a surveillance tape from the storefront where the accident had taken…

Mar 23, 2011 6:48 PM CDT

Not Clear on the Concept: Man Allegedly Brings Beer to Court for DWI Hearing, Is Jailed

Scheduled for a pretrial hearing in a driving-while-intoxicated case in Sullivan County Court, N.Y., yesterday, Keith Gruber allegedly not only showed up late and intoxicated but brought some beer—including an open container—to the courthouse with him. The 49-year-old, who has prior DWI convictions, was jailed without bail by Judge Frank…

Mar 22, 2011 9:32 PM CDT

Federal Judge Nixes $125M Google Books Settlement That Would Have OK’d Digital Library

A federal judge in Manhattan has rejected a proposed $125 million class action settlement that would have allowed Google Inc. to avoid potential liability for creating a massive online digital library of out-of-print, copyrighted books by creating a registry to compensate authors, according to Reuters. The plan to immunize Google…

Mar 22, 2011 8:56 PM CDT

‘Friend,’ 76, Who Bilked Lawyer, 98, Out of $330K After Giving Him Office Space, Gets Weekend Time

A 76-year-old “friend” who gave a 98-year-old lawyer a free office in New York and then accessed Emanuel Baetich’s financial records there to swindle the semi-retired trusts and estates practitioner out of $330,000 has been sentenced to spend weekends in jail for the next year. Harry Abrams must also make…

Mar 22, 2011 5:31 PM CDT