Ohio

Judge told to stop vaping on the bench; motion claimed he was ‘constantly slurping’ on device

A common pleas judge in Cleveland has given up vaping from the bench after a request by the court’s administrative judge. Judge Joseph D. Russo of Cuyahoga County was asked to stop smoking electronic cigarettes earlier this year after a juror complained, Cleveland.com reports in a story noted by Above…

Jul 23, 2019 10:28 AM CDT

6th Circuit rules for workers’ comp law firm challenging ban on solicitation of claimants

Law Firms

Jul 15, 2019 10:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bar associations battle over trademark; New Jersey judge rebuked over rape case

• Even though the Association of Trial Lawyers of America changed its name to the American Association for Justice in 2006, the Washington, D.C.-based bar association is suing the California-based Association of American Trial Lawyers for trademark infringement and unfair competition. The suit says the American Association for Justice sent…

Jul 3, 2019 4:27 PM CDT

Lawyer who gave incarcerated boyfriend $11 lands in ethical trouble for contraband

An Ohio lawyer who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after admitting that she passed $11 to her incarcerated boyfriend found herself in disciplinary trouble for the conduct. The Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct is recommending a stayed suspension for the lawyer, Virginia Riggs, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Thursday.…

Jun 24, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Judge’s cases under review after relatives cite severe alcoholism in guardianship petition

Ohio’s public defender is planning a review of as many as 2,700 cases overseen by a retired judge after the judge’s daughter and mother filed a petition for guardianship alleging advanced alcoholism that was a problem when he was still on the bench.

Jun 17, 2019 11:31 AM CDT

Oberlin College ordered to pay $44.4 million damages in libel case brought by small business

“People have no idea on how much stress this has had on our family and business for almost three years,” said David Gibson, the 64-year-old business co-owner, after the punitive verdict. “But from the beginning, we just didn’t understand why they were punishing us for something we had nothing to do with.”

Jun 17, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Suits accuse dairy company of consumer fraud for touting ‘extraordinary care and comfort’ of cows

Two lawsuits filed in federal court in Chicago accuse the Fairlife milk company of consumer fraud for promoting its “extraordinary care and comfort” of dairy cows. The would-be class actions, filed June 11 and June 12, cite mistreatment of cows at the company’s northwest Indiana dairy, Fair Oaks Farms, that…

Jun 13, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Judge orders transfer of gorilla from sanctuary to zoo; bacterial infection could aggravate trip

A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered that Ndume the gorilla be transferred from a California sanctuary to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden this week amid a dispute over the advisability of travel. U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg ordered the transfer of Ndume in two orders. In his…

Jun 11, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Lawyer previously suspended for wine theft is disbarred for breaking promise of free representation

A Cincinnati-area lawyer has been disbarred in Ohio for sending a woman an invoice for nearly $10,000 for his legal services after he had agreed to represent her for free. The Ohio Supreme Court disbarred lawyer Rodger William Moore of Alexandria, Kentucky, in a May 30 opinion. The Cincinnati Enquirer…

Jun 3, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

GOP lawmakers in Michigan and Ohio win SCOTUS stay in political gerrymandering cases

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed court rulings ordering Michigan and Ohio to create new electoral maps because they were drawn to benefit Republicans. The Supreme Court granted the stays as it considers partisan gerrymandering cases in North Carolina and Maryland, report Courthouse News Service, the New York Times…

May 28, 2019 9:15 AM CDT

Federal court strikes down map of Ohio congressional districts for ‘invidious partisan intent’

A special three-judge court has struck down a map of Ohio’s congressional districts because it was drawn with “invidious partisan intent” by Republican lawmakers.

May 6, 2019 9:15 AM CDT

Trial between Oberlin College and a local bakery tackles First Amendment questions

A shoplifting incident at a bakery in Oberlin, Ohio, created a controversy for the community and led to a lawsuit against the college.

May 2, 2019 1:15 PM CDT

Father and daughter who graduated law school together await bar results

Sarah Smith credits her father and an LSAT study guide for her interest in law school. Tim Smith was working with an LSAT study book in early 2014 when his daughter picked it up and started doing some of the problems. “I thought the questions were fun, and it piqued…

Mar 28, 2019 8:15 AM CDT

Book chronicles how coach Pat Summitt supported teen’s Title IX quest to shoot baskets

In the 1970s, Tennessee was among about a half-dozen states that restricted the way high school girls could play basketball. Instead of playing “five-on-five” basketball, girls played on six-player teams in which the three players in the forward position stayed on half the court, and the three guards stayed on…

Mar 20, 2019 1:41 PM CDT

District attorney says testing rape kits is ‘our moral imperative’

In less than four years, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s national rape kit testing program has led to 186 new arrests and 64 new convictions, including 47 felony sexual assault convictions. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. also announced that more than 55,000 rape kits have been tested in 32…

Mar 14, 2019 3:42 PM CDT