States

Illegal Immigrant Rental Ban Blocked

A federal judge has blocked a law that would require landlords in one Texas town to verify that tenants are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay of Dallas granted a preliminary injunction barring the law from taking effect, the Houston Chronicle reports. Lindsay wrote that the…

Jun 20, 2007 7:06 PM CDT

LA City Attorney on Hot Seat

The Los Angeles city attorney and his wife are taking a drubbing in the press for driving-related infractions. The wife of City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has an outstanding warrant for her arrest for failing to appear in court on driving related charges, the Los Angeles Times reports. Michelle Delgadillo was…

Jun 20, 2007 5:17 PM CDT

Ex-Employees Sued in Client Disputes

A California investment-advice firm has sued former sales people and two companies that hired them, claiming they used proprietary information to steal clients. Fisher Investments claims the employees violated contracts by taking client contact information to new jobs, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. The employees respond that the…

Jun 20, 2007 4:08 PM CDT

Suit Over Lawyers’ Conversation Dismissed

A Philadelphia judge has dismissed a defamation suit against Cozen O’Connor that was based on a phone conversation between lawyers. The suit by an heir to a building fortune says a lender called loans for a Rolls Royce and a boat after the conversation, the Legal Intelligencer reports. During the…

Jun 20, 2007 1:51 PM CDT

Maryland Police Target Pimps, Treat Prostitutes as Victims

In a cutting-edge approach to law enforcement that reflects growing concern about human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad, at least one American police force has radically changed the way it handles prostitution cases. Pimps are the criminals and prostitutes are treated as victims by authorities in Montgomery County, Maryland,…

Jun 20, 2007 1:08 AM CDT

Judge: Duke Rape DA Must Go Now

After working for almost 30 years in the Durham County, N.C., District Attorney’s office, disbarred DA Mike Nifong thought he could take one more month to wind up his work there. But a local judge disagreed. Nifong, who was disbarred Saturday due to the way he handled the rape prosecution…

Jun 19, 2007 9:03 PM CDT

Judge to Release Priest Files

A Los Angeles judge has ruled he will allow release of confidential personnel files of clergy accused in child sex abuse cases that have settled. Judge Peter Lichtman said the priests’ privacy rights must give way to the state’s interest in protecting children from sex abuse, the Los Angeles Times…

Jun 19, 2007 8:33 PM CDT

City of Big Lawsuits

New York is unsurpassed when it comes to lawsuits, according to New York Times columnist Clyde Haberman. He writes of lawyers “of unparalleled dedication” such as the attorney who spent about $10,000 in billable time fighting a $65 traffic ticket. The city is also home to a personal injury lawsuit…

Jun 19, 2007 3:41 PM CDT

Lone N.J. Juror Can Decide Retardation

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a defendant may not receive a death sentence if at least one juror finds he is mentally retarded. The court said the finding must be made in a sentencing hearing after a guilty verdict, the New York Times reports. The court said…

Jun 19, 2007 3:13 PM CDT

No Apology by Convicted Fashion Writer

A former fashion writer has been sentenced to a minimum of 18 years in prison for raping a colleague. Peter Braunstein made his first public statement about the crime before he was sentenced. He said the crime was motivated by “irrationality” and mentioned severe depression, the New York Times reports.…

Jun 19, 2007 2:50 PM CDT

Union of Feuding Mothers Dissolved

A Vermont judge has dissolved a civil union between two women whose fight over the custody of their daughter produced court opinions in two states. The judge affirmed that both women were parents of the girl conceived by artificial insemination, Adam Liptak reports in the New York Times. Judge William…

Jun 19, 2007 1:54 PM CDT

More Missing White House E-mail; Official Cites ‘Extensive’ Violations

Far more e-mail than originally thought was sent and received by White House officials on Republican National Committee accounts, and records of many of those e-mails are missing. And that suggests there may have been “extensive” violations of federal open records law by the Bush administration, says the Democratic chair…

Jun 19, 2007 3:00 AM CDT

White Lawyer Takes Misdemeanor Plea; Black Youth Faces 20-Year Prison Term

Their crimes, arguably, are quite similar. Both were accused of shooting at another person. Both say they didn’t. And, fortunately, nobody was seriously injured in either case. But the resulting punishment faced by two Florida men is quite different. A well-connected white former prosecutor has taken a misdemeanor plea, which…

Jun 19, 2007 2:31 AM CDT

ACLU ‘Juneteenth’ for Florida Ex-Cons

Seeking to help disenfranchised former convicts in Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union is promoting a “Juneteenth” effort. Its purpose is to make them aware of a state clemency program and help them apply for a restoration of their civil rights–including the right to vote. The effort takes its name…

Jun 19, 2007 1:28 AM CDT

Duke Settles With Players in Rape Case

The fallout continues over three former Duke University lacrosse players falsely accused of rape. A settlement agreement, in an undisclosed amount, was announced Monday by Duke University concerning its treatment of three former men’s lacrosse team members. Meanwhile, litigation is likely and there could even be criminal sanctions against the…

Jun 18, 2007 10:32 PM CDT