Pennsylvania

Convicted of theft of $2K in services, ex-judge faces potential loss of $6K monthly pension

A Philadelphia jury deliberated only about 90 minutes before convicting a retired former Common Pleas Court judge of using his office and chambers to operate a personal real estate business. Found guilty of theft of services and conflict of interest, Willis Berry Jr., 72, shrugged his shoulders and said: “The…

Jul 22, 2015 5:00 PM CDT

Fired secretary is star witness at trial of ex-judge accused of operating business from chambers

A trial has begun that could cost a former Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge his $6,000-a-month pension if the prosecution prevails. The government says Willis Berry Jr. effectively stole from taxpayers by having his longtime secretary handle property management functions for his sideline real-estate business, while working in his judicial…

Jul 21, 2015 3:00 PM CDT

Partner who overheard lawyer discuss client merger is indicted for alleged insider trading

A real estate partner in the Philadelphia headquarters of a national law firm overheard a colleague talking with their shared legal assistant about an imminent client merger. Then he illegally used the insider information in purchasing stock in the client’s company for himself and his wife, federal regulators say. Herbert…

Jul 17, 2015 10:40 AM CDT

Federal courthouse security was not breached, says US Marshal in wake of steamy photos

Concerned about an apparent security breach at the federal courthouse in Harrisburg, a Pennsylvania apartment dweller took photos of a man and woman having sex on the roof and sent them to a local television station. But not to worry: The situation wasn’t an example of a courthouse security breach,…

Jul 14, 2015 10:45 AM CDT

Ex-judge likely to serve only 30 days for stealing drug evidence from courthouse

A retired Pennsylvania judge was sentenced Monday to as much as 23½ months behind bars for stealing cocaine from evidence from the courthouse in which he formerly worked. But Paul Pozonsky probably will serve only 30 days, followed by two years of probation, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The former Washington…

Jul 13, 2015 12:10 PM CDT

A few DAs account for most death sentences, law prof finds; one calls for more ‘revenge’ executions

An outspoken Louisiana prosecutor is a prime example of what a law professor describes as “a personality-driven death penalty” in the United States. Caddo Parish, where acting district attorney Dale Cox works, has sentenced more convicted defendants to death, on a per-capita basis, than perhaps any other county in the…

Jul 7, 2015 2:45 PM CDT

Judge accused of stealing cocaine from evidence likely impaired, says lawyer in conviction challenge

A retired Pennsylvania judge accused of stealing cocaine from evidence and replacing it with baking soda while still on the bench likely was impaired when he decided a murder case four years ago, a defense lawyer says. So attorney Brian Zeiger is challenging the third-degree murder bench conviction of Robert…

Jul 2, 2015 5:00 PM CDT

Federal court partners with bank, college and drug treatment center to help felons

A federal court in Pennsylvania aims to help ex-convicts reintegrate into society by getting them loans, an education and drug treatment. The new initiative by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is part of a program established in 2009 to help former offenders adjust to life…

Jun 11, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Pennsylvania AG sues firm, saying it misrepresented law in debt collection letters

An Allentown, Pennsylvania, firm and one of its lawyers is being sued by the state’s attorney general for allegedly misrepresenting the law to intimidate family members into paying off relatives’ medical debts. The suit, filed late last month by Attorney General Kathleen Kane, seeks a permanent injunction against James A.…

Jun 10, 2015 4:05 PM CDT

Final name partner leaves Nelson Brown; is firm ‘effectively dead’?

The Pennsylvania law firm Nelson Brown Hamilton & Krekstein has lost its last remaining name partner, spurring questions about its future. Name partner Michael Nelson has left the firm with four other Nelson Brown lawyers to join Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, report the Legal Intelligencer (sub. req.) and the Philadelphia…

Jun 2, 2015 9:59 AM CDT

Vintage store operator says threat of social-media shaming is best way to deter shoplifting

Some might think calling police on those who shoplift would be the best way to deter other potential thieves. But the operator of a Philadelphia vintage store says she has found a better way, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Betsy Bassel put up signs at Scout Salvage and Vintage Rescue warning…

May 29, 2015 4:15 PM CDT

Former Drinker Biddle staff attorney is suspended for overbilling the firm for his work

A former staff attorney for Drinker Biddle & Reath has been suspended for overbilling the law firm on a document review project. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court suspended Philadelphia lawyer Benjamin Hart Perkel for two years, report the Legal Intelligencer and the Legal Profession Blog, which links to the decision and…

May 28, 2015 10:25 AM CDT

Led Zeppelin denies most allegations in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ suit, but admits ‘exceptional talent’

Led Zeppelin denied liability last week in its answer to a federal copyright infringement lawsuit that challenges the authorship of the group’s iconic “Stairway to Heaven” song. But a few basic facts are undisputed, TheWrap.com reports. “Answering paragraph 11 of the first amended complaint, including the first amended complaint’s footnote…

May 26, 2015 11:15 AM CDT

Law firm asks 3rd Circuit to block court-ordered interviews of over 30 clients

Facing sanctions over thalidomide birth-defect litigation that was determined to be either baseless or time-barred, did the plaintiffs’ law firm dismiss 27 cases for its own benefit? That is the question a federal judge in Philadelphia is asking and seeking to answer by having special master William Hangley interview more…

May 20, 2015 1:05 PM CDT

Injured Amtrak worker is among the first to file suit over Philadelphia train wreck

An injured Amtrak employee is among the first to sue over this week’s fatal train wreck in Philadelphia. Bruce Phillips filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. His lawyer, Michael Olley of Coffey Kaye Myers & Olley, said the suit is…

May 15, 2015 4:30 PM CDT