States

Suit Against PI Lawyer Disputes Fen-Phen Expenses

A class action lawsuit by former clients of Houston personal injury lawyer George Fleming and his law firm alleges the lawyers overcharged for expenses in a $29 million fen-phen settlement. The suit says Fleming & Associates improperly charged the fen-phen settlement plaintiffs for echocardiograms performed on clients that turned out…

Dec 17, 2007 11:34 AM CST

Kansas AG in Sex Scandal Resigns

The attorney general of Kansas, who has been embroiled in a sex scandal that also raises significant legal ethics issues, announced today that he will resign from office effective at the end of January. At that point, he will have been in office barely one year. “Many people feel betrayed…

Dec 14, 2007 10:59 PM CST

Pregnant Lawyer Charged Over Fake Kidnap Story

A pregnant lawyer who—according to police and her own husband—falsely claimed that she was kidnapped has been charged with making false alarms. If Karyn McConnell Hancock, 35, is convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, reports the Associated Press. Hancock herself reportedly…

Dec 14, 2007 10:38 PM CST

No Signs for Big Mich. Law Firm

A well-known law firm in Grand Rapids, Mich., would like to put up street-level signs to help clients find their five-floor downtown offices. But that’s not possible, because the bank from which Warner Norcross & Judd rents its office space has already taken up all the available ground-floor sign space,…

Dec 14, 2007 10:11 PM CST

Secretary to Axed Partner Plans Whistle-Blower Suit

A legal secretary who warned a major Maine law firm that the senior partner for whom she worked was apparently mishandling funds now plans to file a whistle-blower suit, contending that she was wrongfully fired as a result. Ellie Rommel’s attorney also expects to file a claim with the Maine…

Dec 14, 2007 9:32 PM CST

Pass List May Not Be Final for July ‘07 N.Y. Bar Exam

A “fail” may not be the final answer for some individuals who took the New York bar exam in July. If they were among those who failed the exam because of apparent software glitches that prevented some answers on computer laptops from being saved, a successful appeal may be possible,…

Dec 14, 2007 8:45 PM CST

Lawyer Invite Spurs Country Singer to Give Benefit Concert

Country pop star Jimmy Wayne has agreed to hold a benefit concert this weekend for abused and homeless youths because of an invitation from a fan—Fairfax, Va., estate lawyer Kimberley Murphy. The Washington Post reports that the lawyer became acquainted with Wayne through a TV report and a letter. Murphy…

Dec 14, 2007 7:43 PM CST

First Amendment Protects Woman Who Cursed at Overflowing Toilet

A Pennsylvania judge has cited the First Amendment in acquitting a woman who screamed profanities when her toilet overflowed. Judge Terrence Gallagher wrote that Dawn Herb’s profanities may be considered “offensive, vulgar and imprudent,” but they are protected by the First Amendment, the Times-Tribune reports. Herb, who lives in West…

Dec 14, 2007 7:19 PM CST

N.J. First State to Abolish Death Penalty by Legislative Vote

As expected, the New Jersey General Assembly has passed a bill eliminating the death penalty in the state. Gov. Jon Corzine has agreed to sign the measure into law within the next week, the New York Times reports. When he acts, New Jersey will become the first state to abolish…

Dec 14, 2007 6:55 PM CST

Disbarred Lawyer Woos Women, Gets Up to $1M—and 5 Years

Law practice didn’t work out for Hillard Quint, who gave up his Georgia license in 1997 to resolve a disciplinary matter. So the enterprising ex-attorney apparently found another way to make a living—scamming women. Reportedly, the seemingly successful business executive may have extracted at least $1 million from women in…

Dec 14, 2007 6:00 PM CST

Duck Cruelty Case Creates Controversy for Animal Rights Attorney

A young animal rights attorney in Minneapolis is on the hot seat after writing to the judge hearing a case against a man accused of ripping the head off of a live duck in front of onlookers at a downtown hotel. Corwin Kruse, a lawyer at Dorsey & Whitney who…

Dec 14, 2007 5:15 PM CST

Lawyer’s License at Risk Over Blog Post

A lawyer who called a controversial Broward County judge an “evil, unfair witch” in a blog post is facing ethics charges for his online tirade. Lawyer Sean Conway told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he wrote the angry blog post because Judge Cheryl Alemán was giving defense lawyers only one…

Dec 14, 2007 5:04 PM CST

Conn. Death Penalty Hearing Held in Prison Gym

Security concerns forced a Connecticut judge considering the constitutionality of the state’s death penalty to hold the hearing in a prison gymnasium. “Judge Stanley T. Fuger Jr. of superior court usually presides over his cases in a courthouse,” the New York Times writes. “But with seven of the nine residents…

Dec 14, 2007 4:28 PM CST

Arizona’s Crackdown on Hiring Illegal Immigrants Faces Court Test

A federal judge on Tuesday will consider whether to block an Arizona law that threatens to pull the business licenses of companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The law, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, is one of the toughest measures enacted by states to battle illegal immigration, the New…

Dec 14, 2007 3:57 PM CST

‘Finders Keepers,’ Says Contractor Who Found $182K in Walls

A contractor who found $182,000 in cash in a homeowner’s bathroom walls has hired a lawyer and threatened a lawsuit asserting a right to the money. Contractor Bob Kitts was rehabbing an 83-year old Cleveland home when he found some of the Depression-era cash in the walls and called homeowner…

Dec 14, 2007 3:34 PM CST