States

Scruggs Takes Issue With Letter Claiming Katrina Case Withdrawals

Updated: Are Richard “Dickie” Scruggs and his law firm withdrawing from all Hurricane Katrina-related litigation? The answer is yes, according to a letter from Don Barrett posted on the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. Barrett is one of the founders of the Scruggs Katrina Group, which represents thousands of policyholders…

Nov 29, 2007 8:03 PM CST

‘Gullible’ Doctor Gets 25 years for Aiding Terrorists

A former New York City doctor was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to treat al-Qaida fighters. U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska said the sentencing of Rafiq Sabir, 52, now of Boca Raton, Fla., would deter others from aiding terrorists. Sabir denounced his May…

Nov 29, 2007 7:13 PM CST

Judge: Explosion Victims Can Voice Objections to BP Settlement

Victims of a deadly BP PLC plant explosion two years ago south of Houston will have a chance to complain about a plea agreement, a judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal says victims of the 2005 disaster that killed 15 and injured another 170 can submit additional information…

Nov 29, 2007 6:44 PM CST

Anti-Tax Lawyer Indicted Following Undercover Probe

A Pennsylvania lawyer has been indicted for allegedly helping clients and employees hide more than $23 million in income through shell corporations. Bernard Bagdis of Blue Bell, Pa., was indicted after an operation in which undercover agents sought to conceal more than $100,000 in cash, the Legal Intelligencer reports. Federal…

Nov 29, 2007 4:04 PM CST

Ex-Judiciary Committee Chair Henry Hyde Dies

Henry Hyde, a former chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has died at the age of 83. The longtime Illinois congressman led the impeachment effort in the House against President Bill Clinton and sponsored the amendment that banned federal funding for abortions, the Chicago Tribune reports. His committee voted to…

Nov 29, 2007 3:44 PM CST

Arent Fox to Play Down Label as Lifestyle Firm

The chairman of Arent Fox has directed partners to quit calling the place a “lifestyle firm.” Chairman Marc Fleischaker said at a partnership retreat last month that the phrase might help in recruiting associates, but it hurts in competition for lateral partners, Legal Times reports. “I think it hurts you…

Nov 29, 2007 3:32 PM CST

Court Doesn’t Void $42M Contingency Deal Reached Before Settlement

A New York appeals court has refused to toss a 40 percent contingency agreement that resulted in a tab of about $42 million for work in an estate battle on top of $18 million in hourly fees and $5 million in “gifts” to three partners. The contingency agreement between 83-year-old…

Nov 29, 2007 3:17 PM CST

In-House Lawyer Files Age Bias Suit

A 52-year-old former staff lawyer for Philip Morris has filed a suit that contends he was fired for being too old and for complaining about others who were dismissed for the same reason. D’Arcy Quinn maintained he had stellar performance reviews until he turned 50, when he was told he…

Nov 29, 2007 2:31 PM CST

Dell Serves up ‘Domain Tasting’ Suit With Novel Claim

Computer maker Dell Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit that claims several companies violated counterfeiting laws by buying and selling Web addresses with misspellings of its name. The lawsuit contends three companies that register domain names set up a network with Caribbean shell companies to use Web addresses with typos…

Nov 29, 2007 2:04 PM CST

Katrina Lawyer Richard ‘Dickie’ Scruggs Indicted in Judge Bribery Plot

High-profile plaintiffs lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs has been charged with conspiring to pay a Mississippi judge $50,000 to resolve a fee dispute in favor of his law firm. Scruggs is well-known for handling tobacco litigation for the state of Mississippi and more recently for suing State Farm on behalf of…

Nov 29, 2007 11:42 AM CST

Tests Reveal Lawyer’s Fellow Air Travelers Free of TB

Tests reveal no one was sickened with tuberculosis while flying alongside an Atlanta trial lawyer in May. About 250 passengers from the Atlanta-to-Paris Air France flight were tested, the Associated Press is reporting, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Canadian health officials reportedly made similar findings…

Nov 29, 2007 12:03 AM CST

Seventh-Day Adventist Gets $55K, Job Back

A Seventh-day Adventist who was fired by the City of Dallas because she refused to work on her Sabbath day, Saturday, is getting her job back. Marilyn Ford, a code inspector for the city, also will get $55,000 and a shift that accommodates her beliefs in a settlement with the…

Nov 28, 2007 11:52 PM CST

Ford Agrees to 4-State Rollover Settlement

Ford Motor Co. has struck a rollover settlement deal that applies to some 1 million people in four states. The litigation involved Ford Explorers that plaintiffs in California, Connecticut, Illinois and Texas, claimed were prone to rollovers, the Associated Press reports. The AP reports that vehicle owners will be allowed…

Nov 28, 2007 11:45 PM CST

Parents Welcome Warrantless Searches of Boston’s Youth; ACLU Uneasy

Police in Boston are experimenting with a “Safe Homes” program meant to ferret out guns. But there’s a civil liberties catch that has critics of the program on edge. Police are asking parents in poor, high-crime areas for permission to search homes, without a warrant. The parents are so far…

Nov 28, 2007 11:21 PM CST

O.J. Pleads Not Guilty to Robbery, Kidnapping in Vegas

O.J. Simpson and two co-defendants pleaded not guilty to charges they brandished weapons in an attempt to take football memorabilia Simpson claims belongs to him. Judge Jackie Glass, of the Clark County district court in Las Vegas, set an April 7 trial date for Simpson, Clarence Steward and Charles Ehrlich,…

Nov 28, 2007 9:17 PM CST