Pennsylvania

Ex-Cozen Lawyer Accused of Diverting Law Firm Fees Is Sentenced for Tax Evasion

A former real estate lawyer at Cozen O’Connor has been sentenced to 70 months in prison on tax charges after he was accused of diverting client fees to himself and failing to pay taxes on the income. Charles Naselsky was sentenced on Tuesday, report the Legal Intelligencer and the Philadelphia…

Nov 21, 2012 1:40 PM CST

Six Pennsylvania Judges Challenge Constitutionality of Mandated Retirement at Age 70

Six Pennsylvania judges challenging a mandatory retirement age of 70 are seeking to overcome a big impediment to their lawsuit: a 1991 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld mandatory retirement for Missouri judges. The suit filed Wednesday in Harrisburg claims violations of equal protection and due process under the U.S.…

Nov 15, 2012 1:27 PM CST

Phila. Judge Accused of Misrepresenting His Qualifications Is Suspended with Pay

A Philadelphia family court judge was suspended from his $165,000-a-year job on Friday, with pay, by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court following accusations that he had misrepresented his qualifications for the bench in 2009 and 2011 by withholding information about lawsuits and potential litigation he faces. Related legal ethics charges against…

Nov 13, 2012 4:45 PM CST

Gasoline in NYC Area Hits $8 a Gallon on Craigslist; Officials Investigate

In the wake of fuel shortages related to Hurricane Sandy, some enterprising individuals are reportedly offering gasoline at $8 per gallon on Craigslist. But is that legal? The jury apparently is still out on that question in New York, where a spokeswoman for the office of Attorney General Eric T.…

Nov 6, 2012 6:36 PM CST

Pa. Lawyer Gets 33 Months for Embezzling Money From Clients Under Guise of Legal Fees

A suspended Pennsylvania lawyer has been sentenced to a 33-month federal prison term for embezzling more than $100,000 from clients. Kenneth Reidenbach, 61, was convicted last year of multiple felonies including bankruptcy fraud concerning money allegedly taken from four bankruptcy and divorce clients, under the guise of attorney’s fees, between…

Nov 5, 2012 4:58 PM CST

Ex-Penn State Prez Faces Perjury, Obstruction, Child-Endangerment Case re Sandusky’s Child Sex Abuse

Saying that the ousted president of Pennsylvania State University headed a “conspiracy of silence” that enabled a longtime assistant football coach at the school to sexually abuse boys for more than a decade, the Pennsylvania attorney general announced Thursday that Graham Spanier is being criminally charged. If convicted of all…

Nov 1, 2012 5:08 PM CDT

As Hurricane Sandy Sweeps In, Courts and Law Firms Close Down in DC, NJ and NY

Updated: As what is expected to be an epic storm sweeps into the East Coast from Florida to Canada and could hit the Northeast especially hard, courts and law firms both large and small joined numerous other establishments—including the U.S. Supreme Court—on Monday in announcing that their operations would be…

Oct 29, 2012 7:45 PM CDT

Ethics Complaint Accuses Philly Judge of Misrepresentations on Candidate Questionnaires

An ethics complaint accuses a Philadelphia judge of leaving negative information off of candidate questionnaires submitted to a committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Judge Thomas Nocella is accused of misrepresentations and omissions on the 2009 and 2011 questionnaires, even though he had certified his answers as complete and correct.…

Oct 25, 2012 11:00 AM CDT

Pennsylvania Passes Juvenile Sexting Law, Which Some Say Goes Too Far

Pennsylvania legislators last week passed a law that makes sending explicit photographs by minors, ages 12 to 17, a misdemeanor or summary offense, rather than a felony. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, 13 states in 2012 introduced or are considering sexting-related laws. The Pennsylvania law, House Bill 815, works on…

Oct 23, 2012 3:50 PM CDT

Paralegal Sues over $100 Cake-Baking Prize, Claims Flier Promised Twice the Amount

A Pennsylvania paralegal and her daughter have sued a state representative claiming he failed to pay the full $200 promised in a flier to the winner of a cake-baking contest. Denise Robinson and her 21-year-old daughter, LaShae Robinson, say they were paid only $100 for LaShae’s winning pineapple upside down…

Oct 15, 2012 12:09 PM CDT

Judge’s Pics of His Privates Result in Unusual Discipline Ruling

Pennsylvania’s Court of Judicial Discipline says a Philadelphia traffic court judge brought his judicial office into disrepute when he showed photos of his genitals to a government contractor. The court found that the mens rea requirement was established when Judge Willie Singletary displayed two pictures of his privates, the Legal…

Oct 10, 2012 3:17 PM CDT

Sandusky Surprises Lawyer with Tape Denying ‘Alleged Disgusting Acts’; Sentencing Today

Jerry Sandusky surprised his lawyer in advance of today’s sentencing by sending a taped statement to a news website and radio station run by Penn State students. Sandusky is expected to maintain his innocence at today’s hearing, report the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Associated Press. Despite that strategy, Sandusky lawyer…

Oct 9, 2012 12:04 PM CDT

Judge Reports for Jury Duty, Watches Own Training Video Unrecognized, Keeps Lunch Ticket as Souvenir

A Pennsylvania judge had a memorable day Thursday at the county courthouse, as she answered a personal jury summons and reported for duty. Cambria County Judge Linda Fleming made it onto a 36-member panel, but was struck by one of the lawyers in the criminal case, reports the Tribune Democrat.…

Oct 5, 2012 8:19 PM CDT

Pennsylvania Deputy AG Charged with Abuse of Adopted Ethiopian Children

A deputy attorney general in Pennsylvania and his wife have been charged with abuse and neglect of two children adopted from Ethiopia earlier this year. Douglas Barbour, 33, has been suspended without pay from his job with the attorney general’s office pending resolution of the charges, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.…

Oct 5, 2012 2:20 PM CDT

Pennsylvania Police Search for Suspects in Home Invasion and Shooting of Lawyer

Pennsylvania have released a composite sketch of one of three suspects in the home invasion and shooting of a bankruptcy lawyer who lives in Pennsbury Township. Police say lawyer Fred Barakat was shot and wounded on Sept. 24 after struggling with the intruders, the News Journal reports. He was released…

Oct 4, 2012 12:51 PM CDT